For a few years I felt like I was stuck in a rut. I was a happy person, but there were definitely things I felt I wanted to improve. Most of those things surrounded health. I wasn't being active enough and I was letting stress and anxiety get to me. It affected everything I did.
Physically, I wasn't feeling great and many times I had very limited energy. I went to the doctor a handful of times, but it lead nowhere. I was only given advice of what I could try. There were no definitive answers to what I was going through.
I tried making lifestyle changes here and there, but nothing lasted because I didn't see enough improvement. This year, I decided to dive in headfirst and tackle some changes. I'm feeling better everyday and my happiness has skyrocketed. It's truly an amazing feeling!
So what have I changed?
1. I'm exercising daily. This one is huge. I'm not trying to lose weight; I actually just want to gain muscle. So, I do exercises geared towards that and I do them every single day. I feel amazing after I do my routine and I have tons of energy. I can feel myself getting stronger and I can actually see the muscle definition start to form.
2. I'm eating better. I was feeling horrible every time I ate. I still don't know why and I'm thinking it could be a gluten allergy. I've been eating more healthy and introducing gluten-free food into my overall diet. This is a work in progress, but I know I feel better when I make healthier eating decisions.
3. I'm thinking positively. Negative thoughts only make you feel worse. I try to start my day with positive thoughts and I don't hinder myself with the 'what-ifs' (it's hard sometimes). The what-ifs have prevented me from doing a lot of things.
4. I'm more active. Aside from exercising, I'm just trying to be more active in general. Today, Mark and I took a 2 1/2 hour walk around local trails. I didn't get too tired; in fact, I was the one pushing us to keep going. We used to do things like this all the time, so it feels great to be able to do it again.
5. I'm saying "yes" to opportunity. This is also where I'm not letting the what-ifs affect me as much. I want to get out and do more. I want to experience more things and take more chances.
6. I'm accomplishing my goals. It feels incredible to reach goals you set out to do, whether they're big or small. I have small and large goals that I have set into motion. I'm reaching them little by little and it just contributes to my happiness.
7. I'm focusing on things I love to do. I'm exploring new hobbies and revisiting old ones. Right now, I'm interested in improving my photography. I've been practicing on our recent walks. You can see the pictures here!
With these changes, I feel like I'm getting back to who I used to be. I'm physically feeling better and I my mood has been elevated. I have energy to do more, see more, experience more. I see improvements every week. I'm starting to feel more carefree and adventurous again. Basically, I'm loving life!
This time, I know I'm going to stick with the changes. I'm excited to see more results.
Do you like reading these personal posts? I'm thinking of doing them every weekend as a little break from beauty. Tell me in the comments!
