5 Mindset Shifts to Simplify Healthy Living

For me, everything comes down to mindset these days.

When making a lifestyle change, the problem is that we take action to make a change but yet our mindset remains the same.

“To change your life, you have to change yourself. To change yourself, you have to change your mindset.” – Wilson Kanadi

In order to see real change and be consistent with the changes we’re making, we have to first adjust the way we think about healthy eating and exercise.

Whether you struggle with consistency or just want to feel better about your new habits, here are 5 simple mindset shifts to help you make healthy living easier so you can take better care of yourself.

5 Mindset Shifts to Make Exercise & Healthy Eating Easier

1. I want to work out and eat healthy

Old mindset: I have to work out and eat healthy

If we have to do something, we automatically categorize it in our heads as a chore.

And no one wants to do chores, right?

When we don’t want to do something, it usually ends up at the end of our to-do list. And even if we do make the time for it, we only do it to get it over with and dread the next time we “have to” do it.

That’s why we often find ourselves saying “I don’t have time” but in reality, we could make the time if we saw it as a priority.

Everyone’s circumstance is different but I guarantee you can make it work even if you have to shift things around in order for your new habits to fit your lifestyle.

For example, if you’re a mom with little ones you can find an at-home exercise program to do while they nap or play.

If you feel like you’re lying when you say you want to do things, try remembering your why. Why do you want to eat healthy? Maybe you’re tired of having an upset stomach and want to feel better.

Why do you want to work out? Maybe you want to have more energy to play with your kids. Remember your why and let it fuel you into you wanting to live healthier.

Shifting your mindset from having to do it to wanting to do it will help you find the motivation you need to get it done.

Shifting your mindset from having to live a healthier life to wanting to will help you find the motivation you need to get it done.

2. I work out to feel better

Old mindset: I have to work out to look like her

Daily movement is amazing for your body. Simply going for a 10-minute walk around your neighborhood can do wonders for not only your body, but your mind too.

So instead of focusing on wanting to look like the fitness models, focus on feeling better. Focus on how much energy you’ll have, the positive shift in your mood, how strong you’ll become and how great you’ll sleep.

When I first started working out I was obsessed with trying to look like the people I followed on Instagram. Now I realize how damaging that was for my self-esteem and how unrealistic it was.

Exercise and movement lost it’s magic because I was so focused on trying to obsessively change my body instead of appreciating it and celebrating it.

3. Healthy living is about balance

Old mindset: I need to be perfect and can’t miss a day

Let’s ditch the mindset that healthy living has to be all-or-nothing.

It can be whatever you need it to be so it fits in with your lifestyle. If that looks like going to the gym just two times a week or eating out on weekends, then so be it. You don’t have to be perfect to lead a healthy lifestyle – in fact, you shouldn’t be.

When you don’t let yourself flow and you try to control everything to force it into perfection, you create a trap for failure. Because we’re human and we’re not perfect.

Some days you’re going to feel like you have it all together and other days you’ll feel like it’s all falling apart. You need to be prepared for both kind of days even if that means letting go of the reins and letting things flow.

View your healthy living lifestyle as a journey, treat your body with love, and remind yourself that it’s about nourishment, not punishment.

4. I choose foods based on ingredients and that make me feel good

Old mindset: How many calories are in this?

Doesn’t the new mindset sound so much better?

Start viewing eating as a way to nourish your body with the nutrients it needs. Eating isn’t supposed to be restrictive or a way to punish yourself.

When you eat from a place of compassion, it helps you be gentler with yourself and allows you to shift your mindset to make healthy living easier.

Instead of focusing on how many calories are in something, start checking the ingredients and choosing foods that make you physically feel good. Instead of cutting down your portions because “too many calories”, try eating to satisfy. Focus on quality over quantity, go by the rule: the fewer ingredients the better.

5. My health routine is unique and mine alone

Old mindset: I’ll never be able to do what they do

Everyone’s healthy living journey is different.

Just because Jana down the street runs 4 miles and drinks a protein smoothie for breakfast every morning, doesn’t mean that you have to.

Trying to do things that are “trending” just because everyone else is doing it is a surefire way to lose steam quick.

You’ll have to experiment a bit to find something that does work for you and even when you do find it, be flexible with your methods and have a back-up plan because.life.happens.

So find an exercise you love and makes you feel excited. Find food that you love that makes your body (and mind) feel good. Do more of what is working and trash the rest.

When you shut out all the noise and really start to focus on yourself, creating a sustainable healthy living routine that fits your lifestyle becomes that much easier.

Just like with anything new, learning how to shift your mindset is a process. Take it slow. Set short-term goals. Give yourself grace and breathe through it all.

It might be a choice we have to make daily, but one thing is for sure – we will get up and try again.