Have you ever wondered if it's possible to be happy AND healthy?
Have you been stuck in a cycle of trying to get healthy but never quite hitting the mark?
You’re not alone.
So many of us struggle with defining true health. We think it's a number on a scale. Or a certain look in the mirror.
We end up chasing superficial goals or following generic advice, which leads to frustration and a lack of results that STICK.
Here’s the secret: real health is about more than looking good. It's about FEELING good too.
If you're on a journey to improve your physical health but are miserable inside, are you healthy?
I think it's helpful to acknowledge the balancing act we all have to engage in when we're on this journey.
We need to understand and balance these three things:
Self-acceptance, self-awareness, and self-improvement.
All three have to exist in tension with each other.
If you aren't balancing these three, it can lead to a bunch of problems:
Self-Criticism: You might constantly criticize your appearance, focusing on imperfections rather than the progress you’ve made.
Disconnection: Feeling disconnected from your body because you lack awareness of what truly impacts your health.
Unrealistic Goals: Setting ambitious goals can lead to disappointment and eventually giving up on one's health aspirations.
It’s hard to be happy and healthy when you're constantly battling these feelings, and there's no point looking good if you don't also FEEL good.
The Happy Health Approach
This is where the Happy Health approach comes in. It’s all about integrating self-acceptance, self-awareness, and self-improvement into your health journey.
Here's what I mean:
Start with Self-Acceptance
There's no point lying to yourself or kidding yourself. You need to radically accept who you are and where you are.
You have the body you have. It's uniquely yours.
You didn't ask for it, but you need to accept it. Start to view your body as an ally, not an adversary. Accept it completely.
This is the first step.
Embrace your current state. Understand that health is a journey, and perfection isn’t the goal. It’s about progress.
Silence the inner critic. You may be so used to hearing the inner critic's voice that you don't even notice it anymore; it's just normal.
But let me ask you - what goes through your head when you look in the mirror?
Are they kind thoughts? Are they things you would say to other people?
If you deal with negative self-talk, a mindfulness meditation practice might help you gain awareness of these unhelpful thoughts and foster a positive self-image.
Foster Self-Awareness
We talk about this a lot in H40, but awareness is half the battle. Foster an increasing sense of awareness about your body, your mind, and your environment. Start to pay attention.
How do you feel?
How do the foods you eat affect the way you feel?
How do your environments affect your mood?
How does movement or exercise affect your mood?
Nobody else knows your body better than you do. So start to recognize what affects your well-being, both positively and negatively.
Do you have a day where you felt great? What was different?
Become aware of your bad habits, too. What are your triggers? Is there a relationship between your emotions and your eating habits? (Spoiler alert: there is!)
Treat yourself like a student of your own body and mind, and become SUPER aware. Then...
Pursue Self-Improvement
Lastly, there is self-improvement. Only after we've acknowledged and accepted where we are and gained an awareness of our habits, triggers, and situations can we start making improvements.
And this self-improvement lives in tension with self-acceptance. It's a both/and, not either/or.
You accept yourself and where you are, AND you aim towards improving every day.
Here's the trick: Set realistic goals.
Set achievable goals. Define your minimum acceptable day, and then stack up wins. As humans, we are happiest when we are improving. We are happiest when we have set a goal and can see ourselves progressing toward that goal.
So, set goals that you can achieve, and then commit to the process, not the outcome. So, for example, don't commit to losing X pounds by X day. Instead, commit to working out every day. That's something you can control. That's something you can choose to do. You can make it happen.
Then, as you make progress, you'll experience increased satisfaction and motivation, which creates a positive feedback loop.
It's about building a new lifestyle that is aimed at health, and that's ONLY going to happen if you can balance these three: self-acceptance, self-awareness, and self-improvement.
Remember: true health isn’t just about looking good—it’s about feeling great, inside and out.
If you're serious about committing to better health, sign up for our next H40 Health Sprint.
It starts on July 15th and lasts six weeks. It's completely free, and you'll get access to a community of like-minded health seekers, six weeks of content, and worksheets to help you stay on track as you build a new lifestyle. Click HERE to get on the waitlist, and I'll see you there! Live free,
Greg
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