Does trying to lead a healthy lifestyle feel complicated to you? Do you struggle to stick to healthy habits you try out? That’s probably because it's become quite complicated, we’ve not kept it simple and suitable for us. But it’s easy to do with buckets of advice floating around, from tips on social media to podcasts, articles and experts sharing their knowledge. It’s a lot to wade through, so many of us have fallen victim to over-complicated goals. Keep reading to find out how to simplify your wellbeing routines.
Many of us find it frustrating and difficult to build healthy habits that support our health and wellbeing, that also feel doable while we’re managing a rather complicated era of living. From information overload and endless options, to experiencing a global pandemic and facing the financial crisis that’s followed, life’s felt quite complicated for many of us over the past few years (at least).
Our modern lifestyles are also a bit more complicated, becoming very full and busy. It’s by no means a bad thing, but when our lives are busy and full of challenges, our wellbeing can begin to deteriorate. It might look like having too much on at work that feels stressful and is disrupting your sleep, or you might be juggling lots of responsibilities, like parenting, work roles, relationships, and keeping on top of the house jobs and it sometimes all feels like too much and you just want to slob on the sofa, order a takeaway and binge watch Netflix - which turns into the routine…
The information overload, combined with better access for wellbeing advice, means we’re absorbing a lot of ideas and other people’s tried and tested routines for health. Which can be helpful and inspiring, but the mistake we easily make with all these tips swimming around - we forget to check in with ourselves.
Say there's a fitness expert you like on social media sharing trending workout routines - but they’ve got equipment at home, have learnt correct techniques and have been building their own fitness probably for years - you give it a go anyway, to find it’s actually really hard, or maybe it hurts (more than the muscle that’s worked hard), or you can’t keep up.
Or you’ve jumped on the ‘overnight oats’ hype (a quick, easy and delicious meal prep for breakfasts on the go), but you actually can’t stand cold porridge but it’s easy to make and that nutritionist said it’s their favourite healthy way to start the day so you persevere for maybe another day before leaving that meal prep tucked away at the back of the fridge to go funky so you don't have to admit it didn’t work for you.
Then how do we feel? Defeated? Like a failure? Ready to give up? You’re not alone, and it’s totally ok to not eat overnight oats in pursuit of a better start to the day - there's plenty of other options - or keep up with fitness fanatics or the latest trending routines you would never even consider without social media pushing them on you.
It’s a common mistake many of us make when it comes to building healthy habits, and it’s easy to make when things often seem so complicated. But simplifying your routines and habits for your wellbeing is actually simple to do.
Here’s how to simplify your routines and habits to support your wellbeing (without feeling rubbish after or exhausted just at the thought!):
Start with the essentials: Identify the core elements of your wellbeing routine that have the most significant impact on your physical, mental, and emotional health. For example, going for a run might really help you manage your stress - start building this into a regular routine. Or you might be struggling with your sleep right now so prioritise mindfulness in your wind-down routine to help. Or it might be healthy eating, your morning routine for energy or your self-care tools.
Prioritise consistency over complexity: Instead of trying to incorporate lots of different or elaborate practices, focus on consistency. Choose a few key activities or habits that you can realistically commit to on a regular basis. Consistency is more important than complexity when it comes to establishing sustainable routines. For example, making time to go to the gym 4 times a week and a short walk on rest days, or starting your day with 20 minutes of yoga rather than hitting a spin class at 6 am.
Keep it flexible: Allow for flexibility in your wellbeing routine to adapt to different circumstances and phases of life. Be open to modifying your routine based on your needs and priorities at any given time, so that your routines remain manageable, adaptable, and consistent, and thus simple! You might have a few weeknight recipes to stick too, different tools you can turn to when plans change or challenges crop up, or to help you sleep when you're stressed.
Be mindful of time: Consider the time you have available and the time it takes to engage in various wellbeing activities. Opt for routines that can be accomplished within your schedule without feeling rushed or overwhelmed. Short and focused practices can often be more effective than long, time-consuming ones for example, trying 10-minute meditations once a day would be better than trying to practice for an hour but only having time once a week.
Eliminate non-essential elements: Regularly review your wellbeing routine and identify any elements that are not truly essential or no longer serve you. Remove activities that feel like obligations or cause unnecessary stress. Simplifying your routine involves focusing on what truly supports your wellbeing, which still includes having fun and finding joy. Sometimes prioritising a walk in the park with a friend to catch up, or going out for tea and connecting with your partner is just as important as those early sweaty gym classes and home-cooked meals.
Cultivating healthy habits that become automatic and require less mental energy to maintain keeps our wellbeing routines simple, and our lifestyles. When certain wellbeing practices become ingrained habits, they are more effortless and integrated into our daily life, which means they’re easier to do even when we’re facing the rest of life’s complications!
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