It’s a distant noise, a niggling voice from within, a tingling sensation that things are not quite right. Lifestyle change sounds so drastic, and doesn’t is mean just loosing weight? Lifestyle change is about feeling good again – not loosing weight. It’s about taking small steps  and tweaking how we eat, move, sleep, de-stress and ‘enjoy’ ourselves.

Small steps become one big leap into feeling good, energetic , rested, and alive again. Eventually, these small beginner steps become your daily walk – a new habit. A 360 degree overhaul of food, fitness, mindfulness, style, relaxation and enjoyment that stays with you ‘forever’.

It’s about finding yourself under all that paper, sand and reporting that drowns you everyday. It’s about having fun doing it – and knowing that you are getting energy from actually doing something for you – permanently.

But – how do you know you need a change?

Lifestyle change – too late or too early?

Here are some signals that tell you that you really need to think and make a choice before it’s ‘too late’.  If  you haven’t quite gotten to these stages , you can congratulate yourself and say you’ve started in time.

It’s never too early – and certainly never too late. Trust me – I know!

Have you ever felt that you looked in the mirror and not recognised the person looking back at you? And, realised that a haircut will not take care of the ‘ghost’ this time – a more radical approach is needed. Here are six signals to look out for if you think you need something more than a ‘make over’.

 

Six signals to tell that lifestyle change is needed

Here are five signals that tell you that it is time to think about taking action to look after yourself better:

Stress signals

When your reactions to basic, normal, routine issues become bigger than usual. When you feel overcome by an added task. When your partner or child gets shouted at for no reason. When you let off steam – not only in traffic – but in everyday situations.

You recognise that stress is part of everyday life – but when it starts to affect you long after a given situation, or follows you into your sleep… Then it’s time to think.

Health flares

When your medical check-up comes back with numbers you did not have before. When you suddenly come up with rashes or blemishes. When your hair and nails lack shine and lustre. When you no longer care what you eat. When you get every flu and cold that is going around… Then it’s time to think.

Relationship crumble

When you seem no longer to care about a letter or email from an old friend. When your partner becomes part of the furniture. When lunch breaks are for reviewing documents. When a phone call from your concerned parent is an interruption. When you forget to send birthday and Holiday greetings even via Facebook…then it’s time to think.

Energy output

When you do not have the same energy as before. When it takes you double the time to do something ordinary (baking a cake, drafting an email etc). When you can not walk with the same spring in your step, or run to the bus, or walk the stairs without feeling not only out of breath – but without any energy…The it is time to think.

Photo check

When you find a photo of yourself from a few months ago – and compare it with a recent one. When you see that you no longer look like ‘you’ – and it’s not the hairdo… You look older, sadder more fragile and even sometimes as a shadow of your former self… Then it’s time to think.

Me-time

When time for you – just you – becomes reduced to less than zero… Then it’s time to think.

So – what can you do about it? How can you start? Where do you go from here?

First off, I would recommend a general health check-up. This is not only to get your basic numbers, but also to make sure you have no other health conditions that makes you feel the way you feel. If this is not the case, you can start the process of finding your why, setting your goal and make a plan.

Lifestyle changes are for long-term health, wellbeing and overall enhancement of all facets that are part of your life. You are worth this!

Do you have any other signs that tell you that change is needed?

Yesterday’s the past, tomorrow’s the future, but today is a gift. That’s why it’s called the present.

Bil Keane

Is this what you want? Time to turn it around!

Related Reading:

4 Red Flags that you’re headed for burn-out, by Jan Bruce, Huffingtonpost.com

 

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