Some of us are better at keeping up healthy habits than others. I tend to fall off the wagon often when it comes to keeping up with new healthy habits. I’d say I tend to go for a few months before it fizzles out, and then another few months before I realize I stopped. For the past few months I’ve been telling myself I need to get back into my workout habit. I feel like I had only stopped working out maybe 3 months ago, but in reality it’s been 5 or 6.
I wouldn’t say I get too hard on myself when I fall out of a healthy habit. Rather, I see it as a way to grow and start again. In the past, I’ve said I love Mondays because it’s the start of a brand new week full of possibilities. I remind myself how easy it can be to start over again and get back into a healthy habit, but following through on that reminder is difficult.
The way we can bring ourselves to renew our healthy habits is all about perspective. If I believe I’ll never be able to get back on the exercise bike, then I won’t. If I believe I can’t fit prayer time into my day, then I won’t. It’s all about how we view the habit in order for us to even take the step forward.
There are many healthy habits myself and my teammates have shared in previous blogs, which have helped me in my physical, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing; a lot of these I’ve fallen out of habit of doing. However, I always wish to start over, and today is the day we’re going to reflect on them and see how we can renew these healthy habits.
Physical Healthy Habits
“The unity of soul and body is so profound that one has to consider the soul to be the “form” of the body: i.e., it is because of its spiritual soul that the body made of matter becomes a living, human body; spirit and matter, in man, are not two natures united, but rather their union forms a single nature.”
This quote comes from the Catechism of the Catholic Church (paragraph 365), which our guest blogger Jessica references when writing her blog How Neglecting Your Body Hurts Your Soul (and What to do About it). She speaks on how our physical and spiritual health are connected, and helps us better understand the importance of wellness. Read her blog to know what wellness pitfalls to avoid and get practical tips (which I’m going to start using) to help implement healthy habits.
Though we have simple practical tips to follow, Bridget reflects on her physical wellness journey in her blog Simple Does Not Mean Easy: Learning to Embrace Our Physical Bodies. She dives into how our mind and body are connected, and how some of us may not find simple habits easy. Mental illness can play into our efforts to form physical healthy habits, and Bridget shares what she has done to overcome these obstacles and embrace her physical health.
Emotional Healthy Habits
As mentioned above, our physical health can be connected to our mental and even spiritual health; the same can be said of our emotions. In Lisa’s vlog, Decluttering: Tips, Spiritual and Emotional Benefits, she shares how the habit of decluttering helps her spiritual and emotional health. Lisa breaks down how decluttering is more than simply clearing items away, “a clutter-free space is clear of the emotional distraction that our stuff represents. We feel a lightness when not weighed down by an overabundance of things. Also feel more ordered – which can bring a greater sense of peace in your heart and home.”
I can relate with Bridget, and have reflected on my own mental health journey, and shared how my worry and anxiety have prevented me from being emotionally present in my daily life and in my relationships. I have always promoted the Monk Manual as an amazing tool which has helped me overcome this struggle and better balance my being and doing, but I have fallen out of habit with it. To better form this emotional healthy habit, I revisited my old vlog Balancing Being and Doing with the Monk Manual, and will be trying to pull out my own (dusty) Monk Manual again and get back into the habit.
Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:6-7
Spiritual Healthy Habits
We all need a spiritual refresh from time to time, and I’m finding my healthy spiritual habits are fading. I have been going to weekly adoration since 2019, and lately I have been skipping a few weeks. The Impact of Weekly Adoration is huge, as I had reflected on in this past blog, and I am going to take some of the advice and tips from my past self to keep my habit of adoration alive.
If you’re struggling with leading a healthy prayer life or need a refresh in your relationship with the Lord, don’t worry. I’ve been there in these past posts and am right there with you now. We know that consistency is the number one factor in a good prayer life, but also can be a downfall. I have found my morning Rosary is losing its meaning because I am doing it the same way every day. A better idea for forming a spiritual healthy habit is to be intentional. Whether we pray a rosary daily or pause a moment in our day to say, “Jesus I Trust in You.” When we do these things intentionally our spiritual healthy habits have more meaning.
So I’m right there with you if you find yourself struggling with keeping up with your physical, emotional, or spiritual healthy habits. Let’s continue to reflect on our journey together, and know I am praying for you!
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