I'm obsessed with wellness and good habits. It's not a trend, it's a lifestyle. It's engrained in me so much that I think nothing of it. It just comes naturally. Often people looks at wellness and habits as a chore. I look at it as a necessity and a nonnegotiable. I think more like "I GET TO WORKOUT." Vs. "I HAVE TO WORKOUT." It's a must. Wellness keeps me in check. Wellness keeps me away from alcohol. Wellness helps me to be a high performer within my professional career. Wellness helps me sleep better, workout better, have better relationships and literally do everything better.
Why don't we discuss this more? When you feel great, you can do great things.
Wellness saved my life, literally. Habits created my best present and future self.
Now that's an extreme statement but it's true. Being well is so much more than working out and eating right. It's multi-faceted and has so many layers. It's beautiful!
How you look at things MATTERS. If you look at exercise and eating right or self-care as a chore, then it will be a chore. How I look at it is completely different. I look at it as a part of me. I GET to do this. My health depends on it. My mind, my body, my relationships, my performance all depends on staying healthy - mind and body. It's a gift and nothing less. Perspective is everything.
How it saved me from the bottle
Wellness, fitness, health - ALL OF IT - keeps me away from drinking. I haven't had any alcohol in almost 5 years and that goes without saying that my wellness journey played a HUGE part in ensuring it stays that way. Alcohol wreaked havoc on my entire life and every part of it. When I made the decision to quit drinking, I was ready. I knew this was it. It was time. The path I was going down was not going to end well and it was going to send me to an early grave.
Through time and discipline, my unhealthy habits turned into healthy habits. This was a complete game changer! The consistency through time of these newfound habits, created an awesome lifestyle. It wasn't always easy and of course there were road bumps and struggles BUT those struggles are what teach us the great lessons. It's also what builds character!
So how does wellness play a part of all of this? Simple. It has become my new and improved therapy and coping mechanism. Instead of having a drink after a tough day, I use other ways to cope and destress. If I have a negative encounter at work, I take a few deep breathes and go for a walk. This helps more than you know. Next time you are in a mood or frustrated, try this out. When I am stressed out and tired at the end of the day, I hop in my Sunlighten infrared sauna. There are so many healthy ways to cope and the avoid the drink. I had to learn to accept that when I drink, nothing good comes from it. Therefore, I choose to live an alcohol-free lifestyle and it has worked well for me. It's difficult and has challenges but the bigger the challenge, the bigger the reward.
How it saved me from negative self-talk and destruction
My wellness and fitness routine puts me in the zone. It makes me feel like I can conquer and smash anything. It turns negative self-doubt into positive reinforcements. It helped me completely shift away from self-destructive behavior and into productive, positive habits. I started the wellness and the fitness journey for physical goals but keep it because of mental clarity and strength. It's so EMPOWERING!
Every time I engage in some form of healthy activity within my wellness regimen it makes me feel good. It allows me to be kind to myself. It allows me to be the best version of Sam. And it allows me to continue to lay my life brick by brick building it exactly how I want it. The small, daily habits, bad or good, create your life. The small things matter.
How it saved me from anxiety, depression and irritability
Do you ever do something and pay attention to how it makes you feel? If you don't, you should. After I work out or sauna or meditate, I feel like I am in such a better mental state. Doing these things or any form of self-care has helped me to eliminate depression (not drinking alcohol has helped a ton with that too), reduce and manage anxiety and decrease irritability. It's the best form of therapy I have found to get me through the tough times and the good times.
We all get caught up in the daily grind and in the motions of life. Part of this entire process was learning different ways that are healthy and beneficial to manage through it all. Instead of drinking or eating an entire pizza or complaining (ugh! complaining is the WORST) there are ways that you can shift to self-care habits that just make you feel good.
It's tough work and requires a lot of practice and attention but ultimately worth it. You have to reframe how you think.
Hope you enjoyed this post! Any questions or comments please feel free to email me at info@samuelgegen.com
My last tip and inspo is that you can truly do anything you want. It takes time and effort but if you make 1 small habit change at a time, and stick with it, you are moving the needle in the right direction.