Establishing Habits for a Healthy Life

Establishing Healthy Habits

Hello Friends! I hope everyone is having a blessed day!

This post is going to be about the healthy habits I have been working at establishing in my every day life - especially during the week days - to become the best version of myself. I strongly encourage any women reading this post to go back and read Proverbs 31:10-31 since a lot of what I am changing about my day-to-day has been influenced by those verses in the Bible!

Starting a Good Morning!

I am NOT a morning person, so naturally I require more self discipline in the mornings. But that is okay! I may not be a morning person, but I am a person of routine, so establishing a routine for my mornings has helped me stay on track!

WAKING UP EARLY

As I stated earlier, I am not a morning person, but I want to be the best version of myself and what a woman of God is. Proverbs 31:15 states that a woman of God gets up before the sun, and Proverbs 31:17 states that a woman of God works eagerly. So, waking up earlier has allowed me the time to be intentional with my whole day.

Most of all, always giving my day to the Lord as soon as I wake up has become the greatest blessing and change!

This is when simple “replacement” comes in. For example, I can be the worst about waking up and immediately reaching for my phone to check all of my socials. But, I have realized that when I start my day by absorbing everything social media spits out instead of putting on the Armor of God, I am not equipped to take on the day and combat the devil and his schemes.

So, instead, I have started waking up and immediately speaking Psalm 118:24 over my day.

"This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it."

Psalm 118:24

Giving your day to the Lord and having the attitude of joy and gratitude can greatly shift the outcome of your day - your attitude can either be your weapon or your destruction.

Fuel for the Body and Soul

After giving my day to the Lord and quickly making my bed, I will go and prepare a small breakfast.

I am not a big breakfast person, but I know that without fueling my body, I cannot work eagerly because I do not have the energy to do so. As well, breakfast is such an important meal. It helps wake your mind up, gives your body energy, and kickstarts your metabolism for the rest of the day!

After preparing breakfast, I take it to my room, and I give myself around 30-45 minutes to eat and Bible study before I need to start getting ready to leave the house. Lately, I have been choosing one book of the Bible to read through completely - right now I’m reading Proverbs!

By doing both of these, both my body and mind are fueled to start and finish my day in the right manner. I have the energy to get my morning chores completed, and the spiritual nourishment - from God's Word - to go about my day honoring the Lord with my actions, my attitude, and my talk.

Presenting Myself for the Lord

I understand that getting ready for the day looks different for everyone, and that is perfectly okay! For me, however, I love all the girly things. It does not bother me to put on makeup, fix my hair, and dress up every day - I genuinely love it! As well, I view it as I am presently myself for the Lord! I want to always give the best of me to the Lord because that is what He gives to me! ( “She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.“ Proverbs‬ ‭31‬:‭25‬ )

When I am dressed up and feel put together, I just have a more productive day. I view being “ready for the day” as being ready to do whatever the Lord needs me to do. I’m definitely the type of girl who lives by “look good, feel good, perform good.” And I don’t mean that in a vain way, I just love to be “done up.”

But, whatever your version of “getting ready” is, I encourage you to always get ready for the day as though you are presenting yourself to the Lord!

Whatever You Do, Do It for the Lord

For me, each day looks a little different, but I know for certain that each day has a list of to-do’s. Whether it is school, college classes, work, chores, or other responsibilities, I try to always choose to be intentional about my performance in each area. This goes back to the attitude we choose to have.

"Whatever you do, work at it with your whole heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters."

Colossians 3:23

As I said before, one's attitude is more powerful than their circumstance - our attitudes can be our weapon or our own destruction! So, it is very important to shift our mindset from "I have to do this" to "I get to do this." Shifting our perspectives starts when we get into the Word of God and find His truth. We are blessed beyond measure - no matter the circumstance - because we serve the unshakable, unbeatable, and un-circumstantial one true God!

He does not leave us nor forsake us, and most of all He does not half-try when it comes to loving and blessing us. So, in our own lives, we should not half-try when it comes to doing even our most annoying chores - we are blessed to even have the opportunity because some do not.

So, whatever it is in your day-to-day that needs to get gone, do it whole hearted and most of all for the Lord!

Taking Care of Your Temple

Our bodies are the temple where our spirits reside (1 Corinthians 6:19-20), and we are called to take care of our temples. This is important, not only to live a healthy life, but to live out the purpose that the Lord has established for each one of us. How can we possibly do our best for the Kingdom of God if our temples are worn down?

Clean Eating

I am no expert or master at clean eating, so take this with a grain of salt. But, establishing a clean, healthy diet (not dieting) is one of the most important steps to feeling good. Not to get statistical, but the average person's diet consists of more junk food than it does whole foods.

So, I encourage everyone, including myself, to start pursuing a healthier palate so that the temple which the Lord has entrusted us with can stay healthy and ready for whatever the Lord calls us to do!

Daily Movement

I may not be the best at clean eating, but I am pretty fond of daily movement! I love the days where the sun shines longer so I can get outside and go for walks - walking, hiking, and biking are my favorite outdoor activities! But the rest of the year, I adore lifting in the gym. Weight training has been my favorite form of exercise the last two years, and I have seen a tremendous improvement in both my mental and physical health because of it.

Now, this is not me telling you to go into the gym and start lifting weights. However, this is me encouraging you to find some sort of exercise/movement that you are willing to do daily. This movement will help increase serotonin levels, increase blood flow, and help maintain a healthy mental and physical state - win, win, win!

Unplug

In the evenings, before bed, I have a set routine - usually; shower, skincare, pick up room, finish any other tasks, select clothes for the next day, and get in bed. But, once I am in bed, I find that I still need something to help me unwind from the day, even if I am exhausted.

And there are three things that help the most :

1.) Stretching

2.) Reading a book

3.) Praying & Bible studying

There are some nights where I do not make the time for any of the three, I am guilty of just going to bed without prioritizing these habits. But, they are still influential and make a noticeable difference in my rest.

Because I lift weights, my muscles tend to tense more than usual and it can be hard to relax at night, which results in poor rest. So, I have found that stretching for ten minutes while saying my prayers before bed has helped my body and mind relax.

Reading a book is also a great way to unplug. Disconnect from my phone, and the rest of the world, and relax. I'm not always the best reader because books tend to put me right to sleep, but in this case that is exactly what I am looking for!

I love bible studying - and of course talking to God - but there are some nights I only get to my prayers. But, on the nights that allow, I love getting extra time to investigate other topics the Lord has laid on my heart!

Live Intentionally

The biggest habit that I have instilled into my life this year is the habit of living intentionally. Being intentional with every moment of my day has brought me closer to the Lord, helped me take better care of my body, foster healthy relationships, and given me the push to pursue interests I would otherwise ignore.

"Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming."

Matthew 24:42

We do not know what hour the Lord is coming back, but one thing we do know is that we have limited time on this earth. No matter the limit, however, we can do our best to intentionally live in a manner that will be honoring to the Lord!

I hope this post encouraged you to start living intentionally and to establish healthy habits into your daily life!

I will see you next time!

XOXO,

Paislye Grace