September 26, 2021: Managing Your Minimums
My weekly Get Your Stuff Together Sunday email series gives you one actionable focus for the week that will make your life a little easier.
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If you’re alway trying to do *the most,* then this is for you. This week, we’re going to talk about finding your minimums, which are the 1-5 behaviors that will have the biggest impact on your overall health.
I refer to minimums as the 1-5 behaviors that you’ve identified as having the biggest impact on how you look, feel, and perform. Throughout your journey to living a healthier lifestyle, you’ve probably noticed how certain things (food, behaviors, activities) make you feel physically, mentally, and emotionally. I encourage you to recognize what those things are and put a plan in place to consistently do more of the things that matter the most.
What works for you?
We differ from one person to the next. It’s important for you to tune into and recognize what works best for you and your body. Notice when you are feeling well, full of energy, and like you’d want to feel. What is contributing to this? This may not only require you to really pay attention, but it may also take some experimenting and observing.
Questions to ask yourself as you identify your minimums:
What habits or behaviors do you perform consistently?
Which small changes that you have made have made a really big difference?
What makes you feel good physically, emotionally, and mentally?
What things make your body perform best?
Be aware that, at any given point, your minimums may change a bit. This could be due to a variety of things. Your activity level, your stress level, or your health situation to name a few. For example, I know that when my activity level increases, I need to focus on having the right types of carbs, in the right amounts, and at the right times.
Examples of Minimums
Getting 8 hours of quality sleep
Eating protein at each meal
Getting in 8000 steps each day
Drinking half of your body weight in ounces of water per day
Avoiding sugar
Eating 5-7 servings of non-starchy vegetables each day
Practicing self-care daily
Think of foundational behaviors. Minimums are behaviors/habits (things you have control over), not outcomes.
Managing Minimums
Your minimums are ideally behaviors/habits that you are able to perform just about 100% of the time. By no means is it about being 100% perfect, but these are the few things that happen no matter what for you to feel your best. They happen no matter what because of the impact they have on your health and well being. Will there be certain times when they don’t happen? Sure, but it will be a small percentage of the time.
The purpose and idea behind managing your minimums is to give you a small number of behaviors/habits to focus on at one time. Pick the few things that make the greatest difference for you and focus your time and energy there. Then you can fill other things around your minimums.
Next Sunday, we’ll talk about how exercise makes a significant impact on our mental health.
Want some expert help with reaching your health goals painlessly? Check out my programs! We’ll get everything taken care of in a way that fits into your current lifestyle so you never have to think about your health again.
Do you have a friend who could stand to G(her)ST? Feel free to forward this!
I hope you have a wonderful week,
Kelly
Kelly Morgan, Ph.D.
My weekly GYSTS email give you one actionable thing to do for the week that will make you life a little easier. As "they" say, "Fail to plan; plan to fail." Get these emails (and more!) delivered right to your inbox by clicking HERE.