The Tribune

By Dr Ian Bethell-Bennett

I recently presented at a workshop where 18 of us shared our goals and vision for our future health. There were a few things that we all had in common. One thing was that we each knew we needed to be doing something differently than we currently were. We also wanted certain situations in our life to change, and we didn’t want to go on the journey alone. We wanted partnership, accountability and tasks to work on together. At the end of our session we wanted to stay in the supportive energy that had been created, so we formed a what’s app group.

For the past week, the first ‘Transform Your Life’ group has been encouraging one another, sending photos of our meals and giving updates when we complete our tasks at different times of the day. The first week’s challenge was to drink 1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water each day. And that’s it. Nothing more needed from any of us on any given day. I wanted to ensure that we all had a achievable goal. What has consistently happened each day is that we are all much more aware of our food intake and choosing healthier options, exercising and drinking more water. This is what happens when we work in community with one another. We gently push, guide and positively influence and nurture the process of creating new habits. We started with a small achievable goal and naturally take on more because we are supported and safe to push ourselves further than if we were on our own.

The truth is that we all know what we ought to be doing to have a healthier life. Things like eating greens, exercising regularly, reducing stress and drinking ample water seem simple enough. The question to find the answer to is’ What is preventing you from making good habits a priority and implementing them into your daily routine?’

When I asked this question in the workshop the answers that were given were things like laziness, lack of support, lack of interest, not knowing how to start the process, not enough time. If we analyse each of these answers this is what can be translated: laziness – being stuck in a routine that takes effort to change; lack of support – failing to identify like-minded people and communicating a common focus; lack of interest – boredom with life or lacking self-esteem, feeling discouraged in other areas of life; not knowing where to start – need to create an action plan; not enough time – time management resources needed.

Here’s my suggestion to get you on the road to achieving your health goals with a supportive community:

1. Find two or more people who are interested in reaching similar goals to yourself. Make sure one of these people is already on their way and not starting at the same point as you.

2. Create a vision of yourself and keep working towards it. All things are possible; don’t limit yourself.

3. Assess your life and identify areas that are out of balance. What is creating stress and how can you address these things, people or situations. What would make you feel more satisfaction and happiness? Ask a trusted friend for insight into what they see in your life.

4. Just get started! One small adjustment everyday and be kind to yourself and the process.

“Having an aim is the key to achieving your best.” – Henry J Kaiser

• This column shares preventative health tips and life transformation tools aiming to enlighten the reader to living their full potential with passion and purpose. Christine Carey is a certified holistic health and life coach, blogger (www.christine-carey), and co-owner of Liquid Nutrition (www.liquidnutrition.com).

This content is not intended to diagnose or treat any diseases. It is intended to be provided for informational, educational, and self-empowerment purposes only. Please consult with your wellness team and then make your own well informed decisions based upon what is best for your unique genetics, culture, conditions, and stage of life.