I have to be honest. There were a few times this past week that I wondered why in the world I made this crazy commitment. Okay, so maybe one night of deep contemplation wasn’t enough time to think this whole happiness project/blog thing through. I don’t know why, but I always feel a sense of immediacy when a big idea or task presents itself. For example, I got it in my head one night a few weeks ago that I really wanted our master bedroom painted. I’m sure most people would spend some time researching the perfect colors and paints, maybe find someone to help, and would probably schedule a convenient time to do it, say next weekend or summer vacation. Not me. I spent 10 long hours painting my master bedroom after work the next day. This impulsive tendency also explains how this blog came about. Two weeks ago I read a magazine article about happiness, realized I wanted to change, and by the next afternoon I was typing away. I had never considered blogging before, I had no resolutions in line for the New Year, and now here I am with 23 resolutions and some serious accountability. Regardless that I started this project without much forethought or research, I am hoping it turns out to be like painting my room, which was totally worth it despite all the work.
To start, I thought about my own personal definition of happiness. Warm cookies and summer vacation first came to mind, but I finally came up with the following list:
Happiness is not needing or wanting any more or any less than what I have.
Happiness is feeling relaxed and comfortable; it’s the ability to let things be; it’s having no worries.
Happiness is feeling spiritually, emotionally, and physically healthy.
Happiness is confidence.
Happiness is experiencing love and appreciation.
Happiness is knowing I have a purpose and that the world is a better place with me in it.
I feel these things off and on, but I want to achieve a more complete and steady state of happiness, to be comforted and optimistic even on bad days, and to emulate people that are inspiring, intelligent, and kind (hence Aristotle, Oprah, Benjamin Franklin, and Jesus, but also many others that I am sure I will mention along the way). Although these are my overall goals, I am doing this project one month, one habit at a time, with the hope that happiness is simply a byproduct.
January: Nutrition and Health
February: Kindness and Generosity
March: Order and Purpose
April: Strength and Flexibility
May: Relationships
June: Adventure and Fun
July: Community and Environment
August: Knowledge and Interests
September: Sleep and Tranquility
October: Simplicity and Moderation
November: Gratitude and Positivity
December: Spirituality and Resolution
I knew from the beginning that I wanted nutrition and health to be first. After spending the holidays stuffing my face with anything containing icing and cheese, this next month will be devoted to making nutritious eating a lifestyle change and to make health my #1 priority. Here are my goals for this month and why I believe they are connected to my happiness:
1) Eat nourishing foods, especially fruits and vegetables. Food is supposed to be our fuel; it is literally our energy source. Our bodies thrive on enzymes and nutrients found in nature, like raw fruits and vegetables, nuts, legumes and whole grains. If we are eating these types of foods, our body naturally stays thinner and more energized; our skin and hair look healthier; our immune system gets stronger; and our mind gets clearer. Although it’s easier said than done, sticking to nourishing whole foods is one of the best things we can do for ourselves.
2) Avoid, if not totally eliminate, white flour, sugar, dairy, red meat, and processed foods. Now, this is the hard part. If I had to list foods that make me happy to eat, I would probably say pizza, chocolate chip cookies, Cocoa Puffs, Easy Cheese, funnel cakes, ice cream, French fries, cheese dip, and donut holes. Like many Americans, I grew up eating these types of foods. It seems fitting that the acronym for this Standard American Diet is SAD, though. We feel happy in the exact moment we are buying and eating this stuff, however, it’s steadily making us overweight, malnourished, and miserable. I love all these foods, but no matter how I look at it, no matter how delicious these foods may be, I am certain that they are harmful to my long-term health and happiness.
3) Put love into food. I want to be more mindful when preparing, presenting, and eating my meals. Instead of seeing grocery shopping and cooking as a chore, I want to be grateful that I have the means to afford good food and an opportunity to take care of myself. Instead of gluttonously inhaling my food, I want to slowly enjoy the flavor and experience of my meals. No more meals in the car, or at my desk, or out of a box, or in front of the TV. Food is such a pleasurable part of life, so why mindlessly rush through it?
4) No dieting allowed. To stay thin, I have tried a dozen diets since I first put on the Freshman 15. I think we can agree that most diets are a joke, though. When I was counting calories, I would skimp on lunch because I accidentally ate a cupcake for breakfast…sounds smart. I’ve tried Slim Fasts, the 100 Calorie Snack Packs and Lean Cuisines, but have you ever noticed the ingredients list on these things? There are dozens of artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives that we can’t pronounce or define, yet these are considered our “health foods.” Diets have scared people away from fats and carbs, but is there really anything evil in an avocado or potato? When I had to recover from foot surgery a couple years ago I quickly gained 20 pounds watching reruns of Dateline and eating takeout on the couch for three months. Being inspired by a book, The Raw Food Detox Diet, I started eating about 75% raw and ate meals only in certain combinations. I quickly shed the extra weight, felt wonderfully energized, and knew this was a healthy way to eat, but I have been totally inconsistent and unbalanced about it ever since. I have treated healthy eating like a diet, and diets easily become a burden and doomed to fail. Sure swimsuit season is around the corner, but with diets we make losing weight the focus, develop a distorted, guilt-ridden relationship with food, and gain the weight back anyway. It is more important to simply concentrate on natural foods designed to benefit our mind and body. When we shop in the produce section and find foods with simple ingredients, we don’t have to count calories or restrict portions again…and that makes me happier.
5) Hydrate. Although I love drinking water, I need to make this a focus. Usually I wake up, drink my coffee, and then I don’t drink anything until lunch or later. I am going to make it a habit to drink pure water first thing in the morning and to take a jug of it to work with me. The benefits of drinking water are endless, so I think this one is a no-brainer.
6) Indulge a little. Dark chocolate (70%), coffee and red wine are okay in moderation, in fact, they’re full of antioxidants :). Other things, like a piece of chocolate cake or pizza, can and should be enjoyed on special occasions, but only if I take the time to truly enjoy it…and remind myself that I don’t have to eat the WHOLE cake or pizza.
7) Take a multivitamin. I think this is a good habit, and I’m really bad about remembering, so it is on the list if only because it offers a little peace of mind.
8) Detox. Because of the abundance of processed, overcooked, and chemically altered foods we eat and cannot properly break down, our bodies are stricken with toxins. This is a major reason people experience things like body odor, acne, diseases, even depression. Eating “clean” is the first way to begin eliminating these built up pollutants, but there are other natural ways to detox our bodies. When doing the raw food thing, I learned about and tried green juice, skin brushing, natural products and infrared saunas. Some of these sound weird, but their benefits are pretty amazing.
9) Be more knowledgeable about the topic. Most of what I have mentioned comes from reading a lot of books about raw food over the past year. Now it’s time to expand my horizons and be more knowledgeable about health and nutrition in general. I have The Kind Diet, The Food Matters Cookbook, and Healthy Living From the Inside Out to read, but I am open for more suggestions!
10) Listen to my body. If our bodies could talk, they would say, “Get good sleep, get moderate exercise, eat healthy food, and don’t stress.” This month is about paying attention to what my body truly needs.
I’m really not as ambitious as it may sound. In fact, I broke down and ordered pizza earlier with the excuse that none of this is official until I post it online and that nobody starts resolutions on a Saturday anyway...right? I know I need accountability and structure for these changes to actually happen, so without further ado, my happiness project begins now :).
