5 Mistakes That Sabotage a Healthy Happy Life

When it comes to living healthy, there is a plethora of information on the internet, television, magazines and books. You may even have found that many opinions differ on the best ways to create better health.  At best it’s confusing and at worst this information overload can lead to inconsistent and unhealthy habits in your eating, exercise, and mindset. You may be making mistakes that sabotage a healthy happy life.

In today’s post I want to share five common mistakes I see people make in an effort to improve their health. While their intentions are good, these thoughts and behaviors actually sabotage a healthy happy life. Not to worry though, you can easily turn your good intentions into radiant success with my suggestions.

Mistakes That Sabotage Health

1. You’re interested but not committed.

This is such an easy mistake to make because we’re all interested in better health, right? Maybe you follow some health gurus online or you’ve bought some clean eating books. You tried the techniques or the recipes and nothing stuck. By the end of the month you forgot about your plan, you’re back to your old habits, and you can’t figure out why you just don’t make any progress. You think maybe a different book or teacher is the answer so you start following another plan and that fails too. Sound familiar? You’re not alone. We’ve all made this mistake at one time or another.

The thing you need to realize is that you need to have a burning desire to make a change in your life or it just won’t happen. Think about the reasons WHY you want to be healthy and happy. Write your reasons down and post them where you can see them often. Join a support group like my free Healthy Happy Souls group to help you stay committed to your goals.

2. You buy into the hype that there is only one right way to be healthy.

Every health guru has their own opinions about what works because they know what worked for them. Take a look at all the different eating plans and diets from paleo to vegetarian to raw foods. They all exist because they do work but they don’t all work for everyone. The same goes for exercise. Your body is unique to you so your health plan should be also.

Here’s what I suggest. Want to try that new eating plan that’s trending on instagram? Go ahead and try it (after research of course). Take notes on how your body feels while doing this plan. How is your energy, your mood, your skin, etc? If all is well, continue or modify the plan to fit your needs and your lifestyle.

3. You micro manage the details.

You’ve seen people who obsess over every pound and maybe you’ve even done it yourself. Imagine someone counting out every calorie they consume, weighing in every day, or putting in an extra workout in the evening because they ate a brownie earlier in the day. While it might seem like monitoring and tightly controlling all the details of your health routine is a good idea, it’s really a road to misery. I’ll tell you why – because good health is a result of averages. One bad meal won’t ruin your health just like one good meal (or juice) won’t fix it. Everyone’s weight fluctuates throughout the day, week, and month, so micro managing the details won’t do you any good. In fact, when you tie your happiness to such small increments your moods will constantly go up and down like a yo-yo. It will stress you out and that will cause more harm than good.

Try this. Give yourself some space to enjoy the process. Aim for goals that are doable and not outrageous. Add some fun to your daily routine in the form of a hobby or activity you love. Then check in and assess your overall week. One thing I know for sure – people who follow their joy and passion have less stress and find it easier to lose weight, be happy and get healthy.

4. You deprive yourself of your favorite foods.

This mistake goes along with number three. When you intentionally deny yourself the things you enjoy, your mind goes into overtime trying to figure out a way to get it. Have you noticed that? Then what usually happens is you end up binging and feeling miserable afterward. Healthy eating and living is all about balance.

So how about a compromise? Seek out healthier versions of your favorite foods. For instance if you love chocolate, try this Chocolate Spinach Smoothie, which is much better for your than a chocolate milkshake. As you move into an overall healthier lifestyle you may find that your tastes change and you begin craving healthier foods. It gets easier!

5. You insist on pushing through stress.

If you look at the motivational messages about achieving success, much of it is based on working hard and pushing through any obstacles which get in your way. While there is some merit to being persistent and challenging yourself to do better, this way of thinking can lead to reckless behavior because it glorifies competition and stress. Remember, there is no one right way for everyone and your tolerance levels to stress may be different than your friends.

Instead of over-achieving when you feel stressed out, what if you simply took 30 minutes to relax. Sit and meditate, have a cup of tea or go for a leisurely walk. Let the stress pass through your system and you will think more clearly, feel happier, and ultimately be more productive.

Let the Good Vibes Flow

There is a happy balance in life for everyone. It may take some time to find yours, but don’t give up. Keep trying new ways to incorporate more good into your life, while letting go of ideas and rules that don’t work for you. So what have you learned about making your health routine successful? Share below.