How a more relaxed approach to wellbeing could be better for your health
How a more relaxed approach to wellbeing could be better for your health
[Published on www.1news.co.nz 11th May 2025]
Forget manic exercise regimes, unsustainable diets and constant servings of guilt. Adequate rest, realistic goals and self-acceptance are some of the best ways to boost your wellbeing.
Striving for a healthier way of living is the topic of millions of books, podcasts and articles just like this one.
On one hand, it’s easier now than ever to access the information and ideas to help us live healthier lives. On the other hand, our busy modern world, which encourages convenience, distraction and instant gratification more than ever before, can make it equally hard to follow our increasingly detailed understanding of what's good for us.
Between the overload of information and advice, and all the distractions from it, it's easy to get overwhelmed and sometimes feel like, even if you're trying your best, you aren’t doing well enough.
If that sounds like you, here are a few thoughts to help you step back and feel better.
1. View wellbeing as more than diet and exercise
Those people who count every gram of protein and train like machines might look like they're winning at the wellbeing game but, overall, may not be nearly as healthy as you'd assume.
It depends what else is going on in their lives because, beyond eating and exercise – sleep, stress management, having a healthy relationship with yourself and other people, as well as having a sense of meaning and purpose in your life all matter too. In the ‘blue zones’, those areas in the world with the largest percentage of centenarians, this has been proven time and time again.
2. Play the long game
You are so much better off making small consistent changes that last than following a strict diet on which you lose 8kg and then fall off the wagon and gain 10kg back. While quick wins can be motivating, this needs to be balanced with what you can maintain in the longer term and what truly makes you feel better inside and out.
It's all very well cutting out carbs completely (or whatever else your quick-fix diet promises will get you a bikini body by summer) but if that extreme discipline leads, as it so often does, to bingeing on the "forbidden" foods and guilt, you'd be better off taking a more moderate approach.
Be realistic. The approach that you can keep up every day forever is the one to concentrate on.
3. Focus on one thing at a time
While good health encompasses many things – if you're working, caring for a family, running a home, juggling finances, and commitments, all while trying to keep pets and/or plants alive – it's really hard to tackle the way you eat, exercise, sleep and all the other aspects of wellbeing at once. So, give yourself the grace and the space to do it one step at a time.
Quality sleep is always where I recommend starting, it is so much harder to make nourishing food choices, be motivated to exercise or manage stress effectively when you are tired.
4. Find out what works for you
While the principles of healthy living are actually quite simple, exactly how you apply them to your life will be unique to you. Just because your neighbour or colleague has cut out sugar or started on some new supplements and is swearing it’s the answer to all their problems, doesn’t necessarily mean it will be right for you. I'm a big believer in learning to tune into your body and really honour how you feel when deciding how to approach change.
5. Don't turn away from life
In my 20 years working in this space, time and time again I see people going all out on a diet, weighing their food, getting overly obsessed about food labels and sometimes even avoiding going out for dinner with friends because they don’t want to "ruin" things.
Yes, there's value in planning and being organised for sure, but when the way you're eating or trying to exercise is actually making you feel stressed and is limiting your social interactions or positive emotions, you need to question the overall benefit of your approach. Remember: a healthy lifestyle is you living your best life; it's not a punishing anti-social regime.
6. Avoid the tracking trap
For some people, food records, fitness tracking and sleep records are a gold-standard motivator to keeping healthy habits going. For others, they can seem like a source of judgement and another reason to feel bad about yourself and what you have or haven't achieved. If tracking makes you feel bad but you're still somone who likes external input, find an accountability partner instead, a real human being who can join you on your journey to change.
It can be easy to feel like the small changes we make don’t matter, but if you make small changes that add up over time, they really can make a big difference. You don’t need to be following the latest craze or trend to look after yourself and your wellbeing. Try simplifying your approach, one small step at a time.
Here’s a link to this article on 1news.co.nz: How a more relaxed approach to wellbeing could be better for your health
If this article resonates with you check out my new book, and get in touch if you have a wellbeing related media request or if you’re looking for an inspiring speaker for your event or conference. I’d love to hear from you! Sign up to my mailing list below to keep updated, and take good care.
