It’s that time again! It’s time for November’s Healthy Habit! Back in January I decided to try something different in 2016 when it comes to healthy living goals. Instead of making a big lofty goal, I thought I would try mini-goals for each month.
This year I decided to focus on one healthy habit each month. I hope that by focusing intensely on one thing for a month, I will turn it into a habit that sticks with me throughout the year. Here are my:
Healthy Habits for a Healthy Year
January: Drink 8 Glasses of Water Each Day
February: Eliminate Snacking
March: Exercise 4 Days a Week
April: Sleep at Least 9 Hours a Night
June: Stretch Each Day
July: Track My Steps Each Day
August: Eat Fruits and Vegetables at Every Meal
September: Eat a Big Salad for Lunch Each Day (Didn’t Do)
October: Observe One Sabbath a Week
November: Write in a Gratitude Journal Each Day
December: Spend 10 Minutes Outside Every Day
October’s Recap
The month of October was all about rest. After pushing myself REALLY hard to write my e-book Seasons of the Faith: Helping Your Family Celebrate the Feasts and Fasts of the Church and hustling like crazy in trying to grow this blog, I was exhausted. Burned out even.
So it was a true blessing to focus on October’s healthy habit: Observing one Sabbath day each week. For me that meant leaving the computer at school one evening each week and just focusing on activities that I enjoyed. And, y’all, it was amazing!
I decided not to dedicate one specific night as my Sabbath day, instead I gave myself the flexibility to choose a day each week that made sense for that week. Then I left my computer at school and went home with no work in hand.
I read stories to my children, had more time to make fun suppers, watched movies, read books, and went to bed early. In short, I had a lovely evening with no stress! I am amazed at how much more refreshed I feel each week when I allow myself just one night of rest.
You had better believe that I’ll be continuing that healthy habit!
November’s Healthy Habit: Write in a Gratitude Journal Each Day
In November I want to work on a healthy habit that will affect both my attitude and my stress levels: cultivating gratitude.
The holy apostle Paul admonishes Christians to “give thanks in all circumstances” (I Thessalonians 5:18). There are a few things that this thanksgiving is not:
- Aimless True Thanksgiving for Christians always comes back to God. We give thanks TO God for all that he had done for us. He is the source of all things and the one who deserves our thanks.
- Based on Circumstances Orthodox Christianity affirms St. Paul’s words that thanks is not dependent upon good circumstances. We do not only give thanks when things are easy. Instead, we thank God in both joy and suffering, in sickness and health, poverty and abundance, and even in the midst of persecution.
- A Feeling And, along the same lines, we know that thankfulness is not a feeling–it is ultimately an action. The climax of all thanksgiving takes place in the celebration of the Eucharist, in partaking of Christ’s body and blood.
By writing in a gratitude journal each day, I hope to intentionally set aside time to thank God each day, no matter the circumstances, as I prepare to receive the Eucharist each Sunday.
My Plan
In order to reach this goal, I will:
1. Create a Google Doc for my Gratitude Journal
I know that many people use beautiful physical journals for their gratitude journals. And that is wonderful. However, I know myself. I am much more likely to actually follow through on this goal if I allow myself to type instead of write by hand. So, I will simply make a Google Doc labelled “Gratitude Journal” and write a little in it each day.
2. Set Aside Time to Write
I also want to carve out a specific time to write in my gratitude journal each day. I have a couple of times that I am going to try so that I can see which works better in my schedule. I will set aside time right after school lets out when I am still in my classroom and time right before bed. I may not need both times each day, but I hope that by giving myself options I will ensure that I actually write.
3. Reread What I Have Written
I am a person that needs small rewards if I am going to keep pushing myself toward a goal. I try to make these small rewards ones that naturally fit the goal itself. For example, my reward for running training is to run a 5K because I have found that I get a big “high’ out of racing.
So, my natural reward this month will be to frequently reread what I have written. By reminding myself of the many ways God has blessed me and been with me, I hope to deepen my sense of gratitude and motivate myself to write more.
There you go! November is, fittingly, all about gratitude.
I want to encourage you to think about your health and fitness goals. What will you do to take care of the body God gave you? How will you focus on your health so that you can love and serve others? I challenge you today to take the time to create a few goals for yourself. You are welcome to join me and focus on one habit a month.
Here’s to a healthy you!
Do you keep a gratitude journal? How do you do it?
