Does your life seem rushed and your mind feel cluttered? Do you feel like the days fly by without many moments to stop and enjoy the people around you? Do you lose track of the years because you are so busy with the days? Do you wonder when you will ever have free time again?
These are questions many people ask themselves every day. Others don’t even have time in their day to ask the questions. We are a hurried society generally focused on getting the next best thing: the bigger house, the better car, the higher paycheck.
One way to find relief from this fast-paced living is through adopting a simpler lifestyle and minimalizing the amount of “stuff” you buy and care for. Annie Dillard says, “How you spend your days is of course how you spend your life.” When you look back on your life would you rather have spent it cleaning your house, running a million errands, and working long hours, or enjoying time with family and friends, enriching your mind, staying active and fulfilling your dreams? The answer seems obvious, yet acting on these principles becomes challenging as we get swept up in our day-to-day lives.
The idea of a simplified life has become a movement with lots of great resources available... but what does it have to do with weight loss?
When we step back and take a pause to determine what is really important to us in life, we often realize that we have been neglecting the things that truly matter to us. One of the most common is our health.
One of the most common reasons that I hear as a contributing factor to weight gain or lack of weight loss, is life circumstances and responsibilities. Many times these things cannot be avoided, and more times than not, they are good, wonderful things like having children, having a thriving career, or going to school. No matter what the reason is, there are often other aspects in life that we CAN control, parts of our life that we can simplify to allow more space for our own care. More time for our health.
Consider what you have in your life or your schedule that may be taking time or resources away from your ability to care for your own health. I encourage you to take a few minutes to consider this question, and consider what changes you can make in your life that would allow for more space for you... for your health and for your future.
For more information about simplifying your life, check out "A Simplified Life" by Emily Ley (www.EmilyLey.com). To learn more about the result of stress (including hectic schedules) on weight, and other helpful topics related to weight loss, please visit the National Institute of Health website (www.nhlbi.nih.gov).