This year, I am focusing on the word SAVOR. I plan to savor my family, my faith, my health, and my hobbies/passions. Join me each week as I share the why, how, struggles, and solutions of my goals—and how you, too, can savor your year.

In a few years, I’ll be 40. While this doesn’t fill me with a sense of foreboding, it does make me realize that the carefree days of my 20s (and even early 30s) are behind me, and its time to prioritize my health.

I spent a good portion of my adult life running on Snickers bars and coffee, both of which cannot be found on My Plate. Parenthood has forced me to take a more balanced approach to eating, but that sugar-and-caffeine-craving college kid still lives within me.

Exercise is something I have always loved… after it was done. Because, you know, it was finally over. It was only in the last couple of years that I really grew to enjoy working out and feeling stronger.

The beauty regimens that people have to care for their skin, teeth, hair, etc. all passed me by. I was about as low maintenance as it got, but was doing a big disservice to my body. Being in my 20s though, I felt like I was fine. Aging would happen waaaaaay later on. (Typical, I know.)

Savoring my health isn’t just about being glad I’m not sick, but taking care of myself so that I can make the most of my life.

Why You Should Savor Your Health

Choosing to savor your health can come from a variety of reasons. Maybe you’ve been ill and are overjoyed to be feeling better and stronger than you did.

Or maybe you want to lose weight or increase your energy to keep up with your kids or take up a hobby that requires endurance.

Maybe you want to feel more confident in the way that you look, so your focus isn’t always turned negatively inward.

Or maybe you want to challenge yourself to go to the next level in a pursuit you’ve been stagnating in, such as running or meditating.

For me, I want to take delight in my health because this body of mine is the only one I have, and I want it to last as long as it needs to. I don’t want the last 20 years I have on earth to be miserable because of how I acted and treated my health today.

How You Can Savor Your Health

Savoring your health isn’t just about finding joy in the fact that you are healthy. It’s looking for ways to use your health to bring joy into your life. It’s slowing down to appreciate all your body can do and being thankful for it.

I find that when I take care of myself, I am a happier and more relaxed person. I can give more to others because my tank is full. And I appreciate myself more, have more compassion for myself and others, when I take time to focus on my well-being.

Here are a few ways that you can savor your health and use it to better your life:

Eat well

Coming from a reformed sugar fiend, this can sound funny, but it’s something I really believe matters. I have made a lot of changes over the years to the way I eat. And the main reason I eat some things and not others is because I just feel better.

That being said, I do still love candy and sweets, and they are plentiful during the holidays. This month I am taking part in a 40-day Sugar Fast. It’s a chance to turn away from the temptation of sugar and fill that hole with something more sustaining—healthier food and the Bread of Life.

If there are foods that you eat that make you feel bad afterward (emotionally or physically), put them aside. See what it’s like to eat more natural, less processed, whole foods. You may like how you feel so much you don’t turn back.

Exercise

I actually work out about 3-4 times a week. But while I enjoy the cardio and weights programs I use, I want to add running and yoga to my days.

I’m not an exercise nut, and don’t even go to a gym, but I like the way it makes me feel. I like the strength and endurance it give me, but also the peace and calm in my mind while I’m doing it and after.

Have you been wanting to try a new sport? Take up a physical activity for the first time? Maybe this year you can savor the health you have and use it to broaden your horizons and enrich your life.

Meditate

I used to laugh at the idea of meditation. But the more I read about mindfulness, the more it sounded like a solution to the craziness of everyday living that can cause so much stress. I also realized that it didn’t run counter to my faith, but actually enabled me to pray better.

Breathing exercises, meditation training, and the like are great ways to calm your mind and body. You’ll find yourself fully present in the here and now, and thankful for it.

My two favorite apps for this are Headspace and 10% Happier.

Self Care

Taking vitamins, using moisturizer, and changing my contacts regularly are just some of the habits I am cultivating to savor this body I was given.

As lazy as I feel at the end of the day, taking the time to oil cleanse my face, apply moisturizer, brush and floss, and comb my hair relaxes me for bed.

Making self care a part of your nightly ritual or morning routine is a great way to savor your health. How can you add some of these things to your day to make it even better?

Struggles and Obstacles to Savoring your Health

The biggest obstacle to savoring your health is most likely going to be resistance. Pushing past the resistance in your own mind is the hardest part of doing anything for your health. (Check out this great book for an in-depth look at resistance in our lives.)

Pulling on your sneakers when you want to sleep in. Washing off your make-up when you’d rather just climb between the sheets. Sitting quietly in meditation when the world is calling for your attention.

Between outside pressures that say savoring our health is unimportant to inner voices that say it’s wasting time, this goal can be a battle at times.

Solutions

The most important thing to remember is why you’re savoring your health. Hold that close when resistance is trying to hold you back.

Final Thoughts…

Wanting to be healthy, strong, mentally calm, confident, compassionate, and happy are not inconsequential things. Delighting in the body God gave you and the wonderful things it can do are worth your effort and attention.

Making my health a priority isn’t about looking good for my age, or living forever. But while we walk this earth, isn’t it better to do it with a spring in our step than with a despondent shuffle?

 

How do you plan to savor your health this year? What are your biggest obstacles and possible solutions? I’d love to hear in the comments.

 

If you are interested in other posts about health and goals, take a look at these:

How Breathing Exercises Can Calm Your Body and Your Mind

What Happens When You Let Yourself Run on Empty

How Living Intentionally Can Bring Peace to your Day

 

[Disclaimer: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a commission, at no additional cost to you. All opinions are my own and I never recommend anything I haven’t used myself and loved.]