How to be Healthy

Our mission at Happy and Healthy is to help you create a healthy life that you can be happy with. It is you who is at the center of our mission. In a universe that is bigger than we can fathom, you are the main star of your life. I am just an extra in the background. Remember, your life is yours to live. You are allowed to make your own rules, and that is also true for your health. Stop doing what everyone else is doing. Find the lifestyle that works just for you. You must learn to embrace these six essential actions to stand a chance at being happy and healthy.

Step 1: Claim Your New Identity

How do some people find it so easy to stick to healthy habits? Why does it seem natural to them to exercise, eat clean, and wake up early, but you struggle with just getting started? The secret is that being healthy is most likely part of their identity.

In his book “Atomic Habits,” James Clear argues that we are much more likely to take part in actions that are consistent with our identity. So, if you are a chef, you will cook. If you are a painter, you will paint. If you are healthy, you will perform healthy actions.

Describe yourself in a few words. If you have children, you certainly will use the word father or mother. You might also use a word that describes your profession. What about a characteristic like shy or adventurous? Or maybe a word that describes your
passions, like singer, reader, or traveler? But would you allow yourself to use the word healthy?

If the answer is a definitive no, then this is the belief you need to challenge. Until you can permit yourself to identify as healthy, change will always be an uphill battle. What are the thoughts that are holding you back? Is it that eating healthy food will make life
not worth living? Or that exercise can’t possibly be enjoyable? Well, I hope to show you a better way.

But for now, you must take the important step and claim, “I am happy and healthy not because of what I do or what I look like. I am happy and healthy because that is who I am”.

Step 2: View Being Healthy as a Skill

Embracing a new identity is not easy. It will feel fake and phony. After all, nothing has changed. You’ll say, “I’m not healthy. I had Taco Bell yesterday.” You must remember that being healthy is a skill you can improve over time. Even the Michelin-star chef has burned a few dishes. And the world-renowned painter has often thought of himself as a failure. But their identity keeps bringing them back to keep trying and improving. Let’s be honest; you will also be very bad at being healthy at first. But that is ok. Learning a new skill is one of the most frustrating things you can do.

When life gets hard and busy, you will want to quit. But you must remember that being bad at something is a requirement before you are good at it. Learn how to talk to yourself positively and self-soothe your negative emotions. You can either say:

Understand that progress may be slow, and resist the urge to be harsh with yourself. We don’t expect perfection from anyone except ourselves. It’s tragic how many good things we’ve given up on because they weren’t perfect. But to be happy and healthy, you don’t need to be perfect – just good enough.

Aim for consistency, not perfection. There will come a time when that little voice in your head becomes negative, critical, and mean. Your motivation will dwindle to nothing. You will convince yourself that giving up makes the most sense. During those moments
when you want to abandon your new identity, develop a growth mindset and remember that perfection is impossible. And when you find that little voice turning against you, remind yourself of who you truly are: happy and healthy.

Step 3: Eat a Non-Restrictive Diet

Does this sound familiar? It’s January 1st, and you’re starting a new, shiny diet. Your motivation is sky-high, and the first few days are going splendidly. You drop a few pounds, feel energetic, and think you have finally found the plan that will work for you.
You’ve finally found the answer to your prayers!

But then, you’re invited to a dinner with friends, and you don’t want to be the weirdo asking the waiter to make seven modifications. Life gets busier, and you’re forced to make more compromises until you give up, feeling more defeated and exasperated than
the last diet you tried. It does not have to be this way.

Be careful of diets that have you giving things up completely. The more rules, the harder it will be to follow. The more restrictions, the more you will want to rebel. You know yourself. You hate giving things up. So why do it in such a tricky and personal thing like food?

Try the 80/20 diet. Eat nutritious foods that fuel your body 80% of the time. And 20% of the time, indulge in the foods you love the most without guilt. Another way to put it is, eat healthy 80% of the time, eat happy 20% of the time. There’s no reason it has to be
more complicated than this.

Escape the endless cycle of dieting. Choose an approach that you can stick to long-term. Think twice about following a diet that has you saying no to your favorite foods. After all, how long are you really going to do that for? Find balance and include your
favorite foods into your new identity without guilt or shame.

Step 4: Find your Activity

Do you love or hate exercise? Most people I meet either love it or hate it. I’m a big weirdo. I love the gym. I love lifting heavy things. I love competing for crowded machines. I even love staring at myself in the big mirrors. But maybe you’re not like me. Perhaps that sounds like the worst Tuesday ever to you.

There’s no doubt that exercise is good for you. But what are the activities that come to mind when I say exercise? Is it running on a treadmill? Feeling awkward at a busy gym? Waking up before the sun does? If you dread exercise, you probably have been
choosing the wrong activity.

The world is full of possibilities. The only way you stand a chance at exercising more is by choosing an activity that you enjoy doing. If you don’t know what that is, it’s time to experiment. Don’t limit yourself. Sign up for a dance class, rent a kayak, or join a jiu-jitsu
group.

This will force you to exit your comfort zone. But this is what being happy and healthy is all about. It’s learning a new skill, making meaningful connections, and experiencing the world instead of being a passive observer.

“Well, I just don’t have time for that.”

Ok, then start smaller. Take the stairs, park farther away from the store, or walk the dog. Do you believe your workout must end with your shirt dripping in sweat, or it’s not worth your time? Not every workout needs to be grueling. You don’t have to exercise 5 times
per week. You’re an adult! You’re allowed to choose an activity that you enjoy doing. You’re allowed to take it slow. You’re allowed to create your own path.

The key to maintaining healthy habits long-term is enjoying the process. You’re more likely to stick with activities that leave you feeling happy. I would rather you find a small but sustainable plan rather than an intense workout regimen you will quit after a few
weeks. What is the point of that? Movement should energize, not exhaust you. Activity is one of the best ways to explore the world.

Step 5: Visit your Doctor

Numbers are important. Numbers will give you insights that are otherwise not possible. In terms of health, you must know your numbers and get comfortable with them. Get your blood pressure checked. Buy a blood pressure cuff or get it checked at your
grocery store. Visit your doctor and ask him to order you lab work.

I know it’s intimidating, but luckily, you have Happy and Healthy on your side. We can decode those numbers together. But avoiding your numbers is a recipe for disaster. Knowledge is power, and the more knowledge you have about your body, the more
equipped you will be to take control of your health.

Getting routine checkups and lab work will give you a good picture of where your heart health currently stands and how much progress you are making. You must see a doctor at least once a year and get a baseline of tests done that you can compare year over
year. It doesn’t have to be scary. Instead, those numbers can be confirmation that you are doing all the right things. You’ll be happy once you realize you’ve successfully designed your tailor-made, fits-just-you healthy lifestyle.

Step 6: Remember your Why

None of this, and I mean none of this, will matter if you don’t know why you’re doing it. The success of your journey depends on you finding your “why.” If you’ve tried to make healthy changes in the past and quit, you either never discovered your why or forgot
about it.

Walking your daughter down the aisle, holding your grandchild, completing your bucket list, or being independent in old age are all great examples of your why. Finding your “why” is like discovering a compass that points you toward your best self. It’s the
internal motivation that transcends fleeting desires and empowers you to make lasting, positive changes.

Write it down, remind yourself daily, and let it guide your choices. Let your “why” be your constant reminder that every step forward, no matter how small, is a step towards a more fulfilling future.

Making healthy changes now is how you will prepare your future self. Will it be an older you who feels pain every time you get out of bed? Will it be an older you who is getting prescribed yet another pill? Will it be an older you who is dependent on the help of
others for basic tasks?

Remember, being happy and healthy is not about reaching an arbitrary number on the scale. It’s about accepting and loving yourself right where you are while living life to the fullest without your health holding you back. Your journey is unique, and so is your “why.”

While some of this may sound simple, none of it is easy. Get comfy. This is a journey you will be on for the rest of your life. Forget all the conventional advice you’ve been given. With the right knowledge and resources, you can create a healthy life you can be happy with.