I am admittedly a sideline boxing and MMA coach, and a poor one at that. This is not self-deprecation; it is a fact. I have zero experience in either of these sports, but when I occasionally watch you can count on me shouting at least one uninformed command. “Take him down. That’s it. Nooooooo, don’t give up your back.” *throws hands up in frustration*

However, even with my non-existent expertise, I know a fighter must keep their hands up and block. Can you imagine entering a fight with your hands down and then being surprised when you get punched square in the face?

Well, in some ways, we do this every day when we place health and well-being at the bottom of our to-do list. We go out into the world with fewer defenses.

Health and wellness is the secret ingredient

Deprioritizing self-care, health, and well-being is like leaving the house to pursue our dreams, goals, and responsibilities without a strong defensive or offensive plan.

I am sure this is not something we do intentionally. I don’t think anyone wakes up aiming to celebrate lack of sleep, eating poorly, not exercising, speaking negatively, or being in a chronically heightened state of stress. I think everyone wants a greater sense of peace, rest, balance, and a feeling of being whole.

It is more likely that health and well-being are lower on the list because there is a feeling that everything else is more urgent. Logically, we know better, but practically, time and energy feel limited.

But, if we want to experience a life of abundance, we need to practice prioritizing health and wellness. Here is the truth: energy, joy, and physical and mental health are the hidden secrets of productivity, success, and longevity.

If we want to thrive, we have to become more disciplined about prioritizing our overall health.

You are worthy of health and wellness

It is easy to think that adrenaline, passion, and drive are what fuel us. They are important, but they are not the full picture. Improved physical, mental, and spiritual health and wellness can multiply and maximize our effectiveness and longevity.

As we age, it can become harder to balance life, and our needs are neglected. However, if you have placed yourself on the back burner for a while, you can decide to do something small for yourself this week that benefits your overall health and well-being.

There might be a few other mindsets or practices we need to address:

• You might not believe you are worthy of placing yourself higher on your priority list. So, let’s address that now. You don’t need to earn the right to treat yourself well, it is required in the basic life manual. Improving your physical and mental health shows that you care about yourself and others enough to want to share your best self for a long time to come.
• Sometimes it is our lack of discipline, self-control, or lack of personal boundaries that get in the way. Implementing practices that support our overall health and well-being might mean saying “no” or “not right now” to other things.

Start with a small change

Sometimes you just have to decide to stop letting your mental and physical health take unnecessary punches. Literally, your life and success depend on it. Returning to how this post started, get those hands up and block! Use health and wellness as part of your defense and offense.

It would be unfortunate to deteriorate your health so much in the hustle and bustle that you cannot enjoy the fruits of your labor once the goal is accomplished. So, while working in and on other people’s gardens, let’s not forget to tend to ours. We can all commit today to checking in on our garden and watering it regularly.

Here are some very simple places to start:

• Examine and improve your quality of sleep.
• Select healthier food and drink options every day.
• Increase your positive thinking and self-talk.
• Journal and/or process your emotions in constructive ways.
• Find 15-20 minutes to engage in something that makes you laugh or brings you joy.
• Move your body.
• Rest and take a break more often.

If you want to reflect and find some simple ideas for self-care, you can check out this blog post: A Practical Self-Care Checklist to Help You Reset

Where have you placed your health and well-being on your priority list lately? What small things can you improve this week?