How to stop overthinking wellness
Simplify decisions by focusing on areas that catalyze others
Welcome to this week’s installment of Faith and Health!
Within the health and wellness community, there is often a disconnect between our expanding knowledge and how that translates to our well-being:
More science-backed data → Increased efforts to implement → Greater stress and less natural daily lifestyles
While this is not always the case, it is prevalent and clearly counterproductive. If left unchecked, it will lead to frustration and burnout.
So how do we learn and apply health information in a helpful way–a way that results in beneficial changes without short-circuiting ourselves?
I acknowledge I am not the first to tackle this question. The following analogy certainly overlaps with other advice. But, I’m likely the first to mention dogs with shoes.
Gait analogy
As a PT, I frequently performed video gait analysis with patients, often runners, on a treadmill. Whatever I couldn’t catch with the naked eye, I’d slow down or freeze the video to catch it. I’d scan the movement and symmetry at each major joint during the various stages of gait in the 3 different planes of motion. I would then review the video with the patient, point out any significant findings, discuss likely culprits, and work to restore a more optimal form.
You know what I noticed, across the board? The more specific cues I gave patients to correct their form, the worse it actually got. Instruct them on 2-3 different things to think about while they’re running, and suddenly they look about as natural as a dog trying to walk with shoes on for the first time (see here).
We could go the route of focusing on one small change at a time. But with gait, I noticed a simple cue that would often improve several others: cadence. Focusing on the rate at which the foot strikes the ground changes the forces delivered throughout the body and alters body mechanics across multiple joints.
How this relates to health
If we are consciously thinking about the position of each joint while running, or alternatively, every element of our daily wellness routine, we start to look and feel like that dog with booties on–though less adorable and more frustrated. We can’t help but think, if these things are supposed to be good for me, then why does everything else feel so off?
Translating this to our health, wellness, and even spiritual formation, are there simple cues that change the cadence of our lives–single habits that can alter our daily rhythms and make other healthy patterns fall into place?
Yes. Though they are individualized and may take some work to determine.
While we are increasing focus on a specific area, we’ll have to cut back on others. But when we find that cue and lock in, we’ll hit our stride, and some of those other areas may automatically readjust. Then, depending on what issues remain, we can work on fine-tuning them over time.
For my health and wellness, I have found sleep imperative. If I do well in this area, my daily cadence sets me up for success in other areas. Conversely, if I neglect it, my form begins to fall apart, and other healthy habits suffer.
For my spiritual life, seeking the Holy Spirit serves to catalyze my faith. When I trust the Spirit within me, I find myself naturally engaging in other healthy spiritual disciplines. If I forget about the Spirit and do things on my own, those same practices can feel more like chores.
Other examples include:
Transitioning to a healthy, sustainable diet
Increasing daily movement and activity
Investing more time in positive social relationships
Focusing on meeting God with awe and reverence
Having a heart of gratitude and thanks in all circumstances
Engaging in a supportive faith community
In general, they should be:
Simple to understand (will still take focus to implement)
Repeatable, or have lasting effects, throughout the day
Catalysts for improvements in other healthy areas
Are there other examples from your own life that you would add to this list? Is there a specific area right now that you think might deserve more focus?
I tend to think the healthy, sustainable diet, for me personally