Wallet, Waistline and Wellness Challenge
If you’re feeling a little drained and need to reset it could be because you’ve got some anxiety about your finances, body image, mindset or the pandemic. It’s normal and it’s going to be OK!
You can help shred that anxiety with “tweaks” to your daily routine. Working on your wallet (finances), waistline (physical health) and wellness (mental and relationship health) is about taking small healthy steps in each of these areas, every day. And, based on our research on Kaizen, we know that small “tweaks” to the way we manage our finances, and treat our bodies and minds, produces permanent, and awesome, changes. Ready to improve your finances, fitness, and mental stamina for good? Try challenging yourself in these three areas. Here are the parameters for your challenge:
Spending Awareness
Be fully aware of your spending each day using one of two approaches.
First is to vision how you want your day to go. Then, plan what you’re going to spend, if anything at all. Visioning is a great way to tame overspending. Some people take this one step further, and take out what they need from the ATM at the beginning of the week (or each day) and use only the cash they have have in their wallet.
The second strategy is to track your spending on a Google Sheet, or your favourite financial tracking app for 30 days. Include everything from the drink you had with a friend, to volleyball registration, to groceries, to rent. Tally up your daily spending, determine your daily spending average, and try to bring the average down.
30 Minutes of Physical Activity Every Day
This doesn’t need to be strenuous. In fact, you might just want to stand at your desk versus sit, or walk rather than take the bus, or march in front of the TV rather than lounge on the couch while watching the latest episode of Yellowstone. If you layer this on with 7 to 8 hours of sleep, and mindful eating each day, you’re sure to trim down fast, and benefit from surging energy levels.
Social Engagement Each Day
Sometimes the last thing you want to do is hang out with people, especially if it’s on Zoom. But humans aren’t meant to be alone. So, keep the duration of your engagements flexible, but the quality of your interactions high. Try a five-minute phone call with a sibling, or a safe stroll with a friend, or an act of kindness to someone in need. The main idea is to be with other people in a healthy way.
When we implement tiny changes in our daily routines, our brains are more likely to overcome our fears, and make permanent healthy changes to our wallets, waistlines, and wellness.
