What To Do When The Journey Of Taking Care Of Yourself Feels Lonely
Not every part of your health and wellness journey is going to be a breeze. While health and wellness is supposed to be something that feels good and has a positive impact on your life, it might not always feel that way. Often the journey of taking care of you can feel lonely. Lots of feelings can arise during your journey. You might start to feel like you can’t relate to others or feel like you can’t share your new healthy lifestyle with others because they aren’t on the same path as you. These feelings (and other feelings) are completely normal. You can’t expect others to understand why you want to change and you cannot expect others to hop on the same path as you just because it is important to you. But this doesn’t mean that you have to experience loneliness or even close yourself off from your current lifestyle just to get to a healthier one.
Below are my favorite tips that I recommend to my health coaching clients when they are dealing with loneliness on their journey to health and wellness.
tell people what you are doing
There might be a lot of reasons that you might refrain from telling the people in your life about your new healthy lifestyle- guilt for taking care of yourself while others are not, afraid of how people will look at you or judge you, fear of making others feel bad about themselves, fear of having your results watched by others, etc. However, it is important for you to tell others what you are doing and let them know what they should expect from you and what you should expect from them. Staying in on Friday night to do a night of self care instead of hitting the town for drinks with girlfriends? Let them know! It is important to avoid cutting yourself off from others. You do not need to block out your current lifestyle just because you are a creating a new healthier version of your life. There is a way for them to coexist if it is important for you (and it prevents loneliness!).
put yourself out there
It is time to get out of your comfort zone. It is so important to find people you can relate to, especially if those in your current life can’t relate to what you are experiencing. Check out some local fitness classes, local cooking classes, join a gym or even try an app like Bumble BFF or other social media apps to meet others who are interested in a similar healthier lifestyle. It is so important to surround yourself with people you can relate to. Plus, it is extremely motivating when you are around others who are doing similar activities.
I also recommend making a new friend or finding an accountability partner. Having a friend to go on a coffee/juice date with, to recipe swap with, to go on a walk with, try new healthy restaurants with, go to a workout class with, etc. can be extremely beneficial to not only your mental health but also your results. Accountability is one of the most important tools for reaching your goals. It helps you stay on track towards your health and wellness goals because you will have someone you are able to check in with and walk the health and wellness path with.
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