I am gaining freedom with these alternative beliefs in 2024.
Here are some of the beliefs that can set us free this year. You can free yourself to find simplicity in food, your own definition of success in work, meaningful connections with community and peaceful self-care.
I am not giving health advice or even philosophical expertise. What is this? A learned reality from a crunchy Aussie who lives a real life.
Healthy habits can be simple and achievable.
We can feel overwhelmed by healthy lifestyle concepts. There are so many diets, exercises and experts. I feel loyal to these views that almost everyone could agree on:
Most vegetables are good.
Say what you will about the various dietary beliefs. Let’s all agree that you’re unlikely to get sick from eating a sensible amount of broccoli, cabbage or carrot (along with the right amounts from the other food groups).
Eat real food instead of ultra-processed products.
The number one reality we can all rely on is that sugary, deep-fried, and other ultra-processed foods are simply not good for us. Nobody should expect to feel better when addicted to candy, chips and biscuits from the stores. Really. It shouldn’t even need to be spelled out in this day and age. But we know where to begin. With the obvious.
Some recipes are simple enough for anyone to make.
You can cook and prepare your own healthier versions of your favourite foods at home. Yes. You can. I am making oat bakes again. They are like a cross between porridge and cake. I pour soy milk, oats, ground linseed, chia, frozen berries and anything else into a deep oven tray. Bake it until cooked. There is no stirring, blending or trying. You can find versions of this easiness for almost anything. The result can be more nourishing goodness.
Instead of waiting for the ideal solution, find innovative ways to meet needs.
The best life could involve living in a different location than expected. An ideal mindful routine could be minutes of meditation instead of exercising for hours. It might be either, depending on the day. I sometimes feel burned out and take a break from my nearly daily activities.
By letting go of cultural norms and other people’s opinions, you can live an authentic life.
Everybody is saying this in the self-development space at the moment. However, it continues to need attention. I choose to share that I am pursuing a divorce with bold pride. I know better than to elaborate online about such a personal topic during the experience. However, I choose to free myself from the stigma.
It is okay to be tired and have a break. Some days can be shorter and less busy.
After my wild child woke me up for a while at 4 am, I just couldn’t handle a long day. We need to get enough hours of continuous sleep to feel like ourselves. Sometimes that just doesn’t happen.
Realistic, sustainable changes are better than perfectionism.
I wanted to go fully plastic-free. And entirely organic. The extremes could go on. These things are important. But we live in a world that doesn’t hand the right resources to us conveniently. We can forgive ourselves for making some compromises. Do what you can. Seek responsible options wherever possible. And then free yourself from perfectionism in this busy, worldly life.
You can balance a wild self and sensible responsibilities.
The era of ‘settling down’ may be over. Newer suburbs may have unsustainable traits. Families are smaller than years ago. We will have responsibilities such as work and parenting. But you can let go and have fun in the right ways at the right time.
Image: Unsplash
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