Christiane [00:00:10]:

Welcome back to the Happy Healthy Hustle podcast where we explore the intersection of health, happiness, and productivity. My name is Christiane and I'm your host here today. This is actually a solo episode because I'm celebrating 6th month of the Happy Healthy Hustle podcast. And I thought it would be a really good time to come on and share a special story about me with you. Sometimes it's kind of fun to hear the host a little bit about their own transformation. And I'm sharing that transformation and also a freebie at the end. So stay tuned to get that freebie at the very end of this episode here. So what I'm going to talk about today is called the 5 pillars of health.

Christiane [00:00:54]:

And I'm actually sharing a bit with you. So the 5 pillars of health have really transformed my own well-being in a way that can't even describe it to you. And I'm going to weave into the description of each of the 5 pillars of health, a comparison to a tree. And why am I picking a tree? Well, I'm originally from Germany. And trees are definitely a very common thing there. I always used to go to a forest when I was a child, so the tree comparison just seemed close to my own upbringing right there. So I'm going to give you some tips and tricks to create a balanced lifestyle. So let's get started.

Christiane [00:01:31]:

So what is the 5 pillars of health template? I learned about this during my graduate studies, So I can't wait to share that with you. I know it would come in really as a handy toolkit because it's something that we are so busy And it's so easy to overlook the importance of self care. Well, sometimes when you think about how health is interconnected though, The 5 pillars kind of bring that into the foreground again. So imagine the 5 pillars of health as the sturdy trunk and the vibrant branches of a Thriva wellness tree. So each of the elements of the 5 pillars of health are one crucial element That's part of the ecosystem of that tree. So voila. Meet the 5 pillars of health template. And I'm gonna give you some tips and tricks along the way.

Christiane [00:02:21]:

So what I want is I'm first going to give you an overview of each pillar, and then I'll give you the tips and tricks on how you can make this work for you. Definitely keep in mind, perfection is never what we are striving for. Perfection is something that, Seems like a total impossible goal. So I always say embrace that it's imperfect Perfection. Right? There are lots of different things that might work for me, but maybe not for you. And there are lots of different things you might even adapt to your own liking and make them work for yourself. So with that, let's get started. Right? Let's aim for perfectly imperfect.

Christiane [00:03:00]:

Alright. I'm getting started with the 1st pillow. It's nutrition. The 1st pillar is kind of like the rooted foundation of a tree. The nutrition means it's nourishing from the soil from which the wellness tree draws its strength. So just like the tree absorbs nutrients from the earth, we absorb vitality from our food. And it's kind of our fertile base that ensures we're standing Tall and we are remaining vibrant. The important thing is that proper nutrition is also really foundation of a healthy body and mind As you gotta kind of like think about balancing proteins, carbs, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water.

Christiane [00:03:39]:

And it seems super overwhelming. I totally get it. But keep in mind, you're going to see all of this externally, but it's also making a big difference in how we feel. So how could we get A somewhat more balanced nutrition into our busy lifestyle. You can maybe cut up some fruits and veggies and put them in glass The reason why I'm emphasizing the glass container is it's see through. So when you open your fridge and looking for a snack, You immediately see those amazing cut up fruits and veggies. Plus, it's taking out the work in your busy day in cutting it up yourself. So maybe cut it up in the evening before or cut it up, the morning off So that when you are starting your workday, you have minimal interruption and you have maximum benefit of getting those cut fruits and veggies in your day.

Christiane [00:04:33]:

Another thing that I really enjoy is taking a refillable water bottle with me. I take it wherever I go. It actually has now something that I also do with my children because they sometimes are like, oh, I'm so thirsty. And it's another thing. We need to look for beverages. So what I do is I like to have the water bottle with us. And this cuts down on searching for beverages where there is clearly nothing available that might be healthy, but at the same time, you can get your hydration in while you are on the go. And then another thing that I want to encourage you, keep an open mind.

Christiane [00:05:08]:

I like to go to the grocery sometimes, grocery store, and just kind of look around and maybe try some exotic fruits and vegetables. And that broadens our mind, and you might just find your new favorite thing. And it's kind of fun. It's It's like you're traveling to foreign countries in a grocery store without ever actually leaving your own city Because these amazing fruits and vegetables came from abroad where they are very common and part of the diet. But here you are. You can just Try them in the comfort of your own home. So aim to eat foods. Amazingly, they're all represent colors of the rainbow.

Christiane [00:05:49]:

So let's come to exercise our 2nd pillar in the 5 pillars of health template. I compare exercise to the limber limbs of a tree. It's kind of like you want to stay limber, reaching for the sky with vitality, with vigor, And at the same time, of course, go all through the seasons of life just as physical activity carries us through the stages of well-being. So the more we move, The higher the our tree reaches. There's a very famous saying that actually says sitting is the new smoking. And that means that people sit down so much that it's something that we really need to figure out, how to just get out and Into the nature. Because I really emphasize right here, while you might be moving around in your home, it really makes a huge difference when you're actually exercising outside. And that is something that sounds intimidating and but I like to go for walks, and that's pretty simple.

Christiane [00:06:47]:

You don't need to purchase anything, maybe just some walking shoes. And at the same time, you could even socialize. You could talk to somebody while you go for those walks. So keep in mind that Sitting, increases inflammation. So your knees might be hurting. Our bodies might not quite feel the same. And it doesn't even have to be a long time. So exercising this for 5 minutes at a time might already feel so good and refreshing that it's just a good reset of your mind, especially if you're working from home.

Christiane [00:07:16]:

I like to also think of the exercise as something that helps me with another pillar, exercise helps your sleep. It also manages just my stress really effectively. So it ties in with that mental health and it controls your body weight, of course, elevates your mood and it sharpens our mental functioning. So when you are exercising, you're releasing endorphins, those amazing happy hormones, dopamine and serotonin. So your exercise contributes to feeling happy and healthy afterwards. So schedule little exercise breaks into your day to get that 2nd pillar checked off. Thirdly, sleep. And I already introduced that with exercise.

Christiane [00:07:59]:

But I really wanna make sure That, it's nutrition, going to exercise, and going to sleep. You kind of, like, see how I'm building the 5 pillars right here. They're all So connected. So if we eat well, then, of course, we're nourishing our body, especially after exercising. And if we exercise, we also sleep well. So there is the connection piece right there. So think of sleep being The tranquil canopy that's in our tree. So just like the tree leaves soak up sunlight for energy, we recharge under The restful embrace of sleep.

Christiane [00:08:37]:

And sleep is so important, not just for our mind, but also Kind of healing our skin, resetting what's happening in our life. So you I would like that you wake up feeling Refreshed, but it's also something to where you really rejuvenate. And surprisingly, of course, it's something thing to where you take it frequently for granted. And people tend to cut down on their sleep not thinking that it's actually truly so important. But it has a huge impact on weight loss as well. There's a lot of research that shows if you're cutting down on sleep, it's actually going to increase your Propensity to gain weight. And at the same time, of course, it's impacting our immune system as well. And People that sleep more tend to be happier overall.

Christiane [00:09:24]:

So, of course, you have heard 8 hours is a really big goal, But it helps to have a good routine to get ready in the evening so that the routine just kind of falls into place and gets you ready for sleep. So if you're thinking of, small things you can do, maybe just eat dinner a little bit earlier. And then after dinner, kind of, like, Start a certain routine like maybe taking a bath. And after the bath, you're reading a book. And after the book, you're kind of, like, shutting off the lights so that your routine falls into place and gets you ready and signals to your body, oh my gosh. Now it's sleep time. Right? So relaxing sleep time will work wonders for your well-being. It also helps, not to have electronics in the bedroom because we tend to get sidetracked when we look at the electronics.

Christiane [00:10:12]:

And there's actually some research that shows that having electronics in the bedroom increases the blue light, which might impact The quality of your sleep. So it's not just the quantity, but it's also good quality sleep. So the 4th pillar is mental health. And I can't emphasize enough How much it has changed my own well-being. So I said at the beginning, I'm going to share some stories with you. That is really maybe the biggest change that I did in my own life to where I really had put Mental health on the back burner. I didn't even think that was all that important to me. But yet it is really our own protective Shelter.

Christiane [00:10:54]:

So think of the mental health being the protective bark of the tree. So just as a bark shields The tree from harsh elements, the mental well-being shields us from the storms that are going on in our life. It's our resilient armor. And it allows us to stand tall and go through whatever life throws at you, building that perseverance in resilience. So our thoughts and emotions have a huge impact in our well-being. And that means mind and body is truly connected. And if there is an imbalance in one of them, it impacts the other one right there. So if we are stressed or maybe we are anxious or we are sad, It manifests frequently in some physical pain that leads to these imbalances and diseases or even insomnia.

Christiane [00:11:41]:

So what you want to do is you want to just, like, do little shifts in your well-being, so especially if you are, you know, Tending to go down this spiral of negative thoughts right there. It also helps to just talk to people. So seeking support, whether that's From a psychologist or a loved one or a partner is already really vital and helps our emotional well-being. So what I tend to do now is I go been up to dinner. And I just kind of dump my day and share my feelings with him. And I know he's an amazing listener. But the same time, of course, it helps me just kind of, like, get the feelings all out and share it with somebody because, I don't bottle it up and take it with me then to bed, I actually let it all go. And I kind of closed the door on the day.

Christiane [00:12:31]:

And I say, alright. That was a good day. I'm grateful. Now, you know, it's time to wind down. And at the same time, I'm feeling I'm not just, you know, thinking and dwelling and Spiraling about this myself. So, it's helpful. And you might have a morning routine where maybe you're starting To write down a gratitude journal or your reading, that's amazing too. For me, it works well in the evening.

Christiane [00:12:55]:

So play around with the time frame When you can kind of reset and really work with your mental health and strengthening that. So the 5th pillar is Our social health. And actually, I read an amazing book which really has changed my thinking about social health as well. So it's not just the number of friends that we have, it's also the quality of the friendships. So think about the social health as the tree's Lush foliage, vibrant and colorful. You want to have a variety of friends, but at the same time, it's kind of like our social connections, our own vibrant tapestry. They swing in the wind. They're the wind is kind of like your life.

Christiane [00:13:39]:

They might be providing shelter, but they might also provide beauty to our tree. So frequently, we associate, our friends somewhat with our support system. And I want to again point to research. Frequently, look at your friends And think in terms of, okay, why did I seek out these people? What kind of qualities do they have? So there is actually some research that shows that If you have friends that tend to maybe have lots of negative thoughts or maybe you're feeling somewhat, like, worn down after you spend time with them, Rethink that relationship right there. So you actually want to choose friends that uplift you. Because the more Energy or the more calm you get from your friends, so serving in a positive way, the more is Actually, all this building your own social health. So it's really you are who you hang out with. If you have friends that, tend to eat unhealthy and do unhealthy habits, that's going to actually impact you too because you're part of this group.

Christiane [00:14:48]:

So you're going to do the same thing. So let's maybe think a little bit of social health as truly something that will rub off on you in an amazing way. So maybe if your Friends pick up new recipes or new little tricks for working out, you might try them too because your friends recommended them to you. So human creatures are basically just nourishing, and they keep nourishing their soul with those friendships right there. And it starts with ourselves too, so building our physical, mental, and emotional surrounding right there. So technology is amazing. It helps us to stay connected. But at the same time, nothing beats the quality of a face to face interaction with loved ones.

Christiane [00:15:30]:

It's really important, especially if you're very stressed out, to get that 1 on 1 interaction in there. And it could be via Zoom. That's totally fine. Or just that walk with a friend or, you know, meeting them for coffee or dinner, having them over to your house for game night, anything like that. So Try new hobbies, whether that's gardening, dancing, and board games. And then do it with a friend Because it also helps build that accountability and that friend is going to be there for you. And they might even have more ideas to build the amazing New pillar. So kind of like wrapping up all the pillars of healthier.

Christiane [00:16:10]:

So think a little bit in terms of the nutrition, Exercise, sleep, mental health, and social health is something you want to weave into your day. And you will kind of, like, maybe want to vary them. So it doesn't mean that every day you're going to have half an hour, an hour of wellness time. Not at all. But you need to maybe make little blocks of time work. So 5 minutes there, 5 minutes here, and have those 5 minutes come up. So it's more the compound you're looking for and not like a huge chunk of time right there. So small steps taken consistently create really big changes in our well-being.

Christiane [00:16:50]:

And that's something that is a journey. With that, we're at the end of this episode. Thank you so much for tuning in today. So my free gift to you To celebrate my 6 month anniversary of my Happy Healthy podcast is a downloadable template that you can use to create your 5 pillars of health. I have some tips and tricks on there, and you can add on and make it totally yours. Happy anniversary. Happy Healthy Hustle podcast. Thank you so much for being amazing listeners, and I'm looking forward to the next 6