We are blessed! Modern conveniences have indisputably made our lives easier and healthier. Most of us don’t have to toil physically to make a living, and we live a lot longer than we used to. We don’t even have to think about many of the time-consuming chores that were just a part of life a relatively short time ago, like washing dishes—or clothes—by hand. Almost everything we do can be automated. Ironically, this may be why we struggle with health issues. “Too much of a good thing” is a real concept! The solution is to add intentionality every day.
Why Is Intentionality So Important These Days?
Our modern lives have made achieving the fundamentals easy. We buy everything we need from the store (or online) and we drive around in our cars to get places. The machines in our homes do a lot of work for us. We can easily afford “luxuries” like smart phones and dishwashers, which have become a normal part of our lives—so normal that it may not occur to us to intentionally replace that daily work and movement with something else.
Does this mean we shouldn’t use modern conveniences? No! But we should be aware of the impact our automated lives have on our health compared to prior generations. For example, 50 years ago, no one was losing sleep or getting bad grades because they played too many video games. Nobody was talking about limiting blue light exposure before bed or how to regulate dopamine levels in ADHD kids.
To put a finer point on it, our bodies are still wired with ancient genetics, which govern the body’s systems the same way as they always have—and these embedded controls often clash with our modern lifestyle and habits. But we can make slight alterations to make our lives more efficient AND live healthier!
Does This Take a Lot of Work?
Does your whole day go by in a blur? Do you ask yourself “Where does the time go?” more than once per week? Life certainly is fast-paced these days! We’re so busy, just getting through all our to-do items is a major accomplishment!
The Japanese philosophy of Kaizen, meaning “change for the better” or “continuous improvement,” refers to the fact that making small changes consistently over time is more effective than trying to radically change a lot all at once. Just doing 1% better each day compounds into huge improvements. You don’t need a ton of willpower. Just enough intentionality to focus on a 1% change! Where to start?
As it happens, we have you covered! Just getting in the habit of exercising a few of the tips in our article, Spring Cleaning for Your Health, will have you winning in the major areas in life. This article points out simple ways to be more intentional with your diet, your own mental health, connecting with your kids, and sleep hygiene. It’s never too late to start new habits, no matter what time of year it is.
Intentionality in Our Family Dynamics
Do you ever look around and see everyone you live with engrossed in their device of choice? In our age of instant communication and entertainment, it’s important to intentionally decide to set devices aside and engage in activities that resonate with our ancient wiring. In other words, humans thrive on connection with each other (which explains why we are so distracted by SOCIAL media) and that has not changed!
Luckily, we got you! In our article, Family Time: Unplugged!, we asked three experts to chime in, since our relationships with our electronics can not only cause overstimulation and anxiety, but they also can horn in on our real relationships! In the article, we explore WHY unplugging is necessary, HOW to overcome the obstacles to unplugging, and WHAT you can do as a family instead!
While taking advantage of our modern conveniences, make time to work in the simple things our ancestors (and genetics) thrived on: quality food, sleep, movement and relationships. The combination of modern tools and intentional improvements lead to a more balanced life less prone to dis-ease. Consider a visit to our Salt Room, a perfect place to relax, reflect and plan your intentions for the week ahead. Take advantage of this serene space to focus on your well-being.
