7 Unexpected and Fun Ways to Enact Real Change: Whole Life Challenge Lifestyle Practices

The Lifestyle Practices are an essential, though sometimes not totally intuitive part of the health and well-being created through participating in the Whole Life Challenge. It might not seem like writing in a journal for ten minutes is going to make you healthier—but in the long run, it does.

Or at least, it can. One of the fun things about the Lifestyle Practices is that they are meant to be an opportunity to experiment and play—to see what works for you and what unexpected activity might make an important difference in your life. Because sometimes the things we need to change aren’t so linear and obvious as “eat like this” or “exercise like that.” Sometimes it’s more like, “do this thing you think is totally unrelated and see what unfolds.”

Below are some of the most effective and favorite Lifestyle Practices of our readers. Each one lasts for one week — pick one to try for yourself and let us know what happens.

1. Meditate for 10 Minutes Every Day

By practicing meditation, you begin to become aware of what is going on around and inside of you. Far from being a vacation from annoyance and distraction, meditation is an invitation to your mind to reveal itself to you. You will likely be distracted by an endless stream of thoughts and opinions. That is practically the entire point.

2. Make Meal-Time Electronics Free

Bringing presence of mind to your meals can slow you down, bring you more fulfillment from what you’re eating, and help you see what habits you bring to the act of eating. In addition, meals can have a profound cultural impact. They are a gathering time, reflecting our values and supporting the kind of lifestyle we want – with respect to both our bodies and our souls.

3. Perform a Mental Challenge, Puzzle, or Task

While the brain is not technically a muscle, it does need exercise to avoid going “soft.” Just like your body, your brain responds to challenges with new growth — growth in learning, ability, associations, and facility with different kinds of information.

4. Declutter Your Space (Physical or Virtual)

Cluttered physical, virtual, even mental spaces provide unnecessary obstacles to doing what matters to you. Feeling like you’re surrounded by messes or chaos can keep you in “putting our fires” mode — the need to take care of the nagging things right in front of you first. When your spaces are clear, new paths can open up.

5. Practice a Skill (New or Old)

Nothing improves without practice. No amount of talking, wishing, dreaming, hoping, or procrastinating will ever improve your ability to do anything — except maybe talking, wishing, dreaming, hoping, or procrastinating. Take some time to work on an old skill or experiment with a new one.

6. Journal for 10 Minutes Each Day

Taking time to get uncensored thoughts out of your head and onto paper can free your mind for other things. If it’s important stuff, you’ve recorded it and can move on. If you don’t need to remember it, you can even burn it and be done with it! The simple act of releasing the thoughts can give you the freedom to take your own mind back.

7. Practice Daily Gratitude and Positivity

When you are improvement minded, it is easy to get caught up in what’s wrong, what needs work, or where you’re falling short. While it’s not a bad thing to be able to assess yourself and your progress, what’s already great can easily escape your notice or get taken for granted.

The Whole Life Challenge is an online game that will improve your mind, your body, and your daily habits, leaving you happier, healthier, and in control of your lifestyle. If you’re ready for a change, this is your opportunity. Click below to learn more and to register:

Becca Borawski Jenkins

Becca earned her MFA in Cinema-Television Production at USC’s famed film school, and her first career was as a music editor. Becca found her way to career number two through martial arts. She trained in BJJ and muay Thai and worked with professional MMA fighters, building websites, organizing fight promotions, and producing videos.

In 2005, she became a student at CrossFit Los Angeles where she met WLC co-founders Andy Petranek and Michael Stanwyck. In only a couple years, she became CrossFit Level III Certified, left her entertainment career, and dedicated herself full time to coaching, serving as the Program Director of CFLA and founder of the CFLA CrossFit Kids program. After seven years as a music editor and then eight years as fitness instructor, Becca segued to her current career — full-time editor and writer.