2020: Your Most Rested Year Yet

The new year gives us a fresh start, a chance to evaluate the year behind us, take the lessons, and craft a vision for the year ahead.

In terms of our health and fitness, it is also an opportunity to begin the work of letting go 

of habits that no longer serve us and creating new ones that will move us toward the 


vision we have of our fittest selves, living our healthiest lives. 




The 5 Factors of Health

There are 5 areas worth looking at to make a plan for our healthiest year yet. Let’s use the next five week to look at each one and take stock 

of where things are, define what we have control over in terms of 


changing it, and make a plan of attack.

Breaking bad habits and creating healthy new ones 




starts one small step at a time, and with brutal honesty about how we sabotage ourselves.





The 5 Factors :


1. Sleep



2. Nutrition

3. Exercise

4. Relationships

5. Mindset






The 5 Factors of Health: SLEEP

GOAL: Get at least 7 hours of sleep every night



Arguably the most important influencer on our health is the amount of sleep we get. Less than 7 

hours a night increases risk of cancer, early death, dementia and cognitive decline, and other 


chronic diseases. Busy is not an excuse. It might make it harder to prioritize time in our day for 


sleep, but it doesn’t make it impossible.



1. How many hours, on average, of sleep do you get every night? 



2. Below are all things within your control that can be used to help you reach the optimal health sleep goal: 

  • Go to bed at a consistent time

  • Sleep in a dark and quiet room

  • Make sure your bed & bedding is as comfortable as possible

  • If you are a clock watcher, hide the clock

  • Silence your cell phone notifications until morning

  • Establish a soothing pre-sleep routine

  • Do not watch TV or look at other screens while in bed.

  • Listen to relaxing music or guided meditation to help fall asleep

  • Avoid caffeine after lunchtime and alcohol at night (which may help you fall asleep 

    but destroys the quality of your sleep)

3. Let’s figure out your optimal bed time:

  •  What time do you have to get out of bed in the morning to make your day work?

  •  Including 15 minutes to wind down/read/get settled, what time do you need to be in bed to be able to get up at that time and still get 7 hours of sleep?



4. Which of the habits above are you willing to try to work on to improve your sleep?



LEARN MORE: Read ” The Sleep Revolution” by Ariana Huffington



Use this week to consider your sleep habits and develop actions steps for getting sleep in both quantity and quality that supports your overall health!







Next week, we’ll look at the 2nd factor of health:

nutrition

(If you want help with this one early, consider joining our 4-week nutrition challenge that begins on January 13! Get more info

here

.).




We are always here to help you have fun, get fit, and be well. Let us know how we can help. 












The concept of the 5 Factors of Health was coined by Ben Bergeron. 


This PDF was created as a self evaluation and goal setting tool by Rachael 

O’Donnell LCSW, LADC, CrossFit level 2 Trainer, and Pn1 Nutrition Coach.