Boost Wellness and Reduce Stress: Transform Your Life with a Calendar Makeover
Boost your health, reduce stress, and prioritize what truly matters with a simple calendar makeover.
Imagine a garden overrun with weeds, where the beauty of vibrant flowers is hidden under layers of neglect.
This is how life feels for many who struggle with time management and priorities—“chaotic and unbalanced”.
The metaphor of tending to a garden can inspire meaningful change in those who find themselves overwhelmed, particularly when health and wellness are at stake.
The Struggle
Meet Emma, a corporate professional, mother, and fitness enthusiast. Her “garden” was lush in some areas—an illustrious career and loving family—but her wellness corner was barren.
Overgrown with commitments and meetings, Emma’s calendar left no room for her mental health, exercise, or even proper rest. She was exhausted, and her health began to falter.
The Wake-Up Call
One day, Emma’s doctor cautioned that her unchecked stress levels and lack of self-care could lead to “serious health issues”. This moment was her realization—her garden needed redesigning.
The Redesign Process: Step-by-Step Actions
Emma decided to take control and redesign her life with “actionable steps” to create a “thriving, balanced garden.”
Here’s how you can follow her process:
1. Identify Your “Top Three Flowers”
Emma realized she needed to focus on her physical health, emotional well-being, and quality time with loved ones.
Action:
Write down your top three priorities for the next 90 days. Frame them positively, such as “I want to feel energized and strong,” or “I want to connect deeply with my family.”
Positive Approach:
Frame these goals as aspirations rather than obligations. Instead of saying, “I need to exercise,” say, “I want to feel energized and strong.”
2. Audit Your Current Garden
Emma examined how her time was spent, identifying which commitments aligned with her priorities and which didn’t.
Action:
Review your schedule and list recurring activities. Highlight those that contribute to your goals and note the ones that don’t.
Positive Approach:
Celebrate commitments that already support your goals, such as a fitness class or a weekly family dinner.
3. Pull Out the Weeds
Emma removed distractions and obligations that didn’t serve her priorities, like “unnecessary” meetings or social events.
Action:
Decline or delegate tasks that don’t align with your goals.
Set boundaries, such as “No emails after 8 PM.”
Positive Approach:
Focus on the freedom you’re creating to nurture your priorities.
4. Designate Prime Spots for Your Flowers
Emma scheduled her priorities first, blocking out time for exercise, meditation, and family.
Action:
Use your calendar to block non-negotiable time for key activities.
Assign different colors for visual clarity and motivation.
Positive Approach:
Treat these blocks as planting your flowers in the best spots of your garden.
5. Add Nourishing Rituals
Emma added small habits to sustain her energy and wellness.
Action:
Begin the day with gratitude journaling or morning stretches.
Schedule hydration breaks or mindfulness sessions during the day.
Reflect on your day with a journal before bed.
Positive Approach:
See these as watering and tending to your flowers to help them grow.
6. Prune and Adjust Regularly
Emma reviewed her calendar weekly to ensure her commitments stayed aligned with her priorities.
Action:
Use a weekly review to celebrate progress and adjust your schedule.
Weed out new distractions that may have crept in.
Positive Approach:
Think of this as a chance to admire your thriving garden and plant new seeds of intention.
Pruning for Growth
Emma’s redesigned calendar became her sanctuary.
With clear priorities and dedicated time, her health improved, stress levels dropped, and her relationships deepened.
She even found herself excelling at work, with more energy and focus to tackle challenges.
The Lesson
Your life, like Emma’s, is a garden.
Neglect leads to chaos, but deliberate cultivation creates balance, growth, and beauty.
Prioritizing health and wellness isn’t selfish—it’s the foundation of a thriving, happy life.
Call to Action
Look at your calendar today.
Identify the weeds choking your priorities and replace them with time for self-care, meaningful moments, and the things that truly matter.
Your health and happiness depend on the “garden you create”.
Transform To Wellness - Kathleen Thorne RN, LMT (RN3252112/ MA54880)
Love this so much! This example of Emma and the visuals of a garden makes everything so much easier to digest and also truly take to heart. Thank you 🙏
I will, honestly, endeavour to make this calendar shift for 2025 🤩