In Element 04 of Your LifeBook, Building a Healthy Mindset, we examined your relationship with yourself and provided tips for becoming more mindful.

Now that you are prepared to take responsibility for your health, it’s important to understand the dynamics of your relationships and interactions with others, as they play a critical role in finding optimal health and wellbeing.

These tips may help optimize your environment and improve your relationships as you continue your journey:

• Identify your supporters. Identify the people in your life who continuously support your efforts to reach your health goals. Having like-minded people around is a powerful motivator while on your journey.
• Know your stressors. Taking some time to identify your stressors is the key to enhancing your environment. Once you recognize a challenging situation, plan your response by making adjustments to reduce your Doing so will prepare you to conquer this difficult moment and allow you to continue being your best self.
• Be conscious of your surroundings. Understanding how they affect your overall health and wellbeing is critical. One way to raise awareness is to have conversations about them with like-minded individuals such as myself, your independent ;OPTAVIA Coach, or the OPTAVIA Community.
• Practice patience. Being at peace with the fact that holistic change doesn’t happen overnight is critical (and one of the hardest things to do). However, when you are at ease with slow improvements, and knowing that they will happen, you will feel a weight lifted off your shoulders, while implementing positive changes in your life!

How are you feeling so far on your journey? Please reach out to me, your independent. OPTAVIA Coach, for additional ways to enrich your surroundings and relationships while on your journey to a healthier and happier you.

As you work towards optimal health and wellbeing, Co-founder and independent OPTAVIA Coach, Dr. Wayne Scott Andersen suggests following the “Trilogy Wheel” in Your LifeBook. The “Trilogy Wheel” encompasses the idea that having a healthy body, healthy mind and healthy finances are some of the keys to achieving optimal health.

Follow these tips on your journey to get one step closer to transforming your mind, body and financial wellness^*:

• Meditate. When practiced regularly, meditation can potentially benefit wellbeing. Research findings show a link between physiological benefits and meditation, including easing anxiety, stress and pain.
• Eat healthy. With food costs on the rise, it can seem that healthier foods are more expensive, but this doesn’t have to be true! You can save money by shopping at local farmers' markets in peak seasons, or try fresh, frozen veggies to use in your Lean & Green recipes found on the OPTAVIA App.
• Clock your sleep. Sufficient sleep is crucial for anyone working to achieve optimal health. Dr. A recommends, at minimum, eight hours of sleep each night to keep your mind sharp and increase focus.
• Establish a strong support system. Continue to expand your Community by sharing your journey and goals with loved ones, the OPTAVIA Community, and me, your independent OPTAVIA Coach. When others are aware of your healthy lifestyle, they are more likely to align themselves, or be considerate of the healthy habits you’re practicing daily.

Ask me, your independent OPTAVIA Coach, for other ways to find a balance of healthy body, mind and finances on your journey to Lifelong Transformation, One Healthy Habit at a Time.

Gratitude is my attitude.

Sheri needed a lifestyle change but it wasn't until her sister and father passed away from weight-related issues that she realized she needed to act immediately.

"It took a few years before I woke up and took action. The moment I couldn't fit through my front door to go grocery shopping, was a key turning point for me."

Sheri’s partner was Facebook friends with an independent OPTAVIA Coach, and after some time, she decided to try the OPTAVIA Program.

"I reluctantly, heels dug in, agreed to get on Plan and when I started to drink more water and make tasty Lean & Green Meals that my weight begin to disappear!” ^*

Sheri kept at it, and the positive changes kept coming. She had more energy. “I could feel and see the changes. My attitude changed, my outlook changed, everything changed!”

Sheri was so amazed at her own transformation that her friends encouraged her to become an OPTAVIA Coach!=

“I signed up two friends as my first OPTAVIA Clients. Then, people started to notice something was different about me, my actions, my words, my presence on Facebook, and they wanted to know my story. From there everything began to grow.”

Sherri is now living a life of health, happiness and freedom. "I'm forever thankful that the opportunity arose, that I took action and that such positive changes have taken root in my life. Gratitude is my attitude!"