269. The Things We've Normalized That Aren't Helping Our Health

Just because something is common doesn’t mean it’s healthy.

There are things many of us do every day without giving them much thought. We sit for hours. Stay up too late. Reach for what’s convenient. Live with constant stress. Fill every quiet moment with noise. Or accept not feeling well as just part of life.

They’ve become normal. But are they actually helping us live healthy, whole, and well?

In this episode of Encouragement for Real Life, Julie continues the Healthy, Whole, and Well series by looking at six things we may have normalized without realizing how they’re affecting us.

She talks about running on tired and treating sleep as if it’s wasted time. She looks at how much of our days are spent sitting, even when we exercise. She also discusses choosing convenience over nourishment and how a little preparation can make nourishing choices easier.

Then there’s stress. Many of us have lived with it for so long that peace can almost feel unfamiliar. Our minds rarely get a break either. There’s almost always something playing, scrolling, buzzing, or demanding our attention. Julie asks an important question: Do we leave enough quiet in our lives to hear from God?

Finally, Julie talks about accepting not feeling well as normal. While not every symptom means something is wrong, persistent symptoms deserve our attention.

Maybe it’s time to ponder what we do that’s not helping our health.

This episode isn’t about guilt. And you don’t need to change everything at once. Instead, ask God to show you one thing you’ve accepted as normal that may not be helping your health. Then make one intentional choice.

Through Romans 12:2, Julie reminds us that just because everyone else is doing something doesn’t mean we have to follow the crowd. We follow Jesus.