Recently there was a big weather storm at our house. We either were awakened in the middle of the night from heavy winds, woke up to trees down near our home, or some people even lost power for several hours.

But the next morning when I went outside my house and saw all of the trees down and tree leaves and debris everywhere, I looked up at the trees that were still standing. I thought to myself, ‘Those are some tough leaves to still be on the trees.’ Those were the leaves that stayed on the trees and survived all of those heavy winds during the night when all of the other leaves did not.

It got me thinking about the old saying of weathering a storm, which means to deal with a difficult situation without being harmed or damaged too much. If that wasn’t more true than this year. We’ve been weathering a storm it seems like every month, whether that’s us as a nation, in our community, or personal lives.

What’s going to happen when another storm comes through in our lives? Are we going to hang on like those tough leaves did on those trees still standing? Or will we fall off and fly away?

One of the best ways to prepare ourselves is through exercise, which can benefit us physically, mentally, and emotionally.

I like to think those leaves that hung on to the trees were the strongest. They were eating right, exercising, getting daily sunlight, drinking plenty of water, and getting adequate sleep. They were doing everything possible, so that when something tough came their way like those heavy winds they could survive.

That’s the same approach we want to take with our bodies, our health, and our lifestyles. We want to do everything we can to be able to weather a storm.

If you don’t feel like you can weather a storm right now, let’s change that. Start by exercising. It doesn’t have to be hard or intense. Go for a walk in your neighborhood, dust off your old bike, and take it to the park. Do something active.

We can all find ways to improve our healthy eating habits. Maybe we just need to drink more water. Get a big water bottle, fill it up, and sip on it all day.

Finally, go to bed. Most adults I talk to say they get about 5-7 hours of sleep. It could be because of work, family life, or they love to be up late. Set a sleep schedule. Go to bed at the same time and wake up at the same time. Your body will love you for it and you will feel more energized.

If you still need help figuring out how you can weather the storm, reply to this email and let me know how I can help you.

— Brandon