How to Understand Your Unique Blueprint

Taking time to pay attention and take note of how everything we do impacts our bodies is the key to understanding and deepening our connection with self. And it's not hard to do... Raj Barker shares how.

Raj Barker

Nutrition & Movement Expert

0 minute read

Published: December 2022

Origin: Australia

We all have a unique blueprint that is the key to functioning at our peak.

What works seemingly well for someone can be a disastrous idea for the next.

This is why fad diets are so harmful - they are the epitome of a 'one size fits all' approach and as we move away from this train of thought, it becomes clear that this mindset is almost always unsuccessful.

So how do we establish our blueprint?

There are a myriad of tools that you can access for free that come from simply listening, moving from an open mind, and experimenting.

Of course, it's also a bonus if you can work with a health professional to support your navigational process. Here are some easy ways to get you started.

Lean in to meditative practices

Not to be confused with sitting in silence with our legs crossed; These practices can come from any activity that gets you in the zone. For some, it may just be the traditional seat.

For others, it can be by way of gardening, cooking, swimming, knitting, surfing, running, dancing... and the list truly does go on.

It’s the activity that gets you out of your thought pattern and immersed into something far greater.

As someone who commonly prescribes meditation to my clients as a way for them to reduce stress and promote calm, I often receive a ton of push back from the people who presume I mean sitting on the floor for an hour with their eyes closed.

I love breaking down these other methods. More often than not someone is already dabbling in one or more of the activities above and feel great relief when they realise that they are receiving the same impact doing an activity that they love.

Take notice of how specific foods make you feel

When we start to action point 1 above, we start to create a clearer understanding of how certain things impact us.

This could be people, places and this could also be foods. The foods that we consume either act as medicine in our bodies, or they don’t.

Taking time to check in with yourself post meals is a great barometer to understanding if the foods you are eating are helping or hindering your journey to health.

Check in for any bloating or gas, feelings of indigestion, heaviness or discomfort.

Also be aware of positive findings, does your meal leave you feeling energised and satisfied?

This feedback will help you to determine what is working and what might not be so helpful to regularly consume.

Spend designated time alone each week

And spend that time doing a purposeful activity that cultivates joy for you. It may be walking, being in nature, taking yourself out for a meal or coffee, or to a workout class.

The duration of time you devote to this is a choice - this is not meant to add another task to your ‘To do’ list; rather to offer you some space to check in with yourself, to reflect on how you are feeling and to acknowledge what you can shift / change to support you moving in the direction of where you want to be.

Too often we get caught up in our day-today lives to recognise that the way we are operating may be completely misaligned with what we are striving towards. Life requires your attention and it requires your ability to pivot where necessary.

Reduce screen-time

Oufffff – a challenging one for the best of us. Honestly, this point is something I need to apply more to my own life.

The stuff happening behind the screens is designed to pull you in and by doing so, it is pulling you out of the precious present moment.

Practice turning your phone on airplane mode an hour before bed and wait 30mins on rising until you switch it back into gear for the day.

Give yourself a boundary not to use electronics in your bedroom and utilise lock-out apps to limit your time on social media.

Our life is here, not in the screens.

In order for us to truly know ourselves, it is imperative that we disconnect from these mechanisms that set us up to compare ourselves with the highlight reel of another.

None of it real, it supports consumerism, capitalism and several other systems that are detrimental to us both short and long term.