Today we begin the 8 week series covering in depth (semi-depth!) each area of life starting with the area of health.
It is a broad area to cover and means something different to all of us. As you read my thoughts, I want to encourage you to see what resonates with you, but also to examine your own thoughts and meanings and to think more about what is important now.
Things have different meanings depending upon our age, our propensities and our past. I don’t like to spend a lot of time in the past, but one of the best things to do, in any category, is to look to the past for information that might be helpful now and moving forward. Make a list of all of your past health goodnesses and challenges. No judgement here, you are just looking to create a clearing house of information for yourself. What’s done is done. What you do next is the most important along with the positive changes you make.
Health is about body, mind and spirit. We tend to think of just the physical, but healthy thinking and feeling good in life will add or subtract to the quality of our health. In many cases, we are learning more and more, stress can affect the systems of your body including your brain and gut- the main centers of the universe where your body is concerned.
–What have you done well in the past that has enhanced your health? Are you still doing those things? What would you like to pick back up or amplify?
–What have you always known you could/should do to improve any area of your health? This could be many things. Make a big list and then prioritize them. Which one is the most important to start with? What is the first step to make progress?
–Who do you admire in the area of health? What can you learn from them or model after them?
–Who can hold you accountable for what you want to do?
–What information, items, time, space, etc do you need to move forward? Where can you get those things?
We know the essentials, and I have written about them many times before. Move your body, hydrate and eat clean and healthy foods (with an intentional treat once in a while!), being uplifted by others who we enjoy, nature and time outside and laughing/humor. And let’s not forget about rest. Creating a stable wake up and bed time is essential. Things like turning off your phone a few hours before bed, not viewing your phone in the dark are known to disturb sleep. New research is showing that even 6 minutes of reading a real book in bed can improve sleep quality and help you to fall asleep faster.
What other things might you try to increase your health? Explore brain health? Acupuncture? Meditation? Make that list and start taking action. The best thing about taking action is that one action leads to more and soon you feel a whole level healthier than before. Be consistent and don’t give in.