by Lucinda Bassett
Hello Everyone!I want to talk for a moment about our health and how important is to take care of ourselves. I find it puzzling that many of us spend two-thirds of our day working to buy “things” such as houses, cars, clothes, etc., but so many of us fail to concentrate on things that could give us healthy minds and healthy bodies.
The True Value of Time
Most of us spend at least eight hours a day, five days a week working. For many of us that is a minimum of forty hours a week. Hopefully we are working at a job we enjoy, but according to various studies, many of us are frustrated with our jobs and we are simply there to make a living. That is a lot of time taken out of our lives just to make money that ultimately does not give us a healthy mind or healthy body that we need to live well.Can you imagine how little would matter to you if you were terminally ill? If you were sick, tired, weak, and unable to function at your current level, would money or “things” matter at all? Possibly for health care and security reasons, but that is about it. This must mean that without our health, nothing much matters. And yet we spend so little time in our day, in our week, doing things to keep ourselves minds and bodies healthy so that we can lead happy, enjoyable, fulfilled lives.
Spending Time on a Healthy Mind and Healthy Body
How much time do you spend a day or week making sure your mind and body stay healthy so that you can enjoy the house, the car, and the clothes you have worked so hard to have? How many hours a week do you spend doing something to make yourself healthy? How much time do you spend in front of the TV, drinking caffeine or alcohol, or eating or sleeping too much for you to really be healthy? Are you exercising everyday? Are you taking vitamins and supplements to boost your health? Do you watch what you eat and drink? How did you answer these questions?Taking Charge of Your Mental and Physical Health
This is the best time of year to stop making excuses and get out and start taking charge of your health and well-being. Join a gym, get out and walk everyday, go to a local pool and swim laps, go jogging with a friend, but do something. You will feel so much better, and you will live longer. Exercise not only improves your physical health, it also benefits your mental health. Research shows that regular exercise is as effective as taking antidepressants for mood disorders in some people.Making Changes for a Healthier Body and Mind
It isn’t hard to think of simple ways to live a healthier life. Turn the TV off and go for a long walk, don’t eat the bread at dinner, only drink alcohol on weekends and limit yourself to one drink. On the subject of drinking, drink more water and less coffee. Staying properly hydrated keeps you healthier and gives you the hydration you need when you exercise. Eat oatmeal for breakfast. Cut down on sugar and artificial sweeteners. Eat more fruits and vegetables and leave some food on your plate so you can maintain a healthy body weight.These are simple suggestions but they work. America is overweight and stressed out, and it is our own fault. It’s no wonder that so many of us experience anxiety, depression, and other mood disorders that could be prevented or at least reduced by making healthier decisions. We get lazy and depressed. We are tired and overstimulated. There is too much input, too much to be responsible for, and too much to worry about.
We can’t change the fact that we live in a fast-paced world with lots of chaos, but we can change ourselves by making healthy decisions that will improve our lives. We can take better care of ourselves so that we can enjoy our lives more and live longer.
Take the Time to Make Healthy Decisions
Many times I walk my son two miles to school, we take bike rides as a family, and my husband and I take four mile walks several days a week. I cook most of our meals and always have fresh vegetables and healthy food. I take vitamins and so do my kids. No, it isn’t easy to make time for all of this. I work and we are all busy. But we make time to be healthy because we feel better when we do. It makes such a difference in our physical and mental well-being.I hope you will take the challenge during this wonderful time of year to make yourself feel better. Grab your spouse or one of your kids, pull those roller blades out of the garage (remember the pads!) and get out there. You will all be glad you did, and you will be amazed at how much it helps control that anxiety and depression!
Till next time,
Lucinda
