It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver - Mahatma Gandhi
Anyone who has ever been sick will appreciate Gandhi’s sentiment. Your physical and mental health are very precious. When you are well, you may take your health for granted and be complacent. When you have health problems, it is hard to thrive in any area of your life, you crave good health and to feel energetic and focused. So as we charge towards the New Year, it’s time to review how healthy and happy your 2014 has been.
Your body is incredible and complex, every cell, organ and system in your body is constantly working, co-operating and communicating in order to create balance and healthy function. Through your freewill, lifestyle choices and behavior, you can influence your health, no matter your current state of health. Optimizing your health will increase well-being and success in other areas of your life: relationships, career, spiritual, community, education, financial and so on.
Your Health
Grab a piece of paper or page in your journal and answer the following questions (writing these down activates more of your brain and helps you process the information better!):
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What does good health mean to you?
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How would you rate your physical health in 2014 (1 = terrible, 10 = excellent)? Add details.
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How would you rate your emotional/mental health in 2014 (1 = terrible, 10 = excellent)? Add details.
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What things did you do in 2014 to improve your health?
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What things did you do in 2014 that were bad for your health?
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What areas of your health would you like to improve?
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What are the potential consequences of doing nothing to improve your health?
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How much responsibility are you willing to take for your health?
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What can you do in 2015 and beyond to improve your health?
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Who will be on your healthy living team?
Once you have done this, write a plan of action for improving or optimizing your health in 2015. We humans are very sociable creatures and we do best when we work with other people, create a team of people who will support you, advise you, push you and keep you accountable. You may need to go beyond your current circle to find the right people, for example hiring an expert coach or trained fitness instructor can dramatically enhance your chances of improving your health.
You may want to consider joining an online community such as www.facebook.com/PositiveStepstoHealth to help you focus on improving your health. When your action plan and team are in place, it’s time to take action! Here’s to optimizing your health, happiness and success in 2015 and beyond.
Leonaura.
Adapted from Beyond Soccer Mom: Strategies for a fabulous balanced life, By Leonaura Rhodes (Morgan James 2014)