Don't neglect your physical and emotional health 

"When you do nothing, you feel overwhelmed and powerless. But when you get involved, you feel the sense of hope and accomplishment that comes from knowing you are working to make things better." - Pauline R. Kezer

Karen Collins, M.S.W., L.I.S.W.
Licensed Independent Social Worker

Great health doesn't happen by accident. When we think of our health, we typically think of our physical wellbeing. It is important to understand our emotional health as well.

We devote a great deal of time to our families, patients and careers, but do we spend enough time taking care of ourselves physically and emotionally? Why is it so often acceptable to put our own health aside? Our health should not be at the bottom of the to-do list that only gets attention if and when time allows or once a medical condition has developed.

How can we learn to focus on our total wellbeing? It really is simple to include routines in your life that create optimal health and happiness. Each of us is worth the extra time and effort it takes to eat healthy, exercise and focus on emotional wellbeing. In fact, these are all connected and take less time to address daily than you might think. We feel better when we eat better. Our bodies need exercise to stay strong and healthy inside and out. Exercise helps emotional balance by counteracting depression and reducing stress. Purposefully creating balance between family responsibilities, work, daily stresses and having fun will assist in creating emotional wellbeing. Diet, exercise and emotional health are interconnected and we function best when all three are in line.

Making a difference in your life is easy. Choose three to six areas you consider important and identify small changes you can do with a small amount of effort to get started. Then, increase the effort needed as the change becomes more difficult. Here are some examples: Family, Friendship, Work, Diet, Mental Health, Physical Health, Fitness, Romance, Finance.

Following are some areas of life you might be interested in improving, as well as some ways you can improve your life in those areas. You will notice some of the listed changes overlap. For example, shopping with a grocery list can help you eat healthier and keep you on your budget.

Diet

• Pack your lunch four days out of five
• Eat out less
• Drink more water
• Limit sweet snacks
• Bring a healthy snack to work
• Grocery shop with a list
• Limit alcohol consumption
• Identify emotional eating
• Limit caffeine

Fitness

• Take the stairs
• Change your mindset to think fitness is a priority
• Have your kids join you on a bike ride
• Take a walk after supper with your spouse
• Develop an exercise plan

Family

• Spend more time with family
• Plan together time around something that is relaxing, like hiking
• Grab the kids for a game of basketball or P-I-G
• Establish rules and chores so that everyone is pitching in on housework

Friendship

• Resolve a conflict in a friendship
• Appreciate your current friends

Romance

• Set aside time for your significant other: Take a walk together
• Save a night once in a while for the two of you (No kids!)
• Appreciate one another

Finance

• Create a budget
• Define purchases as a need or want
• Eat out less
• Shop with a list
• Stop smoking

Mental Health

• Allow yourself down time in your schedule
• Develop a solid support system of friends
• Address signs and symptoms of depression early
• Incorporate a daily or near daily activity in your life that is relaxing
• Develop an exercise plan
• Limit reactions to stress
• Limit alcohol consumption

Physical Health

• Take vitamins
• Get a physical
• Educate to common health problems and preventions
• Limit alcohol consumption
• Stop smoking
• Develop an exercise plan

Just remember: Small changes can lead to a big difference in your life!

July 28, 2008