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Be proactive for your health
By Carol Gordon
In Let’s talk about staying well (September 30, 2012), I refer to three essential elements for a wellness journey: awareness, an attitude of wellness and being proactive. I’ve shared thoughts on the first two elements, in subsequent articles: Healthy Awareness, An Attitude of Wellness and Viewing Life through Wellness Glasses. Now, for the proactive step.
Being proactive is taking action and making changes before they need to be made, rather than waiting until problems develop.
It is so important to understand this and allow it to really sink in. When we are on a wellness journey, we are open and receptive to the awareness that comes to us regarding how our habits and lifestyle are affecting our health and ultimately our longevity. Then we take action on that awareness and make adjustments, hopefully sooner than later, and we allow our wellness attitude (see An Attitude of Wellness) to fuel those actions.
Nevertheless, it can be tempting, especially when our lives are filled with activities, to settle into a routine, even set our lives on autopilot, with our health regime (e.g. eating patterns, physical activity, sleep, medicinal remedies and/or vitamins, minerals and supplements).
However, being proactive means that we stay current with our ever changing needs and thus adjust our actions accordingly so that they continue to be appropriate for our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual requirements as we grow older.
How do we do that? Pay attention. Be acutely aware of how our body is feeling, physically, mentally and emotionally. Then deal with it with an attitude of wellness, adjusting habits and lifestyle to meet each new awareness we receive from our body.
Feeling tired? Keep it simple. Make time for rest and sleep.
‘Catching’ lots of colds and flu? Learn what you need to do to strengthen your immune (defense) system so that you are not so vulnerable.
The wellness journey is a continuous life-long learning process of increasing our awareness, having an attitude of wellness and being proactive.
“To me, good health is more than just exercise and diet. It’s really a point of view and a mental attitude you have about yourself.” – Albert Schweitzer
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