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Top 5 Health Needs You’re Probably Neglecting

By on May 15, 2013 in Health & Wellness

walking-the-dog

Most of us are guilty of neglecting our health from time to time…myself included, embarrassing so.

The question I guess, is how much damage are we doing to ourselves? Short-term? Long-term? I’m not sure that can be measured…though there are many organizations working very hard to do just that. But while they’re arguing over the data, we can all agree that it’s a quality of life issue…

Namely, we are either improving our quality of life…or we’re harming it…there is very little room in between.

(Feel free to tweet that)

The Big 5

 

1. Sleep – Get good quality sleep in sufficient amounts (varies a bit by individual, but don’t kid yourself, most people need 7 -8 hours to live a full quality life.)

2. Doctor appointments –This includes dental and eye exams and even that chiropractor who eases your back pain. Be proactive with your health, rather than reactive.

3. Clean up your diet – You don’t have to be perfect, just make better choices most of the time. C’mon…You know what you should be eating…..and what you shouldn’t.

4. Some form of activity or exercise – No marathon running necessary, a daily walk, swim, yoga, bike ride, Zumba class, whatever gets you moving. A body in motion tends to stay in motion. It’s easier to maintain fitness than to get it back.

5. STRESS RELIEF – Anything you can do to lower your stress levels will benefit your health in particular and your life in general. Try meditation, yoga, journaling, vacation or maybe just a daily walk with your dog. Stress is, at best doing serious damage to the quality of our lives, at worst, it’s literally killing us.

Start with just one of the Big 5 if that’s all you can do. Once you start building good health, the next steps come a bit easier.

I don’t know about you…but while I’m here…I’d like to have a good life…and have it for a long time…this is a good place to start.

Share: How well are you doing with the Big 5? What are you neglecting?

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Real Age Wisdom You Need To Remember

By on May 1, 2013 in Health & Wellness, Mind Matters, Responsible Living

realageSome timeless wisdom you need to remember from RealAge.com.

To Feel Content, Just Take a Stand

Has something in the news gotten your ire up? Taking a stand on it could boost your quality of life.

New research shows that not just believing in a cause, but actively supporting it, tends to translate into a happier, more contented life.

Power Beyond the Pen

In a series of studies, researchers surveyed over 1,000 adults to find out if they considered themselves to be activists for any particular issue, from supporting antiwar politics to championing human rights. And the researchers found that the stronger a person’s activism, the better that person felt — as long as his or her activities weren’t extreme. Specifically, the highly engaged activists reported experiencing more positive emotions, feeling more satisfied with their lives, and feeling more connected to others. (Here’s another get-happy strategy that will help you feel more satisfied every day.)

The Good in Do-Gooding

Investing yourself in issues that are important to you helps strengthen your sense of self and fosters personal feelings of purpose — both of which can help get you through tough or stressful times. So whether you write letters to Congress or start a nonprofit, take an active stand on the things you believe in. And here are just a few more ways that doing good for others does your own life some major good:

It can keep your mind from slowing down.

It can boost longevity.

RealAge Benefit:

Taking care of your emotional health and well-being can make your RealAge up to 16 years younger.

I don’t know about you…but I’m all for feeling younger!

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Favorite No-Fail Unhappiness Prescription

By on April 19, 2013 in Health & Wellness, Life Juice, Mind Matters

unhappy_face-picEver have those days? Days when you think to yourself, “How can I be so unhappy…in the middle of a happy life?”  I had one of those days this week and I know I am not alone.

The day when…

The big house you wanted with all of the room for the kids, seems too much to care for…

The spouse, children, pets (take your pick) that you love dearly, are driving you nuts…

The work you usually find fulfilling is a dreaded chore…

The activities that bring you joy (this blog included,) feel like an onerous weight…

The life you’ve created, that makes you happy, feels like a ball and chain weighing you down…

Is it stress, overload, exhaustion, maybe the weather or some kind of brain receptors misfiring? Who knows? Whatever the instigation for the temporary funk of discontent, it stinks…

The only solution I’ve found that works for me is to “get out of my life” and “get into the life around me.” Even just for a few minutes, we need to get perspective and a bit of distance from those things that in this moment seem so big, so annoying, so worrisome.

My Unhappiness Prescription: Lace up the sneakers, put the grandson in the stroller, hook the leash on the greyhound and head out the door…away, even for a few moments, away…from the momentary attack of unhappiness.

In honor of poetry month, I thought I’d try my hand at an “Unhappiness Prescription” poem…

 

One foot in front of the other

Breathe in, breathe out

Hear the birds

Smell the grass

See the clouds, the sun

The world goes on around me

Outside of my head

Life is happening

The world is alive

I am not alone

The dog is sniffing and trotting happily

The baby is squealing with delight

I turn my face to the sun

Smile

Yes, life is happening

The world is alive

Sometimes life is hard

Some days it’s downright crappy

But outside of those moments of unhappiness

Lies a good life

Sometimes it just takes a change of “scenery” to see it for what it really is

…And I am not alone

 

I am not a poet, it’s clear, but I’m feeling pretty darn proud of myself that I just wrote that…and you know what…that makes me…Happy.

Thanks for reading…

What do you do when you find yourself in an “Unhappiness funk?” 

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Stop Right There! Step Away From That Button…

By on April 1, 2013 in Health & Wellness, Mind Matters

keep-calm-and-pause-11

Have you ever been here? Pounding away at your keyboard, fury and outrage flying out of your fingers,  muttering to yourself, crafting an email to someone who has just pushed your buttons…I sure have…more than once.

Some people are naturally calm and take the time to consider the situation and how they can best respond…or whether they should respond at all.

But many of us tend to be more reactive, with a tendency toward a more passionate, impulsive, vehement even, response. (Raising my hand here…guilty as charged)

When my buttons get pushed, I want to strike back, set the person straight, get my objections on the record so to speak, voice my hurt or anger. But I often don’t take the time to consider if I’m even interpreting the substance and tone correctly. It doesn’t initially occur to me to give the other person the benefit of the doubt. That requires a pause and a step back.

The plain truth is that reacting out of anger or hurt rarely serves anyone. When we respond from that emotional place, there’s a good chance we’ll just make a bad situation worse.  And once those words are out there, they cannot be taken back.

Restraining ourselves is usually the smarter thing to do. Take some time to calm down. Give yourself a chance to fully consider the intent, the implication…and quite honestly the importance.

Stop!  Before you hit send, dial that number, or pick that battle and ask yourself a few questions:

Could I be misinterpreting?

Is my reaction really about what the other person said…or is it more about me and my internal monsters?

Does it really even matter?

Is there a point to responding at all?

And if so, what am I hoping to accomplish?

Sometimes it’s helpful to run it past another, a neutral 3rd party, to get a different perspective. Often, my more considering husband will have a completely different interpretation than I do. Because he can come from an objective place…a place that doesn’t contain my buttons…that doesn’t take things personally…that allows the benefit of the doubt…he can be the voice of reason and restraint that I simply cannot.

That quite frankly ticks me off in that moment, but has saved my butt many a time…and probably my pride and reputation as well.

How do you react when your buttons are pushed?

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The Secret To Flourishing…and It’s Not Better Meds

By on March 28, 2013 in Health & Wellness, Mind Matters

 

Did you know that most drugs and therapy used to treat depression, anxiety and other conditions that plague many of us only have a 65% relief rate? And that in many cases the placebo effect accounts for as much as 45-55%. I was astounded when I read that.

I’ve been reading a fascinating new book, “Flourish,” by Martin Seligman, a pioneer in the field of happiness, optimism, and positive psychology. Over the years, Seligman has completely evolved his understanding of mental and emotional wellness and how we can best learn to deal with stress and anxiety and the conditions that affect our overall quality of life and happiness.

He goes on to explain that Positive Emotion, Engagement, Interest, Meaning, Purpose, Self-Esteem, Resilience, Determinations and Vitality are better tools to have in our well-being arsenal than medicine and therapy.

It’s important to note that this is only true of those who are mildly or moderately depressed, or blue or merely unhappy. People who are clinically, severally depressed and suicidal require medication and benefit greatly from it, most likely due to the significance of their illness.

I’m not a healthcare professional by any stretch of the imagination and how you choose to treat or not treat your conditions is solely up to you. But it’ new way of looking at the situation of our happiness and well-being. Especially for those of us who are chronically working on and/or frustrated by the state of our well-being.

Something to think about…

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