Volume 09, Issue 40: A Proactive Approach to Health (Part III)

Life can not be truly enjoyed in the absence of health. We are carrying on with considering ways of taking care of ourselves proactively, rather than waiting for health issues to arise. And as I keep repeating, we are talking about things that relate to lifestyle. I reiterate again that if we can take care of those things proactively, we can reduce our risk of a lot of health issues down the road. This is no doubt a much better approach than waiting for ourselves to get sick and then starting to take care of ourselves.

So far, we have talked about practicing safe sun exposure, consistently eating a healthy diet and intentionally moving our bodies for all rounded physical health and fitness. Some people have no problem exercising, at least the ones I see at the gym, but I have noticed is that it is not stressed enough that how our bodies look and feel is 80% nutrition, 10% exercise and 10% genetics. This means that nutrition is king. You may work out all you like, but if you are consistently feeding your body crap, you are going nowhere.

Now that we have that out of the way, let's consider one more aspect of health to be proactive about in taking care of our health and investing in our future well being.

4. Invest in Your Mental wellness

Mental health is just as important as physical health yet many people don't give it much consideration. Things like low self esteem, lack of self confidence, negative thoughts and depression should not be taken lightly. Don't wait until you are in trouble to look for help, rather consciously reach out to those who can help whenever you need to talk through issues.

Issues of confidence and self esteem bear a lot on how we think about ourselves and the thoughts we allow to run through our minds. Being intentional about filling our minds with positive thoughts can't be taken for granted. Read and listen to uplifting content, train your mind to think lovely thoughts about yourself, your life; about people and life in general. Don't allow the negativity around you to contaminate your thoughts and beliefs.

Worry and fear are other elements that steal from our mental health. Allowing the fear of the unknown, of what could go wrong, of what would happen if you lost this or that to dominate your thoughts can be extremely detrimental to your mental well being. If you are a worrier, you must know that no amount of worrying can change your situation even a little bit. You have the power to interrupt your thoughts and direct your mind to think on something else.

Brisk walking is known to be fantastic for maintaining mental wellness. This is something we can do proactively to maintain our mental health. Walking improves your mood and self-esteem and eases anxiety. Studies have shown that brisk walking helps to preserve the manor in areas that are involved with learning and memory. So, go out and take a walk, and while you are at it, smile.

Nurturing our spirituality through daily quite time with God does wonders to our mental health and stability. If you find that you are repeatedly unstable in your emotions, up some days and down other days, committing to a daily quiet time session of taking in the Word of God, talking and listening to God and  pouring out your heart to Him will effectively calm you down and stabilize your emotions. You will be settled within and you will no longer be tossed to and fro by the happenings around you.

Reading great literature that motivate and inspire you to become your best self also goes a long way in building your mental wellness. Steer away from negative and depressing material. There are so many relevant motivational content out there. Listen to speakers who motivate and challenge you to become. Choose happy movies to watch over sad ones, movies that warm your heart and leave you with a smile on your face.

We could go on and on about mental health, but this post is already too long, and there are other areas for us to consider to proactively take care of our health. Look out for more fun stuff in the part IV next week.

For His Glory,

Lillian Chebosi