I am not an expert in health and wellness, but I would like to share my personal experiences and what I do to live a healthy lifestyle. I realize how difficult it can be to stay motivated when life becomes busy, unforeseen challenges arise, and we occasionally slip off track.
In my first blog post, Six Steps to Daily Motivation, I discussed the need of giving oneself time during setbacks. When life becomes overwhelming, give yourself time and space to analyze your emotions rather than forcing yourself to be optimistic.
Returning to the topic of prioritizing health, it is critical that we take care of ourselves, even in difficult times. Without good health, it is difficult to enjoy life and attain our goals.
It is safe to say that one of the most crucial aspects of everyday life that we frequently overlook is our health. We all consume foods that are difficult for our bodies to digest (believe me, I’ve done a lot of that myself). Over time, it starts to wear us down. Some people experience the consequences more quickly, while others take a bit longer or are fine for the rest of their lives. Then there are those who are doing everything “correctly,” but their bodies nonetheless have random health problems. I honestly wish there were clear answers.
As you may be aware, I am a full-time wheelchair user, therefore my body does not get the same amount of exercise that walking or jogging would provide. I am easily prone to weight gain and other health issues. It is much more crucial that I pay great attention to my health. I believe we all understand the need to take care of our health, but how do we motivate ourselves to do so?
This quote comes to mind – “Progress, not perfection, is what we should be asking of ourselves.” — Julia Cameron
Here is how I keep healthy and motivated to achieve my health goals:
Eat home prepared meals – I totally get it! It can be so time-consuming to buy groceries and cook, especially after a long day at work. I previously wrote a blog post called Simple Tips for Maintaining Healthy Eating Habits where I shared some simple ways to make home cooking more manageable. I truly believe that preparing our own meals is an important step in taking control of our health. By doing so, we know exactly what’s going into our food, and over time our bodies start to prefer it. Honestly, once you get used to eating at home, take-outs don’t taste the same. Of course, treating ourselves once in a while is great! My belief is that our bodies are made to handle foods that are close to nature, things like fresh fruits and vegetables, rather than canned or packaged items. Processed foods usually make our bodies work a lot harder to digest them, and we don’t always get the nutrients we need from them. I remind myself to keep it simple and eat a variety of food.
Exercise Daily – Honestly, after work I barely feel like exercising. All I want to do is play with my dog, watch TV, and scroll through endless Instagram reels. On my way home, I make a sincere effort to motivate myself to get some exercise in. For me, it’s about taking one day at a time, rather than setting weekly or monthly goals.
So before I check my mail, get pulled into any home tasks, or let laziness take over, I change into workout clothes right away and get on the mat for some simple stretches and yoga. Then I get back into my wheelchair (which is a workout on its own). If I start browsing my phone first, that’s it, I’m done for the evening and all motivation disappears. I basically don’t give myself the chance to talk myself out of exercising.
I really like Dr. Rangan Chatterjee’s concept that just 15 minutes a day can take you a long way toward your fitness goals. It feels doable. https://drchatterjee.com/
Annual Medical Tests – They make me nervous. I don’t enjoy them, but I understand their importance. They provide us with a clear picture of where we stand with our health goals, and allow us to identify issues early on. However, the entire process isn’t particularly enjoyable, and I’m definitely nervous when the test results arrive.
Socialize – Socializing is important for our mental wellbeing. I cannot say I am a social butterfly; I have reservations, now more than ever. However, I do enjoy connecting with like minded people, sharing ideas, and having tea together. During Covid, we worked from home, which had an influence on our mental health because we were working in isolation. We only communicated with people via phone or other virtual methods. This demonstrated the importance of connecting with others. Some people are extroverts, others are introverts, and I fall somewhere in the middle. I feel that our emotional wellness affects our physical health. It is critical to take care of our mental health.
It’s not always easy to take care of our health, and daily motivation fluctuates, but that’s good. What counts is that we keep making small but significant contributions to ourselves. Every action matters, whether it’s preparing a basic meal at home, taking a quick walk, keeping track of medical check-ins, or spending time with those who lift our spirits. I have learned that all we need to make progress is perseverance and self-compassion. Perfection is not necessary. One of the most important things we have is our health, and making the decision to put it first, even if it’s not perfect, is a sign of self-respect. Let’s take each day as it comes.
