You can eat cookies. They are yum.
Gym clothes are laid out. Runners are ready. All set for a morning run. But it is a bit cold outside. And
it might rain. And I have a long day… Alarm goes off. I don’t even open my eyes as I stop the beeping.
The run never stood a chance. I roll over for more sleep. “I’ll go tomorrow” I say to myself. A feeling
of guilt seeps into the pit of my stomach. I cuddle into the warm blankets to try to make myself feel
better. Maybe tomorrow…
Have you ever felt like this? Chances are you have. Most of us have tried to “be healthy”, exercising
or eating the green vegetables we were always force fed as kids. But it isn’t easy. And sometimes
the pull of a sleep in or a chocolate biscuit is too great. Does this make us weak, horrible people? Of
course not! The key is finding balance, through exercise and healthy food that you actually enjoy (it
might sound impossible, but it can be done!). Once you find some, it will be a whole lot easier to get
up early in the morning!
If you want to get in some exercise and healthy eating but not hate life while you do, join us in the
forums for some tips and ideas.
Monday January 6th, 8-10pm AEST. And you can guiltlessly eat chocolate during it if you want to!
Hey @florenceforever, welcome! That's another word that I think is awesome when thinking about health- Moderation! I love it because it means some give and take and not all or nothing. Agree?
I'm pleased I've made it to the first session this year, and on time too! 😛 woo
What is your idea of being healthy?
My idea of being healthy is having a balanced lifestyle. Being healthy isn't just looking after yourself physically but mentally, emotionally. socially and spiritually as well.
Hi everyone! So great to be back. I work in health and study health and try to be healthy, so I'm excited about this session.
So.. What is your idea of being healthy? To me, being healthy is treating your body and mind in a way that makes you feel good, positive, and energised, in a sustainable way that works for you.
Hey! I'm pretty excited to hear the different thoughts in this session 🙂
For me, being healthy is in part about feeling healthy- which can seem largely physical. But I do know that if I'm thinking bad thoughts then that is not healthy either. I think it's like you said @Magga it's physical and emotional health as well as mental. Because even if I'm sick or injured when I'm happy and laughing I feel a hundred times better! So, I guess healthier!
hey @delicatedreamer , hope you had a great Christmas/New Year!
Sounds like everyone has a similar definition of their own health - feeling both physically and mentally ready to take on any and all challenges. It's important to feel engaged and energised - personally, if I'm feeling like this, I'd say I'm feeling healthy too 🙂
Hey @Bee, thanks for coming along! I agree, a balanced lifestyle is key - if you're lacking in one area, it seems to drag down everything else.
Welcome @florenceforever ! Great idea about turning off devices - the days I spend just looking at a screen leave me feeling so tired and lacking in any desire to do anything. It drains you!
@Magga no worries, p yep a balance is key, and thats true, lacking in one area can definitely drag the others down
@delicatedreamer I remember having this discussion the year before last in school before I dropped PDHPE 🙂 All parts are important
@rt262 I like it to. Balance, Balance, needed in nearly everything we do 😛
(Edit, I ust reinvernted delicatedreamers username. Opps sorry DD!)
So much balance! 🙂
@delicatedreamer, great point! There are so many barriers to good health, both physical and mental. There have been so many times where I've just skipped doing something good for me because I've been too unmotivated, as a result of not getting into a routine of doing something good for me... 😛
So a healthy routine is good @Magga ? does anyone else find something similar helps them?
Awesome start guys! (You can tell I'm excited for this session!)
Next question.. What kind of things do you do to stay healthy?
What kind of things do you do to stay healthy?
- Practise mindfulness
- Exercise (walking, swimming or pilates usually)
- Eat fruit and veg
- Drink lots of water
- Have time alone to recharge
- Spend time with family and friends to stay socially connected
- Try to express my gratitude and look for positives in my life
- Make sure I get out of the house and least once a day
- Push myself out of my comfort zone regularly
- Try to challenge negative self talk as much as I can
- Make time to engage in hobbies and leisure activities
I definitely don't do all of these things as regularly as I should but I try my best.
What kind of things do you do to stay healthy?
I try to keep my mental / emotional health in check by reminding myself that I do the best I can, although sometimes it catches up on me.
Spiritually I attend my church on average once a month when we have a service.
Physically I continually struggle to maintain a regular routine, but I want to try to keep that intact this year 🙂
@rt262 - definitely! I think getting a routine works for pretty much anything, as long as you can get past that first month or so. If the thing you want to do is go for a run each morning, then the best way to start doing it is to do just that!
@bee - it seems like you have a good concept of yourself and how to keep yourself healthy. That's really cool!
@leo-dicaprio - welcome! How's it going?
Thanks guys! So, onto the next question...
What do you find difficult about developing or maintaining your health?
@leo-dicaprio How good is Smiling Mind?! Love that app 🙂
@Magga Complimeting yourself everyday sounds like an awesome idea! It would be a great way to balance out/ counteract negative thinking too :)! I'll definitely be trying that one out I think.
What do you find difficult about developing or maintaining your health?
The main things I find difficult are finding the time to do things look after my health (such as setting aside time for regular mindfulness practice, time alone or exercise, finding the motivation (especially for exercise and healthy eating) and actually remembering to do things (such as mindfulness or expressing gratitude) regularly. I often feel guilty that I should be doing things (such as exercise) more and that looking after my health should be more of a priority for me but I know that a lot of people struggle with it, not just me.
delicatedreamer - good luck! I hope you get something out of it 🙂
Yea, I know what you mean by the guilt - it's strange though, because I only really started feeling guilt when I was aware that I was getting to be quite unfit (after playing soccer up until grade 10). I think the guilt can be a good thing, as long as you're aware of when it is and isn't reasonable. It pushes you, but it can also push you too far...
@rt262 Yeah I definitely find a connection between eating habits and my mental health. I definitely feel better when I'm eating better, while I seem to crave unhealthy foods when I'm not feeling great.
How can you overcome these challenges to being healthy?
I try to overcome barriers to being healthy by setting a lot of reminders in my phone (i.e. for mindfulness, exercise), trying to do regular activities (like exercise) at the same time each day, setting goals to keep me motivated and reading blogs, trying do exercise that I enjoy, doing exercise etc with others, magazines etc about health and healthy lifestyles to give me ideas on different things (like exercise or recipes) to try to help me stay motivated.
@rt262 yepp. Setting realistic goals and challenges is better than setting something unrealistic and unattainable 🙂
New question for you guys, What are your benefits of healthy diet and exercise?
