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How to start finding the healthy person within! There is one in there, honestly!!

October 21, 2011

I used to work for the National Health Service in the UK and just recently I’ve started to question why they call it that.

Let me explain…

I’ve learnt so much more about keeping healthy in the two years since I left than I ever learnt in the 11 years that I worked there.

But how is that possible? Well, it started to become clear to me when I started to call it the “National Illness Service”.

“Of course!” I thought to myself, as the light bulb pinged to life above my head. I spent my days and nights surrounded by illness and disease not health, I conversed and socialized with experts in the specialisms of diseases and we would talk about treatments and the problems that illness created.

I simply thought to be healthy was to not have a disease but I’ve since learnt that the difference between ill-health and health is thankfully much more pronounced.

Now I spend my days - thankfully no night shifts - surrounded by the subject of health!

So where’s this going?

The journey to finding that healthy person within is a bumpy one. Because we are ever changing in our needs it can be hard to keep up with yourself at times, which might make you want to give up.

But the challenge of health is much more fun and rewarding than the challenge of dealing with a disease or chronic illness.

So here are my 5 top tips to begin your journey to finding the healthy person within!

1. Start telling yourself you’re worth it!

If you think taking care of yourself is selfish or that work and the family should come first, you need to reconsider your outlook!

To not look after yourself is actually just shirking your responsibilities and using an all-too-easy excuse.

Start telling yourself that you are worth it and pick a positive mantra to repeat every day, morning and night!

Always say it in the present tense so it’s true right now.

Here’s an example: Don’t say “I will be fit and healthy”

Say “I am fit and healthy.”

Don’t say “I will be relaxed and in control”

Say “I am relaxed and in control”

2. Start writing relaxation time in your diary

Stress is one of the biggest contributors to illness and disease, and unfortunately our society today lends itself all too easily to creating stressful situations.

Work, relationships, travel, families, friends, media and money are just a few of the things that cause stress on a daily basis.

You don’t need to turn your back on all aspects of your stressful life to be healthy but you do need to: firstly acknowledge that you do get stressed and secondly look for ways to “chill out”.

Create a wish list

It can be helpful to write a list of all the things that you find relaxing; call it your wish list.

When you’re really busy and wishing that you had more time on your hands what would you do with that time? Read a book, have a massage, visit the local Spa, have a hot bath?

Once you have your wish list, pick one thing and write an appointment with yourself in the diary for next week. Mark it down as a very important meeting!

Everything won’t fall apart just because you’re taking an hour or two off and you’ll be amazed at how much better you feel for it.

3. Assess your diet

Be honest with yourself and keep a food diary for a week. Write down everything that passes your lips even if it’s just a tic-tac.

It can be such an eye opener and will give you a clear picture about what you really eat and drink on a daily basis. It’s so easy to forget about the cheeky treats or ignore the fact that you actually skip meals or don’t drink when you’re busy.

Also make a note in your diary about your energy levels and mood; see if you can make any obvious links.

Try swapping the unhealthy drinks and snacks for healthy food and try to stop skipping meals.

Are you unsure about what is healthy and need some inspiration? Google “qualified and registered nutritionists” or “holistic nutritionists”. Most include yummy tips, recipes and words of inspiration on their websites. You’ll be amazed at what you find out and just how interesting and easy the subject of food can be.

4. Exercise

Finding a way to exercise that is enjoyable and rewarding is the key, so why not set up your own reward scheme!

Write yourself a list of rewards and set yourself achievable goals. After so many classes or hours ticked off pick one of your rewards to enjoy. Maybe it’s buying yourself something new, booking in for a massage or reflexology session or maybe it’s tucking into that pudding you’ve been craving for ages.

Once you’ve been doing exercise for a while and your fitness levels increase the exercise in itself will feel like reward enough, it’s true!

Getting off the starting block is hard so give yourself some encouragement.

Don’t forget that housework and walking the kids to school can be considered exercise, so why not try doing it with a bit more vigor to get your heart pumping.

5. Seek Help

We all need guidance in healthy living; even the experts see their own therapists, body workers and nutritionists.

Seeking help and advice will make you stronger and more likely to succeed in whatever you want to achieve.

There are oodles of qualified professionals around and a quick search on the Internet will bring up lots in your local area.

You can also get daily inspirational ideas and tips from all around the world through following your favorite experts on twitter and facebook. You can get bodycare tips, relaxation techniques, exercise plans and nutritious recipes sent to your online feeds completely free! It’s almost too easy these days to start being healthy!

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