Health is Personal

The health and wellness industry sometimes seems as if it only exists to make people feel bad about what they lack or that health and wellness is a single standard. We all know that is not true. It is important that each person decide what health and wellness looks like for them. Sometimes that takes soul searching, trying new things, cutting up credit cards, seeking a therapist, trying new vitamins, meditation, prayer, changing your diet, being creative (YESSSSSSS) keeping a food journal, trying new exercises, switching things up, keeping up to date with physical and wellness exams, learning/exploring non-traditional (eastern) practices such as acupunture, and having a routine for certain things that are working.  

For me, total wellness is most successful in community. I prefer a group workout class at the gym or something like Orange Theory that brings a group of people together for a common purpose. I thrive in my church community where we come together to fellowship and worship under a common purpose. I stay on my budget when I am frequently listening to my guru Dave Ramsey listening to callers and heeding the advice.  In relationships the more I/we communicate openly and often the better. The community around me encourages me and works best to help me stay in balance and having total wellness. 

SPIRIT 

Spiritual health is important for the work that I am tasked to do each day, I need a full cup so that I can pour out onto others and share the gifts that I have been given. For me I still need to attend church services semi-regularly (I too attend Bedside Baptist from time to time) and participate in ministry (at least one sometimes more depending on my schedule) to meet my spiritual needs and also meet others spiritual needs. My current ministry is singing in the choir, which I have been doing since I was a child. This is best for me. 

I would give myself an A- in this area. (That’s because sometimes Bedside Baptist seems better than going to church) 

MENTAL

Mental has to do with my thoughtlife and the story that I am telling myself in my head. I wasn’t taught as a young woman that this was an important part of my health, therefore I have been learning this on the fly as an adult. I grew up with an abundance of support from family and friends and I generally would just take those ‘good’ words and accept them as true. I mean I still think that they are true but I didn’t address the negative thoughts and lies that would sometimes creep up in my mind. I am an academic type and also a minority and also a female so I have suffered from ‘imposter syndrome’ but did the work and mostly overcame it. Mental health is something that can not go unchecked even if it is small negative thoughts they will grow over time. When I was in graduate school I started seeing a therapist and that was very helpful and I have seen him a few times over the years since I got out of graduate school. This is what works for me. 

I would give myself an A in this area. (I have a strong foundation but there is room for improvement) 

BODY 

I rejoice when I think about my body right now and I have positive feelings (value) about my physique thanks to my community and LIZZO! (Houston girls change the game…period) I am a work in progress and I know that each day I open my eyes in the morning is a new day to take the best care of this body. Even when I still have body related goals to meet I still keep a positive outlook and use that attitude to approach the goals I have set for myself.   

Every year I have a physical exam and I also have a well woman exam at my traditional doctors office. I have a close friend who regularly goes to an accupunturist and I want to go but I’m not going to lie I have hesitations. One day I will push that fear aside and try it.  When I am feeling sick especially in the winter months I will immediatly go to the doctor and I generally get a flu shot every year.   If I catch a cold or something similar I try to strictly follow the doctors orders especially to rest so that my body can get well soonest. 

I would give myself a A- in this area. (I have a cavity that I need to have filled but it’s a bit more complicated than just making one dental appointment) 

I work out at the gym semi-regularly, this means 2-3 days a week and I would like to build up to a solid 4 days a week, but I have a lingering muscle injury in my right leg that limits the intensity and regularity of my workouts. For me before and after care is important for my muscles so the days I workout I drink more water, make sure I stretch and I also go into the sauna after my workout for 10 minutes and take an epson salt bath. These 4 things ensure that I don’t have continual pulled muscles which is apparently something my body is prone to because I over extert myself or simply my age….. marching onward to 40! 

My gym routine and before/after care are still something I am working to balance out and be more consistent.  I have heard from professionals that the gym/workout routine only contributes to 20% of body health. 

I would give myself a B+ in this area. (I have room for gradual improvement) 

Within a 7 day week I can honestly say that I eat pretty well. I generally have a smoothie for breakfast. I love coffee, I really do but I like it with sugary cream so I try not to drink it as much during the week and save it for my Saturday or Sunday morning treat. For some reason at work I can drink all the water in the world, but not so much at home – I need to improve on my at home water drinking. I will generally eat a salad for lunch or some type of meat and vegetables. Dinner can be a toss up but it is usually not that bad and consist of mostly meat and veggies. I have heard from professionals that eating is 80% of body health.  

On occasion working late in the office or on the weekends after a long week at work I sometimes eat based on my feelings. I LOVE LOVE LOVE cake – I mean I could just eat cake with every meal. I also love chips. So if you see me going for the cake or the BBQ baked Lays on the weekend just know I am stress eating to neautralize my emotions. 

I would give myself a B in this area. (I have room for improvement) 

FINANCIAL 

Often, we overlook the need for managing our finances. But, financial health is an important aspect which largely contributes to ‘a picture of wellness.’  Generally, once a year, I spend some time reviewing my finances – am I managing my debt appropriately? Have I tithed consistently? What do I hope to accomplish – bathroom remodel, new Gucci Bag? (YES!) And am I prepared for an emergency – aging vehicle?

I’d like to think I do ‘pretty good’ with my finances. I don’t typically carry any credit card balances, I pay a little extra towards my mortgage and I pay my bills on-time. While all of those things sound like a good idea – I was challenged when a friend casually asked me about my finances. I had no idea overall how well I was doing but I felt like I was doing well, right? But,  I was unable to answer very simple questions about my portfolio, allocations or even how much I paid my financial planner. And here I thought I was doing well? As, it stands, I’m doing ok but there’s some basic things I should be able to speak intelligently about when it comes to my finances. I have about 3 months of living expenses saved and I can stand to contribute even more to my 401K. But, this idea of a ‘picture of wellness’ has challenged me to do better about my financial health.

In this area, I would give myself a B-. (My goal is to intimately know the bag I have secured) 

Continual learning is a must for us to take care of these bodies and spirits we have. Reading articles on health/wellness/money teaches me about new things to try that work for others, some will stick for me and some won’t. I love listening to podcasts about wellness and meditation (and apparently murder, yes I am a murderino thanks to Dean Koontz and Stephen King) to learn new things and also sometimes it helps me realize things that may be lacking from my wellness routine. 

Stay Personally Healthy 

-Written by: Sophoria Westmoreland & Cecelia Toulson 

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Image by Wokandapix from Pixabay