Last week we looked at several aspects of healthy life: paying attention, putting together a strong medical team, getting enough exercise, relaxing, and eating well. This week we’ll look at four more sectors of the “wheel of health” as identified by Duke Integrative Medicine: preventative care, environment, relationships, and spirituality.
Preventative care can save your life. Women need a pap smear every three years from age 18 and a mammogram every one to two years from age 40. Men, start annual PSAs at 50. Get your cholesterol checked every five years, women beginning at 45, men at 35. Ask your doctor what further tests are indicated by your family history and lifestyle.
Our physical environment can support or undermine our health. Common sense at-home preventative care includes washing your hands and avoiding cigarette smoke. Clutter is stressful; simple and neat is relaxing. Sound can be stressful too. Turn off the TV when you’re not in the room. Open a window and listen to the birds. With or without allergies, all of us benefit from avoiding harsh chemical odors. Fresh flowers and green plants brighten the room and clean the air.
Like the physical environment, our relationships either nurture us or undermine us. If you don’t enjoy loud music, you may want to steer clear of loud people too. Avoid people who gossip or put other people down. Anyone who makes fun of you or your interests isn’t worth your time. Avoid people who drain your spirit, and spend time with people who energize you. Surround yourself with upbeat people who like you the way you are.
Having a sense of purpose is one of the cornerstones of healthy life. Your purpose may come from helping others, from spirituality, from connection with nature, from expressing your creativity, or from a myriad of other sources. You can strengthen your sense of purpose by joining others with like goals. Some find great joy in their church community, linking spirituality with mutually supportive relationships. Some find purpose in helping others through organizations like Habitat for Humanity and the Humane Society. Some build connections with fellow writers or artists.
Each aspect of healthy living feeds the others. Eating and exercising are more fun with friends, knowing you don’t have a disease eases stress, relaxing your mind draws healthy people into your life. It’s a big circle, and the hub is mindfulness. Pay attention to your body, your friends, and your environment, and reap the rewards of a healthy life.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment