After a recent bout with a health issue this week that I should have picked up on much earlier than I did, I’ve been thinking a lot about self-care. Why is it so hard to take good care of ourselves? Or alternately, why is it so hard for me, when it seems not to be so hard for other people?
I signed up this week for a website called Health Month, as part of my newly renewed determination to get myself into better shape (full disclosure: once I signed up, I realized the site creator was married to a friend of my husband’s, but I have the free membership and have received no preferential treatment or compensation). I have some habits that are good for me– I have never smoked and don’t drink anything alcoholic–but also have some habits that are terrible–I don’t drink enough water or get nearly enough exercise. I’ve had luck giving up unhealthy favorites–I’m two years off caffeinated drinks and have gone about a month without eating potato chips–but still don’t eat enough vegetables. I’m hoping that starting small, with support and motivation through Health Month, that I can start establishing some of the healthier habits that have eluded me for years. If I have success with these, I’m hoping to move onto larger ones. I’m tired of not being in better shape, and I’m tired of feeling guilty and upset about it.
Incidentally, this is one reason I get so frustrated by all the “obesity epidemic rhetoric,” because I have always been at a healthy weight, sometimes even underweight, but my actual health status has fluctuated wildly. I was probably at my unhealthiest and thinnest at the same time, and decoupling weight and health has been part of getting myself to think more seriously about my health, regardless of my dress size.
Do you take good care of yourself? If so, tell me your secret! If not, why do you think that is? Do you neglect yourself unconsciously, or deliberately? What would it take for you to take better care of yourself? What does taking care of yourself mean to you?
I’m an “everything in moderation” sort of person! I drink socially, have coffee and an almost daily diet coke (so I can sit and collect my wits, of course!). But I also run or walk a few days a week, and eat at least some fruits and veggies daily. We have no fast food in our town, and I do cook at home most nights. So I think it evens out.
Denise, collecting your wits is crucial, for sure! Walking a few days a week is one of the habits I’m most determined to get into–how do you make sure you have the time to do it?
I don’t always have time-it’s tough, with school, kids, activities, and corey traveling so much! I take advantage of times when both kids are in an activity-that’s an hour where I can go walk or run. When Corey is here, I use an hour on Sat/Sun mornings to exercise. Right now, I have some free time when kids are in school but I’m not-so that’s when I go too. It’s easy here because there are trails easily available-it’s an easy place to exercise. Also, I found that going to the school track was good-the kids would play on the playground or ride bikes on the track, and I’d run 3 miles. That might be the easiest thing for you! Make sure to load up your iPod with good stuff-that helps. Or, if there’s a morning class near you…that you can do before work. I used to be a member of the Y when I lived in SC-it was super cheap. Some have daycare too-if the girls can stand to stay for an hour so you can work out.
The key to getting in your veggies is to find really flavorful dishes that incorporate them. Believe me – there are tons of them!! Veggie based dishes do NOT have to be bland. But that may mean that you have to re-educate your palate somewhat. For example, if you’ve eaten a lot of fast food in your life, you probably crave more salt in your food than is good for you, as fast foods are loaded with so much sodium that they really can mess up your taste buds and make you insensitive to more subtle flavors. The good news: You can totally rewire all that. Once you create a healthy, flavorful, and delicious repertoire of foods that you love, eating well is a lot easier. Love pizza? Make it at home! Use fresh mozz, basil, veggies – it’s fun and it’s a great way to start getting more of those fresh veg in your diet. Exercise is the same thing: you MUST find something you love to do, and then you’ll discover all those amazing stress-busting endorphins your brain will make for you as a reward for working out! (Not that I have everything figured out – I am currently in bed with a HIDEOUS cold.)
Trix, I think part of my problem with veggies is that I have always been picky about very strong tastes or sensations, which spans everything from broccoli to cold–I don’t use ice in my drinks or like any drinks straight from the fridge, for example. I have had some success with incorporating more vegetables into dishes I already like, but need to expand my efforts in that direction too.
Unfortunately, my favorite exercise activity to do is swimming, which won’t happen much in the winter unless we miraculously have enoug money to keep our pool membership all year!
We all take care of our own self (and often a few others) but whether it’s good care or just what we can manage because of our priorities is more at issue. We’re bombarded with messages of what we should do/watch/read/eat/drink/buy to be happy, and we and those that surround us are influenced by them. Not all of these things can possibly be true, but we try to make the choices that will work for us, sometimes because it’s good, but sometimes because it’s what we can do at that time. Recognizing when something is not working is a good start. Change might not be easy, but worthwhile things don’t have to be easy, do they? It helps to have others nearby for support, which you do. Health is physical, psychological, even spiritual (though for many that has different meaning). We are seeking balance. Good luck in your search.
Despite being on the verge of going on a 60-mile walk, I do not exercise nearly enough. In fact, I haven’t trained enough for this walk, for sure. But health-wise, what I’ve focused on is food. My son went vegetarian, so I’ve been cooking mostly vegetarian for 6 months. I have several cookbooks and I try to choose recipes at random and not prejudge, so that we end up trying something new. That’s worked for the most part, and we’ve ended up with new things in our repertoire.
I also get a massage once a month, which sounds decadent, but has been really helpful with my back pain. I tend to hold all tension in my upper back and getting all that worked out once a month actually helps me keep the tension at bay. I’m due for a massage in a week and I don’t feel too bad this go around.
I figure that’s the best I can do with my schedule. I do walk regularly, but I know I should do more. For me, it’s either exercise or prepare a healthy meal. I don’t have time for both.
Laura, I really aspire to the monthly massage–every time I’ve had one, it’s made a marked difference in my demeanor and physical wellness.
I’m hoping that in the spring, when my schedule at school settles down some, I can carve out some exercise time while at school–we have an indoor track I could walk during the school day, for example. We’ll see how my intentions actually pan out when the spring rolls around!
Pingback: 11 Things | A Patchwork Life
Pingback: Emotional Eating (and a poll!) « A Patchwork Life