By Darla Youngblood
By Darla Youngblood
There are 8 traits of wellness we should all strive for to stay healthy . These traits are emotional, physical,occupational,social, spiritual, intellectual and financial.
Today we will focus on the physical aspects.This includes regular exercise, eating well, getting enough sleep and managing stress. Regular exercise doesn’t have to be strenuous. Walking outside is the best benefit to breathe the fresh air and enjoy the sunshine! But in the winter months, you can enjoy window shopping in the mall or somewhere else inside. Even just a ten minute walk each day can have great benefits. Eating healthy is always beneficial. I’m diabetic so that’s very important for me. I eat fish or chicken very seldom eat any other kind of meat. I eat vegetables and limit my carbs and sugar. I drink a lot of water and a cup of coffee every day sometimes two cups but that’s all to limit my caffeine. Sometimes I add sugar free flavor packets to my water like peach tea or lemonade. These are just an example of healthy eating. Figure out what foods you like that are healthy and stick to those recipes the most often. Getting at least 6-8 hours of sleep each night helps you feel rested and able to focus better each day on the things you need to accomplish for the day. It also helps you manage your stress. Managing stress is so important. I’ve been working on that more since December when I was diagnosed with epilepsy gran mal seizures and I go unconscious. The hospital said I have to keep my stress down so I don’t have another seizure. I did that by setting a huge boundary with the people in my life telling them they could not argue with me because it could trigger a seizure. Talking calmly is what we all should strive for since arguing is way too stressful for all of us. Taking deep breaths can help you relax in a tense situation. Inhale deeply and slowly let out your breath. Do this 5 times and your whole body will relax. I do this at night when I have too much on my mind and having trouble going to sleep. I focus on my breathing just being very aware just of breathing in and out. It clears your mind and helps you relax and fall asleep.
These are just some examples of what I do to take care of my physical self and of course regular checkups with a doctor. Each week I’ll be writing about one of the 8 traits to wellness. Focus on your physical well being each day.