The Top 4 Ways To Care For Your Physical Health
Often, you will hear stories from athletes or movie stars of a pivotal moment in their life which led them to stardom. Meaning, a crucial change of high significance led them down their life path. Perhaps it was the man who weighed over 300 pounds and suffered a heart attack at a young age. He now is a weight trainer at the local gym. His pivotal moment was when he thought he might not live.
In the United States alone, the U.S. Department of Labor recently reported, “The median number of years that wage and salary workers had been with their current employer was 4.1 years in January 2020.”
That averages out to between 10-12 jobs per working lifetime (16-65 years). Looking back on all the career paths you have taken; it often was due to a pivotal moment to change your job, either physically or mentally.
When our minds are full of anxiety due to the “whirlpool” of life, we often ignore the signs that our bodies always need nutrition and care as well.
The following four practices will get you on the right path so you can make a well thought out pivotal decision:
Put your body on a sleep schedule – When we are in the midst of making a big life decision, our sleep is often the first thing to be affected. Multiple research studies have shown the average adult should sleep anywhere from seven to nine hours per night.
Yet, one of the biggest complaints of most individuals claimed that they rarely got more than 4-6 hours per night of good sleep. On the other side of the spectrum, if oversleeping seems to be taking over your life, more than nine hours per night, this can lead to heart disease, depression, and diabetes.
If you find that your phone is often checked when you cannot sleep, try plugging it in on the other side of the room. Instead of distracting yourself with electronics, pick up an old book you have wanted to start.
If you need more stimulation, use a deck of cards to play solitaire. Use this quiet time to wind down from the day and prepare you for better sleep. Lastly, set your alarm clock to the same time every day, including weekends. This will condition your body and mind to run on a more even schedule.
Keep your body hydrated inside and out – While it is always recommended to keep your body hydrated on the inside, it is just as important to care for your skin. A recent study conducted by the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology concluded, “Few adults regularly used sunscreen on the face. Men reported a low 18.1 percent and women showing at 42.6 percent.” The study goes on to say, “If used properly, regular sunscreen use can reduce risk for skin cancer and prevent or delay photoaging of the skin.”
Try keeping a bottle of sunscreen in areas you frequent. One for the bathroom, one for bedroom, one for the car. Get in the habit of putting it on when you are in that room or vehicle. Make sure to put sunscreen on any areas that are exposed to the elements, even during cloudy days.
Provide your body with good nutrition – Along with drinking plenty of water throughout the day, it is just as crucial to eat healthy food. With the stress of each day and the idea of cooking dinner seems unattainable, this is the best time to reach for hearty and substantial options.
If chips and candy are a comfort food for you during times of high anxiety, try thinking of those foods as a reward. Salty and sweet food is the craving, not the food itself. Instead, keep baby carrots and a low-calorie dressing for a healthy alternative when wanting something sweet. If looking to satisfy a salt craving, prepare a bag of popcorn.
According to the American Heart Association, “When popcorn is air-popped and lightly seasoned, popcorn is an efficiently healthy snack.”
Make your teeth a priority – Recently, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) collectively reported that, “While almost 70 percent of adults polled (18-45 years), claimed to be brushing twice a day, a staggering 25.9 percent reported untreated dental cares.”
With extra anxiety and daily schedules, brushing teeth twice a day is not even on the radar.
In lieu of trying to remember to do this “chore,” give yourself a visual reminder. Put a picture of a funny tooth on the bathroom mirror. If you prefer to shower in the morning, take the toothbrush and paste with you. This eliminates the idea of too many tasks.
In Closing
By taking better care of your body during a pivotal moment in your life, the mind can work through all the emotions and decisions more clearly. As American author Jim Rohn once said, “Treat your body like a temple not a toolshed. The mind and body work together…If you take good care of it, your body can take you wherever you want to go, with power and strength and energy and vitality to get you there.”
