Optimize Your Health: This Means More Than Treating Illness

I had the great pleasure and honor earlier this week of speaking to a group of advocates for criminal justice reform about health and wellness. Their own health and wellness. People who dedicate themselves to fighting for justice and the rights of others are caregivers. Caregivers are notorious for taking great care of everyone but themselves. This amazing group of people is deeply invested in caring for the greater good. My role was to remind them of the importance of caring for and optimizing their own health, which applies to all of us so I thought I’d share. Many thanks to the Reform Alliance Advocacy Institute for inviting me.

When it comes to sleep deprivation, poor eating habits, failure to exercise, failure to stay in bed when feeling sick, and failure to make or keep doctor’s appointments for themselves, would it surprise you to hear caregivers report higher incidence than the average person? Research also shows that family caregivers are at an increased risk for depression, excessive use of alcohol/drugs and are more likely to have chronic illness than non-caregivers.

The Stress of Wellness

Many of us spend considerable time caring for others and find it instinctive. But taking care of ourselves? Yeah, not so much. One of my first posts on this blog considered what we mean by self care and why defining and doing it is challenging for so many of us. It may be because it seems self-indulgent and we’re sure we don’t have time for “that.” I think it’s at least partly because there’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to wellness and no single comprehensive manual out there to follow, making it complicated. Finally, it’s likely also because we have a tendency to think too narrowly and limit care for our health to our physical health. But don’t we all know some people who are in good physical health but still aren’t feeling their best?

Health and wellness is a holistic, whole-being concept. We are at our healthiest only when all the components that come together to make up our state of wellness are attended to and aligned. Any component out of alignment – the proverbial weakest link – throws our overall health and wellbeing off kilter.

Wellness can be an incredibly stressful proposition. And stress, of course, is antithetical to wellness. You only have to think about it and your social media is flooded with unlocked secrets – guided meditations, diets, exercise programs, wall pilates, intermittent fasting, hypnosis to end binge eating or sleep disruptions, and the secret to reversing menopause weight gain. It’s a lot. You don’t know where to turn or what, if anything, to try. If you’re like me and you wake up in the middle of the night, you might sometimes subscribe to a platform or download an app that seems so promising when you’re sleep deprived and then you wake up in the morning realizing you just spent $29 on yet one more sure fix that will never get underway. Makes me want to binge on Oreos, not start a regular exercise routine.

The Wheel of Health

With so many variables affecting our overall health, it’s easy to question if there’s really any point. Of course, we all know there’s a point. We’re the point. Our health and wellbeing matters. We talk a lot about wanting to be happier and it’s ultimately the same thing. Optimized health and wellbeing is our happiest state of being. Fortunately, the basics are laid out well on the Duke University Wheel of Health, a personal health assessment tool that operates as a bit of a cheat sheet.

Mindful Awareness

In the center of the wheel is the core foundational component of mindful awareness: being tuned in to what is going on right now. It is all too easy to go through life on autopilot, caught up in reliving past events or planning for the future. Full awareness in the present moment is what enables you to assess where you’re at and identify what, If anything, needs to change for you to optimize your health and be your best self.

Community

Surrounding the components of the wheel is the core foundational component of community. Like a hug. The concept of community is external to the self. It’s where connections are formed. Humans are hardwired for connection. We do not and cannot exist in a bubble.

Foundations of Health

So our best health depends on self awareness and connection with others.

Once you give yourself the space to be mindfully aware and accept that you exist within a community and connection with others is essential, you can assess the 6 components of your overall health and wellbeing. If any one of those 6 components – the cogs in the wheel – are out of alignment, your health and wellbeing are not optimized; they’re not at their highest levels and, as a result, you can’t perform at your highest levels.

If your car runs out of gas, the battery dies, you don’t change the oil when necessary, the air conditioning stops working during a New York City heatwave in July, trash is covering every available area or you don’t renew your driver’s license on time, then your car can’t function the way it’s intended. Your body and being are the same. You are the car. People love their cars!

The 6 components of your wellness are Nutrition & Lifestyle, Mental & Emotional Wellbeing, Fulfillment & Purpose, Physical Activity & Fitness, Sleep & Rest, and Physical Environment. By paying attention to each, your self-care can be preventive and nourishing, rather than reactive and possibly too little too late.

Nutrition

Nutrition fuels your mind and body. Proper nourishment supports your body’s functions and keeps you sustained through life, including life’s challenges. Nutrition choices can affect your energy levels, your mood, your sleep quality, and your immune system. If you’re not eating a healthy, well-balanced diet, then you’re not at your healthiest.

Here are some quick nutrition tips:

• Hydrate
• Eat more plants
• Eat more fiber
• Eat less added sugar
• Be good to your gut
• Try to get most of your nutrients from food rather than supplements.

During my talk with the advocates this week, we discussed added sugar and someone asked which are the worst foods you could eat. I’m not a big fan of calling foods good or bad and truly believe you can eat anything in moderation and stay healthy. But he wanted an answer and I said ultra processed foods were right up there. I wish I had said foods with no nutritional value. Sadly, that would include jelly beans, red licorice and Trader Joe’s Scandinavian Swimmers, my kryptonite.

Mental and Emotional Wellbeing

Your mental and emotional wellbeing helps to support you in adapting to the stress of everyday life. There’s no way to avoid stress entirely but there are healthy ways to deal with it. Mental and emotional wellbeing, though, is about more than stress. Mental illness and mental health challenges are real, not your fault, and can be just as disruptive to your life as physical illness, sometimes even more. Be kind to yourself. There are many services, resources, and programs you can turn to for support if you need it. If you are not mentally in balance with the ability to regulate your emotions (most of the time), then you are not at your healthiest.

Here are some quick emotional wellbeing tips:

• Take the time to understand yourself and the way you deal with and react to things.
• Create a list of go-to behaviors to get you through tough times and put it on your phone.
• Talk to yourself, out loud, and say nice things. Every day.
• Get fresh air and at least a quick walk around the block every day
• Breathe
• Ask for help when you need it. Offer help when you can.

Fulfillment and Purpose

A sense of fulfillment and purpose gives meaning to your life. Taking time to consider and reflect on your values and strengths helps you identify opportunities for engagement within your communities. This integration leads to a better understanding of your place in the world. Finding your life’s purpose is not meant to be overwhelming and anxiety-provoking. Center yourself in what matters most to you. It could be your family, your community, your faith or your work. It doesn’t have to be world peace or eliminating hunger but it can be. If you don’t find your life fulfilling, then you are not at your healthiest.

Here are some quick fulfillment tips:

• Understand what matters to you
• Volunteer

Physical Activity and Fitness

​​Physical activity refers to the physical movement of your body. Incorporating movement into your life in a way that meets your individual needs keeps you strong, flexible, balanced, and happy. It doesn’t have to involve hours at the gym or signing up for expensive classes unless that works for you and you do it regularly. It absolutely involves getting out of your chair or off your couch several times a day and moving around. Physical activity decreases the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Exercising helps reduce feelings of anxiety and depression. It promotes mental wellbeing. We feel good when we get our hearts pumping. If you’re not getting enough physical activity, you’re not at your healthiest.

Here are some quick physical activity tips:

• 150 minutes of moderate exercise/75 minutes of vigorous exercise each week
• Walking is great moderate exercise
• Strength/resistance training at least 2-3 times per week
• Walking with a weighted vest checks all the boxes

Sleep and Rest

Both the quantity and quality of your sleep is essential for your body and brain to heal, repair, and prepare for the next day. Quite simply, if you’re not getting enough sleep, you can’t possibly be at your healthiest.

Here are some quick sleep tips:

• Aim for 7-9 hours per night
• To get your 7-9 hours:
  • Set a nighttime routine
  • minimize screen time in the evening
  • make your bedroom as cold and dark as possible
• When you wake up during the night, the Sleep Foundation suggests avoiding:
  • watching the clock
  • looking at electronics
  • turning on lights
  • staying in bed too long. If you wake up during the night and can’t fall back asleep, get out of bed after 20 minutes and try meditating or reading a book in another room so your brain associates your bed with sleeping rather than with being awake. Get back into bed when you feel tired.
• If you live with someone who lets you know you gasp for air in your sleep, see a doctor

Physical Environment

Often given short shrift on the wheel, your physical environment can make a world of difference when it comes to supporting your wellness. Making your bed, washing the dishes, considering the effect of colors when you decorate your space, and decluttering all have a greater impact than we often realize. Noise and safety issues matter too. If your physical environment does not feel safe, comfortable and in alignment with who you are and all that you wish to do, then you’re not at your healthiest.

Here are some quick physical environment tips:

• Make your bed
• Put the dishes away before you go to bed
• Organize your work space
• Create a meditative, quiet place for yourself

If you care for your health reactively, you may never get to the happier place you’re seeking. Mindful check-ins with yourself can keep you on the right track where you’re feeling good and living a life that works for you. We each get to live out a number of years on this earth. Shouldn’t we do what we can to maximize their quality? It starts with feeling good. Buckle up, friends. Rev your engines and lean into the adventures that await you when you optimize your health!

Musical Playlist to Accompany This Post

Everybody Hurts, R.E.M; Happy, Pharrel Williams; Keep Your Head Up, Andy Grammar

Thinking and Trying

Something to think about: “Nothing will work unless you do” – Maya Angelou

Something to try: Time for a personal health assessment. How would you rate yourself when it comes to Nutrition & Lifestyle, Mental & Emotional Wellbeing, Fulfillment & Purpose, Physical Activity & Fitness, Sleep & Rest, and Physical Environment? If you’re finding any area lacking, maybe consider working with a coach.

Coaching Can Help

If you feel like your personal health assessment falls short or you’re not mindfully aware enough to conduct a helpful assessment, consider working with a coach and optimizing your health. Let’s talk about it! You can schedule a free 15 minute discovery call here.