When Sickness Strikes...
I had another post that I’ve been working on and was hoping to get out this week, but I got hit with a nasty sickness that has really knocked me out and made for a less than ideal start to the new year. Thankfully, I am finally starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel and think I should be able to get back to my normal routine next week. Fingers crossed.
Here are this week’s 5 Facets of Health. Look for a more regular post from me next week. I appreciate your support and hope your new year is off to an amazing start!
Five Facets of Health: Week 33
If you're new to the 5 Facets of Health, learn more here. Avoid trying to implement everything at once! These suggestions are meant to spark ideas. To build healthy habits, focus on one or two aspects over the next week.
Physical Health
I don’t get sick often, but whenever I do, it is a good reminder of what a blessing it is to be healthy! Physical health is such an important foundation for nearly all that we want to do in life. A healthy diet, regular exercise, and consistent sleep will help you avoid illness and will give you the strength and energy you need. There is no better time to start building those habits than right now!
“Prevention is so much better than healing because it saves the labor of being sick.”
— Thomas Adams
Action: Start by incorporating 30 minutes of moderate exercise into your daily routine and aim for 7-8 hours of sleep each night.
Mental Health
Many people have made a resolution to improve their diets this new year. Let’s also consider what we feed our minds and resolve to make that diet more healthy as well. Cut out anything that is not nutrient dense, such as mindless social media scrolling, cable news, or even negative self talk. If we improve our mental diet, we will see a significant improvement in our mental health and optimism.
"What we feed our mind becomes the material with which we build our lives"
— Bill Crawford
Action: Dedicate 30 minutes each day to a mentally enriching activity, such as reading a book, practicing meditation, or engaging in a hobby that stimulates your mind.
Emotional/Social Health
It is human nature to mostly think about ourselves and only see the world through our own glasses. But there are great benefits that come when we make an effort to listen to others and help them feel heard. I love the quote from James Clear below:
"Don't worry about being the most interesting person in the room, just try to be the most interested person in the room.
The interested person asks about others and leaves a good impression because people like talking about themselves. The interested person is genuinely curious about someone's craft and learns a lot about how things work. The interested person engages with more people and—because opportunities come through people—is more likely to catch a lucky break.
In general, the interested person learns more and tends to be well-liked. And in the long run, it's hard to keep down someone who is well-learned and well-liked."
— James Clear
Action: Make a commitment to have a meaningful conversation with someone different each day this week, focusing more on listening than speaking.
Spiritual Health
Having faith and optimism is a choice. We can just as easily choose to be cynical and pessimistic about our lives and our place in the universe, but I have found my life is much happier and more productive when I choose to move forward with faith. I invite you to do the same!
“Because of the conflicts and challenges we face in today’s world, I wish to suggest a single choice—a choice of peace and protection and a choice that is appropriate for all. That choice is faith. Be aware that faith is not a free gift given without thought, desire, or effort. So I say, choose faith. Choose faith over doubt, choose faith over fear, choose faith over the unknown and the unseen, and choose faith over pessimism.”
— Richard C. Edgley
Action: Each morning, take a moment to reflect on something you're grateful for and set a positive intention for the day.
Financial Health
It’s never too early to teach your kids good financial principles like saving and investing. We’ve set up investment accounts for each kid on Public and when our kids earn money for doing household chores, we give them the option of putting that money towards investing in stocks. Sometimes they want the cash, and other times they’re excited to invest it. They get to pick which stocks they want to invest in. They love looking at their portfolio from time to time and seeing how it’s grown.
“It is not what you do for your children, but what you have taught them to do for themselves that will make them successful human beings.”
― Ann Landers
Action: If you have children, involve them in a simple financial decision this week, like budgeting for a family activity, to teach them the value of money.