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Be Selfish With Your Health

Lifestyle changes don’t always require a lifetime, but they do require a commitment, and often that is where people falter in their quest for a healthier body and mind.

Often, breaking the inertia is the most difficult part of changing habits—where and when to start, how to identify your big goals rather than the safe goal. For example, a safe goal: I want to lose a few pounds, versus a big goal: I want to have the health and vitality to see my grandchildren graduate from college. It’s also important to know when you have achieved your goals.

Human beings rule the planet because we have the capacity to adapt to a wide variety of situations, even those situations that cause us discomfort. We often tolerate more than we should because the energy to change is greater than the energy required to maintain the status quo.

Oldest Marathon Runner photo by Katie Chan Wikimedia Commons

Goal: be the oldest marathon runner

When it comes to breaking the inertia around your health and creating healthy habits, you have a responsibility to your family, to your loved ones, to have the healthiest longevity possible.

I challenge you to change your thinking around your wellbeing: defend your own health with the same attentiveness and devotion that you would your child’s or your parents’—be a little selfish with your health. You have people in your life who will thank you.

Being selfish with your health may be a tough habit to adapt to. Fortunately, there are many professions that can help you identify and achieve your goals around health and wellness. One of the newest to emerge strongly over the last few years is certified health coaches.

Class - Virginia Eaton - photo by Virginia Lazar

Health coaches are professionals who work as advocates, cheerleaders, and information specialists to help you on your journey through longevity.

The medical community is beginning to appreciate the special niche that health coaches fill as people live longer, expect a healthier old age and are demanding alternatives to medication for disease management.

Exercise, diet, stress management, goal setting and other healthy lifestyle habits are just a few of the topics that people bring to health coaches for support.

The beauty of having a health coach is they can help you break the inertia that is preventing healthy habits from blossoming.

Ask your doctor if the challenges that face you might benefit from the individualized attention and support of a health coach; and be selfish with your health. Someone will thank you, I promise.

This article was originally published on Sept. 5, 2015. Virginia’s original blogs will return after the first of the year.

 

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