Boom Bust Health and Wellbeing
‘Everyone spends the same amount of money on their health. Some to extend their dying days and others to enjoy health and wellbeing for a lifetime.’
My observation of many people is that their relationship with health and wellbeing can be described as a boom bust cycle. Their health is ignored until they are broken then they focus entirely on it until it is fixed then they ignore it again. There is lots of support for this approach to health and wellbeing. We can all laugh about and support one another during another short term fitness focus or new years resolution. Heck there are whole industries created to support you to look the part during this cycle.
The great weakness of this approach occurs should your ‘chance of a lifetime’ arrive when you are broken. Broken and unable to take up the opportunity. For many they add heartbreak and all sorts of unkind judgement to their already unwanted injury and or illness.
I still remember loving school camps. A chance to get away with your mates doing fun stuff was the absolute highlight of the school year for me. In year 8 I injured my Achilles tendon. That was painful. What hurt even more was not being allowed to go to the school camp that included horse riding and mountain bike riding. Oh I was a miserable inconsolable lump for the whole week. I can still feel the sadness and sense of loss from that missed opportunity.
What is the alternative?
Life design.
What are the opportunities you want to say yes to. What condition does your body, brain and heart need to be in to be able to say yes to any opportunity you desire?
At times for me that has included playing footy, running a marathon, hiking the Kokoda trail, closing million dollar sales, renovating a house, winning the girl and keeping the girl. Now keeping up with my son, playing basketball and being present guide my health and wellbeing needs.
Once you have done some Life Design and identified what you want to experience defining your desired health and wellbeing and how to create it is a really useful step.
Be it a mantra or statement, a definition allows you to identify what you are working towards. Your life design helps you see the benefits of doing the work. Most people don’t stick at health and wellbeing goals because the instant gratification is stronger than the long term gratification. No design, no longer term gratification or sustainable effort.
When defining your desired health and wellbeing go beyond the physical and include mental and emotional markers. They are all interlinked and equally important. Energetic, Calm and Focused might be a useful mantra. Being present and not distracted is a statement that works for me.
If defined with meaning you will have a really useful audit tool to guide your reflection. It can help you assess if you are experience your ideal health and wellbeing and if not why. If not why you can see if it is your physical, mental or emotional wellbeing that would benefit from a little nurturing.
Knowing what you are creating and why is an awesome start. Knowing how is equally important. Identifying five different activities that impact each of your three pillars of health will give you fifteen opportunities to create your ideal definition of health and wellbeing. No matter how much time you have, energy you have, money you have or even where you are you will be able to do something to positively impact your health and wellbeing if you have fifteen options to choose from.
A reactive approach to your health and wellbeing nurtured by a reflective discipline is a great start. The goal is to understand what you need based on what works for you so you can prioritize these activities weekly. Get them in your diary.
‘Healthy people have many goals. Sick people just one and that is to get healthy.’
Understanding the health and wellbeing you want to experience and what it takes you to create it can be really useful to keep in mind when you are considering taking on new responsibilities and who you will spend your time with. Does that extra commitment leave you the time and energy do undertake the activities you need to be healthy and well? When committing to spend time with people, colleagues included, do they look after their health and wellbeing? If not they don’t value it like you do so why would they support you in your efforts to be healthy and well?
Being your Best self is the foundation to living your Life by Design and enjoying Work with Meaning.
For those that do the work why not share how you now define your aspirational health and wellbeing. Even sharing one or two things you do to positively impact your health and wellbeing can inspire another. Thank you for getting this far.
For more ideas on what you can do to define your health and wellbeing and create it check out The Art of Selfcare, a book and journal I have contributed too.
