Health: Balancing Your Health Part VI - Avoiding Unhealthy Situations
It is the beginning of the year and many of us have made New Year’s Resolutions because we want to improve areas of our lives and the lives of our families. These resolutions are individualized and may encompass many areas of our lives.
If you haven’t reflected on several aspects over your life in the past year, we encourage you to do so. Don’t focus on negative, but focus on the positive. What can you do to make 2018 better for you and your family. Remember somethings are out of our control, but there also things we can do to cause positive ripple effects in many areas of our lives.
I think healthy lifestyles are similar to rooms in a house. There are many small things we can do every day to make positive changes to better our lives, in turn, better the lives of those around us. Like a house, there are many rooms. Rooms include aspects of our lives such as:
Health (physical and mental)
Spiritual Wellness
Financial Stability (including career)
Social Fulfillment
Personal Growth and Knowledge
Like most people, we like to do a “spring cleaning” and a “fall cleaning” to rid our house of the accumulated clutter and unnecessary items we do not need. We need to do that in our personal lives as well! Many times we feel we need to add something, change something in order to become better. However, sometimes we need to avoid things that are unhealthy for us or de-clutter our life to make room for more personal growth and well-being. Out with the old and in with the new is often said. It’s a time to renew, grow, reflect, and become the better version of yourself. Getting rid of the old can also benefit others! Sometimes holding on to things can be harmful to us and harmful to others.
Some examples of how you can avoid unhealthy situations include:
Avoid things that have a negative aspect in your life
Avoid living a life that is so busy, you cannot realize what is actually happening or not happening in your life
Avoid unhealthy choices such as limiting activity, eating unhealthy on a regular basis, participating in risky behaviors, using illegal drugs, smoking, or drinking alcohol in excess. For some, it may be avoiding the association of being around individuals who continue unhealthy choices.
Avoid what feels wrong.
Don’t be victim to peer pressure.
Don’t live to please others.
Don’t avoid things because they are uncomfortable or you are not sure if they will work – this is self-negativity and negative thinking. You are breaking yourself down.
Avoid too much stress.
Avoid having too little rest.
Avoid living outside of your means.
_________________ You can fill in the blank here – I could go on and on, but you know what is negative and unhealthy in your life that you could avoid to better yourself.
There are many ways that our family tries to avoid unhealthy behaviors and we are not perfect by any means. There are always things to improve on and there are times we will backslide and make an unhealthy choice. This leads to the number 1 thing, I feel, is necessary to avoiding unhealthy lifestyles.
#1 – This is YOUR life God has blessed you with. If you keep your relationship strong with Him and follow His word as a path in your life You will greatly reduce your mistakes and be more aware of them when they happen knowing how to change them or ask for forgiveness.
#2 – We all have a choice! We live for us and our Family under God. Do not live to please others. You will be successful following the word of God, treating others as you want to be treated, and surrounding yourself with positive people doing positive things. In doing this, people may become jealous, they may envy you. On the other hand, you may be joy, peace, and be a role model for others to learn and grow in order to be a blessing to them!
#3 – Be blessed to be a Blessing! Realize every blessing you have big or small. Focus on all the positive things or people you have in your life. Remember to bless others as well. It doesn’t have to be monetary and you do not have to be rich or drive the best cars, have the best house or material things. You can donate encouragement, lift people up, bring them to Church with you and help them have that opportunity to build their relationship with God. You can volunteer, donate items you no longer need or want to bless others. Offer food or clothing you don’t want to help the homeless person on the corner. Read self improvement books and motivational books to be the better version of yourself. You will learn and grow, in turn, your knowledge will pass on to your kids, and then to others to bless them in their life journey. Knowledge is power and the more you share to help others the more you can bless your life as well as others. It’s up to them to accept it. At least you have done what you can do.
#4 Avoid negativity. Negativity is so contagious and so exhausting leading to stress and resentment or worse. Focus on positive; find the silver lining. Life happens, but it is our choice on how we react to those things. Be stronger. Grow. Be a giver of positivity and strength versus shower of negativity and weakness.
#5 Love. God loves us no matter how much we mess up. We are always forgiven if we ask for it. He has an agape love that is unconditional and forever. Love yourself. Love others. Be forgiven and Forgive. Know that you matter and you are worth it!
PRAISE. ENCOURAGE. STAY POSITIVE. FOCUS. PURPOSE. LIFESTYLE.