| Finding happiness in healthy living | | Print | |
| Written by Susan Briggs |
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Being healthy physically and mentally is vital to achieve the happiness that we all so desire. That elusive emotion that seems to come and go depending on your day or your circumstances needn't be so elusive if you take care of the important aspects of your life, one of which is your health. Every day we are bombarded with reality television shows such as ‘The Biggest Loser' and every magazine and newspaper we pick up has something relating to health and how to improve it through exercise or diet. In Australia alone our obesity rate is ever increasing and I have to ask why, when so much information is available to the general public, that we do not see an improvement in the health of our people. The benefits of being physically active and consuming a nutrient enriched diet are many. For starters, being in good health will help you to;
It is a known fact that exercise will boost your serotonin levels which is the hormone that gives us that happy feeling and when we lack serotonin often depression hits. Our lives in this century are full on and often we spend the majority of our time working to make money which means that our health suffers. In the long term this may come back to bite you so it's a good idea to make space in your day that is just for you where you can hit the streets or the gym for a workout. The Dalai Lama was asked in an interview what surprised him most, he said "Man. Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived." This really resonated with me because it is the absolute truth. Being happy means looking after yourself physically and mentally and, living in the now. True happiness needn't be so elusive and if you feel down, overworked or stressed about money then take a look at how much physical activity you get daily and what you eat because if you are not moving your body and if you are not eating a variety of nutrient rich foods then this could be the cause of many unhappy feelings and thoughts. While it's important to keep physically healthy it is also important to keep mentally healthy and the mind/body connection is what will ensure your success. Your body will respond to the way you think, feel and act and if your emotional health is out of balance you could experience the following;
I have client's who come to me wanting to lose the extra kilos or get healthy and feel well and, in our initial session we always work on the why's because if you have a big enough ‘why' then the ‘how' will take care of itself and if you don't know why you want something then you won't know how to get it. Being mentally healthy is necessary as your mind can sabotage your efforts and, if you haven't established a big enough ‘why' or you haven't found what will motivate you then your mind will trap you into giving up for many reasons and, you will justify them quite easily because it is a voice you are both familiar and comfortable with. Finding happiness in healthy living is a reality and it is possible with a little effort and a little time on your part. Make peace with your mind and recruit the positive voices to help you. Get active, eat well and enjoy the occasional treat so you don't feel deprived and remember that it won't happen overnight, but it will happen!
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