Nurturing my health
A journey of Resilience and Wellness
In a world bustling with constant activity, maintaining good health often takes a backseat to our busy lives. For some, this struggle becomes even more complex when battling ongoing physical health issues. As someone who experiences and understands these challenges firsthand, I have embarked on a journey towards health and wellbeing. I wanted to delve into my motivations for staying healthy, emphasising the significance of this endeavour and acknowledge the intricate interplay between physical and mental health.
The Significance of Staying Healthy
Staying healthy isn’t about looking good, but rather feeling good physically and mentally. For myself, grappling with ongoing physical health issues means the importance of maintaining my overall wellness is magnified. Our bodies are intricate ecosystems where each element affects the other, and a setback in one area can lead to a domino effect impacting various aspects of life. Prioritising health becomes a means of preserving my quality of life and enables me to continue engaging with the activities I love doing.
Motivations to Prioritise Health
1. Preserving Independence: Ongoing health challenges can sometimes threaten my independence. My desire to retain autonomy over my life has become a powerful motivation for me to stay healthy. By taking proactive steps to manage my health, I can reduce the likelihood of long-term dependence on others and maintain my sense of agency.
2. Quality of Life: Good health translates to a better quality of life. Engaging in activities that bring me joy, spending time with loved ones, and pursuing passions that are closely tied to improving wellbeing. By focusing on my health, I can maximise my potential to lead a fulfilling life.
3. Setting an Example: Our choices influence those around us. By prioritising my health, especially in the face of challenges, I am able to set an example for others who may be navigating similar journeys. I hope my actions can inspire them to embark on their own path towards wellbeing.
Setting and reaching goals is a vital component of my journey towards maintaining health. There is a great power that comes from both setting and achieving goals.
1. Sense of Purpose: Setting goals provides me with a clear sense of purpose and direction. When faced with health challenges, it’s easy to feel adrift. By defining specific goals, I am able to create a roadmap that guides me through the ups and downs, helping me stay focused on what truly matters.
2. Empowerment: The act of setting objectives that are within my control, even if they are small steps, reminds me that I have agency in my own life. This empowerment can counteract feelings of helplessness that sometimes arise from dealing with my health issues.
3. Celebrating Milestones: Celebrating the achievement of goals, no matter how small, is an act of self-appreciation. Each millstone reaches is a victory over adversity, deserving of recognition. These moments of celebration serve as reminders of my progress and fuel my motivation to keep pushing through.
Challenges and the Connection to My Mental Health
The journey to maintaining health is rarely a smooth ride. It’s crucial to acknowledge the challenges that arise and recognise their potential impact on mental health.
1. Frustration and Setbacks: Progress is not always linear. Setbacks and plateaus can be frustrating, testing my patience and determination. These moments often take a toll on my mental wellbeing and requires me to find healthy ways to cope and persevere.
2. Isolation: Health challenges can sometimes lead to feelings of isolation. The inability to participate in certain activities sometimes makes me feel detached from my social circles. This isolation affects my mental health, making it vital to cultivate my own support network.
3. Body Image and Self Esteem: Physical health issues has definitely made an impact on my body image and self-esteem. Coping with changes in my appearance or functionality ends up being emotionally taxing. I’ve been doing a lot of work to develop a neutral (I’m not quite ready for positive) relationship with my body and seek ongoing professional support to navigate these challenges.
4. Anxiety and Depression: Chronic health issues contribute to my presentations of anxiety and depressive episodes. The uncertainty of my health at times, along with the emotional and physical toll of managing my conditions exacerbate these mental health challenges.