How To Manage The One Thing That We All Want, But Few Truly Attain
Sunday, December 22, 2024
Chasing perfect health is like a kitten chasing his tail.
“When health is absent, wisdom cannot reveal itself, art cannot manifest, strength cannot fight, wealth becomes useless, and intelligence cannot be applied.”
— Herophilus
Health has many faces. As the year is coming to an end, and the New Year is around the corner, our awareness will again turn to health. What aspects of health can we improve and what truly matters?
The World Health Organization (WHO) defined health as “A state of complete physical, mental and social and well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity.” This was in 1948, which is a long, long time ago. Much of our health concept has changed since then.
Health includes what is visible in the body and what is invisible in the mind.
Life is in flux. We are in constant motion and our health is dynamic. Chances are, we will never attain the kind of health that the WHO is talking about. Spending time chasing something that we are unable to attain, is wasteful.
As we are hitting the 65+ mark, we may have to change our health perception. Removing focus from what we cannot attain, by placing awareness on what makes us happy, must be a priority.
I spend 30 years in the hospital, helping people to improve their health. Patients’ teachings, medication information, health literacy, and discharge instructions were given before patients left the hospital.
This did not stop patients from coming back, with the same or similar admitting diagnosis, especially if the suffered from a chronic condition.
Chronic disease is a long-term health condition. Heart disease, arthritis, diabetes, and high blood pressure are rampant among people over age 65. Almost 95% have at least one chronic disease, and nearly 80% have two or more.
Instead of making selfpromises that are hard to maintain, we can reconsider health values that will rock us into 2025. We can write our own health manifesto and decide what it means for us on a personal level.
According to this article in Science Direct, it is time to reconsider how we define health. What does it mean to be healthy, for you? This question is worth contemplating. Quality and quantity of life are at stake.
Knowing what is, and knowing how to manage what we cannot change, is vital. It is not about throwing in the towel; it is about living better.
Focus on what matters and what brings pleasure into your day.
- If you are over 65 and dealing with a chronic disease; here are five helpful hints.
- Be mindful of activities and maintain a safe environment.
- Establish trustworthy relationships with family, friends, and neighbors.
- Take a daily walk, get outside and move your body.
Have regular tune-ups and follow your prescribed medical regime. - Do what you love, love what you do, and attack unrealized dreams.
Based on my nursing background, meditation practice, and a relentless desire to help my contemporaries not to die prematurely and undone, here is a general health manifesto that improves quality of life.
Annelie’s Health Manifesto; shining the light on meaningful health concepts, after 65.
- Health begins with awareness about what matters and what does not matter in your life.
- Health includes physical activity, but it is not about being a gym rat or a muscle man.
- Health is about being aware of our strengths and weaknesses and embracing both; simply because we are human.
- Health is about love, forgiveness, and acceptance; of the self and others.
- Health is about knowing your blood pressure, blood sugar, and blood cholesterol levels, and knowing why the numbers matter.
- Health is about having a body weight that works for the individual.
- Health is about being aware that we can change our thoughts, and we can change how we react to stress. This modifies our behavior, which improves life.
- Health is about knowing what you want in life, what you enjoy, what you need, and what you can do without.
- Health is to be free from sugar-induced inflammation in the lining of our blood vessels.
- Health is about having the courage to say yes and to say no when that is what you mean.
- Health is about having nurturing relationships.
- Health is about asking for help when we need help.
- Health is about eating enough fruits and vegetables.
But because we are not rabbits, we can also have chocolate cake and potato chips, sometimes. - Health is about getting enough sleep, allowing the body and the mind to rest, reset, and detoxify.
- Health is about slowing down and spending a few minutes in silence and just be every day.
- Health is about having money to pay the bills, and still have enough left over to pay for dance lessons and classes, if that is what you want.
- Health is about knowing that everyone’s optimal health is unique and different.
- Health is about being grateful for the goods that come our way.
- Health is about having resilience in the face of adversity, and knowing what activities work and what activities do not work for us.
- Health is about sharing and caring.
- Health is about knowing how to dress for the weather, and to regularly spend time in fresh air with Mother Nature.
- Health is about having enough energy to get through the day, do chores, and still have the vigor left to do the things that make you want to live forever.
- Health is about staying close to the earth, feeling the wind, and knowing that we belong; that we are all part of this one Uni(one)verse.
- Health is about enjoying children and grandchildren, guiding them, and watching them grow.
- Health is about discovering, developing, celebrating, and sharing our unique attributes.
- With health in our back pocket, we are free to exercise autonomy and live life on our own terms, our way.
- Health is about being happy.
“When health is absent, wisdom cannot reveal itself, art cannot manifest, strength cannot fight, wealth becomes useless, and intelligence cannot be applied.”
— Herophilus
How to manage our health so that we can bathe in our wisdom, express art and our natural abilities, stay strong and resilient, create and enjoy our wealth, and apply the intelligence that we have acquired over a lifetime.
Assess your current health and well -being. For this you need a notebook. Be honest and take an inventory of your health as is. Write down and celebrate what works. Make a list of what does not work, and what is holding you and your health back from excellence.
Plan with goals on how to maintain the good, and how to eliminate that which is not working. Stick with no more than three goals at a time. Make sure you have a timeline.
Implement your goals, one day at a time. Journal about how you are doing and keep track of your progress.
Evaluate your results, during and after the allotted time. Iterate your plans, and reevaluate the process, as needed. Stay with it as best as you can. You got this.
Create your own Health Manifesto.
Treasure your health and celebrate your fortunate aging self. Health has many faces, and the most beautiful face is the mirror image that we meet in the morning.
Thank you.
. . .
🇳🇴Annelie Holmene Pelaez believes that everyone has an attribute to share with others. Promoting cardiovascular health and helping adults over age 65 is her contribution. When we don’t let age define us, but rather empower us to grow, we discover health and happiness are byproducts of who we are.
Annelie is the author of the book, Say Yes to A Better Life, available at Amazon.
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