Focus On The Whole You - Body, Mind and Spirit

Have you ever walked into a house—whether it's your own or that of a friend—and known immediately that you'd be comfortable there? The look, the layout, the smell, the history, the air—something about it all just felt right. The combined effect made you feel safe, warm, relaxed, at home.

And that is how you want to feel as you work toward building a healthier lifestyle—relaxed with a sense of balance and a feeling of comfort, and not stressed about possibly getting diabetes or finding time to fit exercise and healthful eating into your already busy days. And you can have this. But to do it, you need to think of yourself as you do the comfortable house. Having a healthier lifestyle isn't just about creating a better physical you with stronger muscles and fewer pounds, it's about the whole you—body, mind, and spirit. Just as the feeling you had in that house was a result of the whole package, managing health is a combined effort.

And when you think about it, focusing on the whole you makes sense. It is a fact that stress can contribute to heart disease and can cause migraine headaches, that depression can affect the immune system, and that your attitude about life can affect the number of aches and pains you feel. So as you find a balance in your life that includes taking care of your physical health, you must remember to be taking care of your mental well-being, too.

But how do you do this? How do you find the right balance in your life? Take a look at the sense of balance in your life as it is today by considering if you have the three things it takes to have balance:

(1) a sense of contribution,

(2) self-care, and

(3) a solid support system. Ask yourself the following questions to assess the balance in your life.

Sense of Contribution—Solid Ground:
  • What are you passionate about?
  • Do you have work that energizes you?
  • Do you feel like you're making a significant contribution to your family, your company, or your community?
  • Do you feel connected to the world around you?

Self-Care—Building the Foundation:
  • Can you make a list of ten things that you personally enjoy doing?
  • When was the last time you did something just for yourself?
  • Do you know how much sleep your body needs to feel refreshed in the morning?
  • Do you get the necessary amount of sleep most nights of the week?
  • Are you physically active?
  • Are you currently volunteering any of your time to a cause or an organization?
  • When was the last time you talked to your neighbors?
  • The bottom line is, are you taking care of you?

Solid Support System—Day-to-Day Maintenance:
  • Are there people you can talk to about your experiences—both positive and negative?
  • Do you have others who help you with household and family responsibilities?
  • Do you know and routinely use any relaxation techniques such as deep breathing or yoga?

Thinking through these questions can help you assess whether you have a sense of balance in your life. If you're feeling -)ut of balance, think about that house again. What would it take to find that place of comfort within you? To find success in managing,jour general health or, more specifically, in preventing diabetes br losing weight, it takes physical and mental well-being.

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