Living Better
Living Better
Longer: The Mind, Body, Spirit Connection
by Mary
Howard, RN
Can you
control your destiny? Well, maybe or maybe not but there are
a few things you can do to help it along. Let's look at
physical drains and how they affect the mind and spirit and
emotional drains and how they affect the physical body.
There have
been studies done and it has been proven that people that
knew they were being prayed for actually healed better and
faster from heart surgery than those that did not have
anyone praying for them. Your emotional state during a
health crisis has much to do with the rate of healing. A
reason and a will to live can make the difference between
life and death.
Almost more
important than taking supplements and eating "X" number of
foods from the proper food groups, is not putting the wrong
things in your body. When you put toxins in your body like
Nicotine, Alcohol, Caffeine, Sugar, and Chemical from
processed foods, they deplete nutrients from your body. This
can cause a short-lived boost, but then leaves your body
physically and emotionally spent. If it is done on a
continued basis with out replacement of nutrients it can
cause chemical imbalances in your body and lead to
depression and health problems.
Setting goals
for yourself and your family is sometimes a good way to make
positive changes in your life. Make a point to compliment
each other for doing a positive activity such as drinking
glass of water instead of a soda, exercising, or helping a
neighbor. Taking a walk with a loved one or family member is
a great time for communication and a good form of exercise.
Write your goals down so they become real and place them in
a visible spot so family member can assist one another in
meeting these goals.
It is very
important for your physical and emotional well being to
decrease stress in your life. Set emotional boundaries for
yourself; learn that it is okay to say, "NO" to a commitment
if it is going to overextend you. Making a list is a good
way to make sure you use your day more efficiently but don’t
beat yourself down if you don’t get everything done. There
is always tomorrow and forgiving yourself is a powerful tool
to your own well being.
There is power
in forgiveness of those that have wronged you and in asking
forgiveness of those you have wronged. Forgiveness helps
keep the past from tainting the future. It also frees up
energy to focus on healthy relationships in your life.
Forgiveness helps you to separate the person from the
injury.
If you
continually pull down your physical well being you will not
have the energy to do the things you love. Doing the things
you love and working at something that makes you feel
full-filled will help you to live healthier longer.
Remember, "Everything in Moderation" and by exercising,
sensible eating, decreasing stress in your life, doing
things you enjoy and healthy relationships are all part of
the recipe for living better longer.
