In January, many people make plans to do better at taking care of themselves such as: losing weight, eating better, or spending time with family rather than putting work ahead of family. In other words, to improve their health habits. This translates into what is known within wellness and health promotion as “self-care”. While we know we “should” take better care of ourselves, it is often hard to do. Several barriers include:
- Knowing you want to change your eating habits and physical activity, but not knowing where or how to start.
- You have tried before but have gotten discouraged due to the amount of effort required to keep doing the new patterns.
- A constantly-changing schedule squeezes both your time and resolve in maintaining your new and improved lifestyle.
- The people around you may unconsciously be resistant and/or unsupportive.
- Your work environment could be detrimental to your efforts in improving your health habits.
- An unconscious feeling that other persons and their needs should come first and that it is selfish to place my self-care practices/needs first.
- In Iowa, January weather is not conducive to outdoor activities and raw veggies.
If you resonate with several of the above statements, you are not alone. So, how does one go about coping with such barriers?
- Formulate a plan and write it down. Seeing it in writing helps to both solidify it and makes you think through what you want to do.
- Think through obvious obstacles and devise fall-back, alternative actions.
- Enlist a person at home and someone at work to help you work your plan.
- Be intentional and consistent about taking care of yourself. If you don’t, who will?
- Find ways to beat the January weather; videos, cold-weather clothing, contests with like-minded friends, arrange for the use of a school gym on the weekends/evenings
- Do a potluck of calorie-light comfort food, bring recipes.
My passion is to help people move forward in their journey towards wellness by helping to remove barriers and in finding supportive people, props and means to do so.
Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen to God’s voice in everything you do; everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track. Don’t assume you know it all. Your body will glow with health, your very bones will vibrate with life. (Proverbs 3: 5, 8 The Message)
I invite you to consider the barriers you have regarding your personal vision of a health-full lifestyle. How can I help you move closer towards making your vision a reality?
Kae Tritle, RN
Wellness Coordinator
