What are the Challenges that Derail Your Achieving a Healthier Life and How Can You Transform Them?

Why do most people get off track with their attempts to keep up a healthy lifestyle?

What happens?

Check below for the common reasons. What Are Yours?

You may find that your life at present is touched by many difficult circumstances that make achieving a healthier life may seem impossible. You might feel helpless and hopeless about changing. Is this how you are feeling? I have felt that same way before. Things CAN change for the better.

I encourage you to explore Essential Skills #10-Seeking Support and Counseling. This can help you sort through all that is going on for you, and you can come up some possible options to try out. Taking the time to do this is WORTH its weight in gold!

I encourage you to Set your intention:  Plant the Garden of Your Life With Seeds of Well-Being as you explore making new life choices that can free the being that lives inside of your own skin from suffering, pain, and distress. Know that you CAN figure it out!

Next consider delving into the sections below. If your reasons for being unsuccessful go beyond the usual “food and physical activity” lifestyle-change suggestions, I encourage you to invest in yourself.

Pause. Explore these very common challenges that derail people’s healthy living efforts.

• Get To The Roots of Your lifestyle Imbalance
• Are You Confused and Don’t Know Where to Begin?
• Are You Overwhelmed by the Busyness and Pace of Your Life?
• Resources to Help Guide Your Life Back to a Greater Balance, and links to provide perspective and to get encouragement for yourself.
• Discover How to Reclaim and Champion Your Inner Child & Heal Adverse Childhood Experiences
• Coping With Caregiving for Your Loved Ones: A Caregiver’s Guide & Resources
• What Can You Do If You Hate Yourself and Feel Wounded From Your Past?
• Are You Depressed and Don’t Know What to Do?
• When Helping You Is Hurting Me: Are You a Help-Aholic and Don’t Know How to Care for Yourself?
• Thoughts On Healing and Helping Yourself and Others
• Managing The Emotional Pain of Chronic Illness
• The Anatomy of Persistence–How Does Bob Keep Going When Injured?
• Exercising with Health and Physical Challenges
• Learn How to Affirm Yourself Even When in Relapse
• Transform the Self-punishing Inner Voice
• How to Deal With Crisis: Oh No, the Computer or Car Crashes, or Basement Floods, OR…!
• Explore Re-evaluation Counseling to Assist With Emotional Discharge
• Learn How to Use Therapeutic Help for Your Journey
• Getting to Know Your Stress and How to Management It
• On The Spot Stress Managers
• When Society Becomes An Addict!
• 12 Step Programs & Healing Resources
• Discover Resources for Managing the Emotional Pain of Illness
• Discover Resources for Support, Counseling, or Addictions
  

Practice self care–to find the answers to the challenges you face!

• If You Would Grow
• Shine The Light of Self-Care on Yourself to Transform Inner Pain!
• Sprinkle Dollops of Delight and Self-Care Towards Yourself
• Be Happy!
• Radiate Your Light and Love To The World!
• and see Bob’s story Emotional Area

When life feels “balanced” the urge for chocolate chip cookies and other comfort foods diminishes. So consider exploring… 

• Overwhelmed? Too Many Empty Calories?
• Emotional—Spiritual Tune–up
• Understand Your Brain Chemistry and How it Influences Your Body Weight
• Help! I’m Movin’ Too Fast! I need to Slow Down!
• Slow Down! Take time.
• Turning On The Television: Where Is Your Mind?

Readers can review 25 mental health conditions and determine the best course for treatment. Examples: anger, phobias, depression, anxiety, burnout, co-dependency, eating disorders, passive/aggressive behaviors, marital/relationship problems, gambling, grief/bereavement, parenting issues, self-esteem, sexual concerns, sleep problems, stress, and many other topics are covered.

Suggestions are given about when to seek emergency care, when to see a physician, when to go to a counselor, and when self-help is appropriate. 7 3/8″ x 9″. 96 pages COST: $6.49. Item #: 2147. Go to the “products/online store–> Medical Self-Care Guides” http://www.healthylife.com/ Page: http://www.healthylife.com/products.asp?productsID=23

Getting to Know Your Stress and How to Management It

Stress can harm your health by impairing your immune system and promoting disease. A stressor becomes harmful when an individual lacks an effective way of controlling it. Stress is also a common reason given for overeating or emotional eating. Some individuals tend to avoid physical activity when they are stressed out, too. Therefore, it’s important to recognize the signs of stress and find ways to manage stress to promote fitness.

1. What is stress? Any mental or physical stimulus that disrupts the body’s equilibrium—it can be positive or negative. Any change that you must adjust to. It can be:
2. Environmental (noise, weather, traffic, time pressures, job performance standards)
3. Physiological (illness, lack of sleep, poor diet, aging)
4. Thoughts (worry, negative self-talk, fear)

Stress and How It Affects Your Mind and Body:

5. Stress is revealed through physical and emotional symptoms:

Physical                                                                      Emotional

 

Fatigue	Irritability
Tension headaches	Frustration
Upset stomach	Feeling helpless
Difficulty sleeping	Loss of self-esteem
Tense muscles	Loss of concentration
Shortness of breath	Withdrawal
Change in appetite	Anxiety

What are the signs you use to recognize stress? Use mindfulness (practice being aware of stress symptoms since they often become unconscious)

Some Methods for Reducing Stress.  You Are Your Wisest Counselor!

Predict it with awareness	Nutrition
Assertiveness	Rest or Sleep
Look at self-talk	Physical activity
Emotional expression/Sharing	Relax/Deep breathing
Look at past experiences	Find support
Diversion/Recreation	Humor
Preparation/Organization	Writing
Allow enough time	Counseling
Mindfulness	Prioritize
Anger management	Hobbies
Set realistic goals	Music
Set healthy limits	Massage
Correct thinking distortions	Nurturing
Enjoy the beauty of nature	Pet an animal
Manage triggers: alter, avoid, accept	Balance time alone, with others, work, rest, and fun

© 2004, adapted with permission, Kaiser Permanente Northwest Health Education Services, Cultivating Health ™ Weight Management Kit

 

Lavish nourishing restorative techniques on yourself as you explore On-the-spot stress management techniques.

When we remind ourselves of the benefits for changing, it can help us get back on track. Note the benefits for physical activity. Physical activity can lessen stress, control blood pressure, decrease resting heart rate, etc. But it also helps to deal with stressful situations be increasing your mental sharpness, concentration, problem solving skills, and creativity. Shifting our attitudes will also help us overcome our resistance to doing exercise.

 

Stress is also a common reason given for overeating or emotional eating. Two out of three people eat more under stress. Plus, we don’t usually overeat vegetables when we’re stressed (Did you notice that “stressed” is “desserts” spelled backwards?) You can make small changes over time to improve your eating habits. Do your best tochoose foods rich in nutrients when you are under stress–vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean protein, fat-free dairy, and healthy fats in moderation. Limit sugar, unhealthy fat, caffeine, and alcohol.

 Exercise is like “mental floss”. It cleans out the stress that is stuck in your brain!

What do you find helps manage stress for you?

Resources:The Relaxation and Stress Reduction Workbook, by Martha Davis and Mathew McKay, © 2002, New Harbinger Publication, Inc. Check out New Harbinger Publishers

•  www.teachhealth.com gives the medical basis of stress, depression, anxiety, sleep problems, and drug use—explained in a fun, easy-to-read format. It’s really excellent!
• http://www.mindtools.com/smpage.html Learn 48 essential leadership skills at mindtools.com. Also visit links at:  http://www.mindtools.com/links/Links.html
• www.stress.about.com articles and tips for reducing stress
• www.mindfulplace.com MBSR: Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction by Denice Gour. Find recorded meditations here: www.mindfulplace.com/id13.htm
• 
  Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness (Paperback) by Jon Kabat-Zinn This book is also a terrific introduction for anyone who has considered meditating but was afraid it would be too difficult or would include religious practices they found foreign. Kabat-Zinn focuses on “mindfulness,” a concept that involves living in the moment, paying attention, and simply “being” rather than “doing.” While you can practice anything “mindfully,” from taking a walk to cleaning your house, Kabat-Zinn presents several meditation techniques that focus the attention most clearly, whether it’s on a simple phrase, your breathing, or various parts of your body. The book goes into detail about how hospital patients have either improved their health or simply come to feel better despite their illness by using these techniques, but these meditations can help anyone deal with stress and gain a calmer outlook on life.

 

Explore also: 

• Consider WHAT is creating a possible imbalance? Check out: Cultivating Balance in Your Life
• Contemplate: Your Life–Everything Is Interconnected!
• Stress and Life’s Burdens
• On The Spot Stress Managers

If you find that you are experiencing CHRONIC STRESS PATTERNS, that is a sign that your life is out of balance. Perhaps consider: Do you experience overwhelming circumstances and can’t achieve a healthier weight?