We all need reminders from time to time. Today’s blog is one of those reminders in an area in which we are prone to become careless and often forget to do the right thing.
Always tired, heartburn, falls asleep easily, overweight, constant aches and pains, lack of concentration, have trouble reading, short tempered, easily angered, takes everything personally, etc. – you get the picture? These all could be as a result of self-neglect.
Leaders are notorious for self-neglect. Self-neglect has a major impact on our effectiveness as leaders. More importantly, you want to be a role model to those you lead as one who cares for yourself so you can give your best.
Here are some suggestions to help you take better care of yourself.
Rest. Get enough rest. You are designed to rest one-third of the time. That means you want to get 7 to 8 hours of sleep. There are those who go on less and they are fine – they are the exceptions. Most of us need 7 to 8 hours. A challenge for most of us is that our minds do not always agree with what our bodies are telling us. Your mind thinks you can go on less sleep, but your body is saying it needs more sleep. So what do we do? Rather than developing a pattern of getting enough sleep, we turn to caffeine and energy drinks to keep us going. Keeping your mind awake does not make up for the rest your body needs. Schedule your sleep time in your calendar as you do everything else, and find a bedtime routine that works for you – a cup of relaxing tea, a book, no computer or cell phone a half hour before bed.
Eat Healthy. This sounds simple and easy, but unfortunately too many of us do not do it. Eating healthy is not as difficult and expensive as many would have you think. Work toward avoiding fried food, fast food, sweets and salt as much as possible. Drink more water and less or no coffee and soda. Eat more whole wheat products, cut out white flour.
When you are tired you have less control when it comes to eating healthy. Because you are tired your body craves the quick fix foods. So get the rest you need, and keep quite healthy snacks nearby such as raw almonds or carrot sticks.
Focus on getting the required vitamins your body needs through what you eat. Eat small meals throughout the day rather than big meals in-between. Eating small meals speeds up your body’s metabolism so you burn through calories faster. Big meals actually slow down your metabolism turning your foods into fat. You also tend to eat less when you don’t wait too long to eat in between meals. Think about it, when do you tend to eat unhealthy and too much? Isn’t it when you are starving because you waited too long to eat?
Exercise. This again is about being healthy rather than weight loss. You need to get at least 30 minutes a day, three days a week as a minimum where you get your heart rate up above normal. This is really the only way you get to exercise your heart muscles, which along with healthy eating helps you to avoid heart problems that leaders are prone to. I try to get in a least 1 hour a day, five days a week where I do both cardio and weight training. I make sure I plan my daily exercise into my schedule.
Discover what form of exercise works best for you. You may not like walking, some people do. I love to jog, and I enjoy working out hard on the stair master or elliptical machines. I do not particular care for weights, but I know I need to work my muscles and strengthen my bones so I do it at least three times a week.
Start doing a little at a time until you find your rhythm, then you will start looking forward to it. Again the key objective is good health not weight loss, which is a benefit.
Annual Check-ups. This sounds like a no brainer, but many of us end up in the doctor’s office only when we are pain. Remember your doctor is not only there to help you heal physically, but more importantly, she is there to help prevent the development of certain physical problems.
My cholesterol has always been over 200 for as long as I can remember. My doctor pointed out that I could be at risk for heart problems if I do not lower it. After many months of trying to lower it with exercise and diet without success, he came to the conclusion my problem was hereditary. I am now on the lowest does of cholesterol medication, which has helped me to maintain a healthy cholesterol level.
Annual check-ups will help you avoid lots of physical complications. There are some things you have no control over. Work to avoid the things you do have control over.
Consider how you are feeling physically. Is there anything you need to start doing so you can start improving your overall health? Maybe it’s getting more rest, eating healthy, starting to exercise or making an appointment with your doctor for complete physical? Start today, you will be glad you did.
If you would like help in achieving your goals in any area of your life, call us at 208-880-0307 or email us at errol@errolcarrim.com to schedule a complimentary coaching session. To read Errol’s other posts, visit Christ-Centered Life Coaching.