CORE PRINCIPLE 8
CARE FOR YOUR PHYSICAL
HEALTH
The
health of your mind, body, and
emotions depends on proper and
consistent nutrition, exercise, and
sleep. Strive to eat moderately,
exercise regularly, and get
sufficient sleep.
Rule of thumb: Eat
three well-balanced, low-fat meals a
day, exercise 20-30 minutes, three to
four times a week; and sleep seven to
nine hours a night.
Steps To Applying This
Principle
Success Story
GENERAL
INFORMATION
It
is common knowledge your body needs
proper exercise, rest, and good nutrition
to function effectively; otherwise, you
feel weak and fatigued. Your brain--like
a muscle--has physical needs the same as
your body. If you fail to take good care
of your body, your mind will not be at
its best.
If
your body or mind is in a weakened state,
you naturally tend to think about or view
life in an unclear, negative, or
exaggerated manner. Insufficient food,
exercise, or rest, is a common cause or
contributing factor when you are feeling
upset, depressed, anxious, or angry.
STEPS TO
APPLYING THE PRINCIPLE
- Examine your
eating habits. Are you getting
three well-balanced meals a day?
Are you eating moderately,
especially products containing
large quantities of fat, sugar,
or salt? Are you habitually
taking anything into your body
which artificially affects your
emotions such as caffeine,
alcohol, or tobacco?
- Examine your
sleeping habits. Are you getting
the sleep your body requires at
this particular time of your
life? (Different amounts of sleep
are required, depending on age,
circumstance, and stress level.)
Do you have a fairly regular
routine for bedtime and for
getting up?
- Try an
experiment. Decide on some
manageable improvements you would
like to make in your eating and
sleeping habits. Practice your
improvements for 30 days, then
see how much better you feel.
- Examine your
exercise habits. Are you getting
a minimum of 20 minutes of good
cardiovascular exercise such as
walking, running, swimming, or
cycling 3 to 4 times a week ?
If you are not
exercising regularly, remind
yourself that regular, moderate
exercise is good for you,
regardless of how you feel. You
should first consult your
physician if you have not been
exercising regularly in the last
year or if you have health
concerns.
Consider various
ways you could exercise. If you
need ideas ask a family member,
friend, or librarian; or check
local college, YMCA, church, and
community groups for exercise
classes.
Decide on an
exercise plan best for you. Set
up a regular schedule (6:00-6:30
a.m., Monday, Wednesday, and
Friday for example). If you have
difficulty beginning or
continuing on your own, join with
a friend or a group.
- While you are
exercising, notice how much
easier it is to avoid feeling
upset.
- Continue your
exercise program, even if you are
not yet feeling better. The added
strength you are gaining will
help you in taking whatever
additional actions are advisable.
SUCCESS
STORY
At
first glance it was not difficult to see
why Martha was depressed. She was going
through a painful divorce, her son was
getting into fights at school and
refusing to obey at home, and there was
hardly enough money to make ends meet.
She sought help for herself. Although a
counselor helped her more effectively
deal with the divorce and her son, she
still felt depressed.
When
she came to me seeking additional help, I
asked her, among other things, to tell me
about her nutritional, exercise, and
sleep habits. She told me there was so
much to do she could only get about five
hours of sleep a night. To wake up in the
morning and stay awake at work, she drank
about six caffeine beverages a day. She
was too busy to eat more than one or two
meals a day although she usually found a
way to grab a candy bar or donut now and
then. As far as exercise, that was the
last thing she felt like doing.
Although
I suspected a variety of causes and
solutions for her depression, I told her
I would only accept her as a client if
she committed to do the following: eat
three meals a day, get seven to eight
hours of sleep a night, and dramatically
decrease her caffeine consumption, if not
eliminate it entirely.
Reason: Until
she took better care of her body, she
was not likely to escape feeling
depressed, no matter how many
improvements she made in other areas
of her life.
Although
Martha was not happy about what I
required of her, she made the commitment.
She then proceeded to tell me she thought
she needed some antidepression
medication. I explained that in some
cases such medication is appropriate, but
even then only as a temporary aid until
the mind and body are functioning better
and until the person being treated has
learned the skills to live more
effectively. I told her we could consider
the possibility that she might need
medication, but before I would recommend
it, I wanted her to do what she could
herself to restore her physical health.
She
agreed. She began taking daily walks,
sometimes early in the morning or during
her lunch hour at work. At first, the
exercise was a chore--one more thing for
her to do--but soon she began to find it
somewhat enjoyable.
Although
it took more than proper nutrition,
exercise, and sleep for Martha to climb
out of her pit of depression, doing those
things gave her the physical strength
necessary to make the climb and in her
case, she succeeded without the use of
medication
Reminder:
If this core principle does not apply
to your particular concern, go to
another core principle OR go directly
to the section on the problem you
wish to solve: (Communication
Difficulties, Depression, Sexual Problems, or
Anxiety Attacks)
GO TO:
Next chapter:
Communication
Previous Principle: Set
Your Minimum Standards
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