These 4 Health Tips Are Unusual Recommendations, Yet Essential

We’ve all seen the health tips in every publication that adjustments in our lives can have a positive impact on our health – eat better, exercise more, get more sleep, reduce our stress. We know, we know, we know. So why can’t we do it? Are we not feeling bad enough? Are we influenced by past disappointments? Is it a burden financially? Or, is it just too inconvenient to put anything new into action?

Well, I’ve been there when over 35 years ago, my husband and I and family experienced health problems when exposed to toxic mercury. Not wanting to treat symptoms with medications, we wanted to eliminate the source of what caused our ailments. That choice took us down a “road less traveled”. It was a challenging route that demanded changing our philosophy and habits and going against the status quo. Here are some practical actions that inspired us to regain balance and transform our lives.

#1 of 4 Health Tips: Expand Awareness

I was conscious of things, but not enough to be concerned. That is, until I gained more knowledge which caused me to pay more attention. The first health tip was taking inventory of my body, my thoughts, my feelings, and my environment. This helped me to recognize the things impacting my life. I gained more awareness of my habits, my physical activity, my job stresses and toxic exposures, my relationships, my weight, diet, sleep patterns, and routines. Just thinking about it made me feel anxious. Not good!

I found that writing things down noticeably lowered my stress level. I listed all the things from my self- inventory and rated each with a number from 1-5 as to how satisfied I was with each aspect – 1 being not satisfied and needs improvement to 5 being extremely satisfied with no improvement needed.

#2 of 4 Health Tips: Prioritize

I ranked my list from easiest to hardest. I figured that it would be less stressful if I start with the one taking the least effort. I promised to give myself three weeks of changing a routine and then the new practice would become the new normal. My second health tip was to complete one thing before I attempted to change anything else. Only then would I go on to the next. I compared it to paying off debt. While I would like to pay off the loans with the highest interest, it’s more feasible to first pay off the ones with the lowest amount which then gives me more money to pay down the larger loans. Starting with a modest win gave me the incentive to go to the next level.

#3 of 4 Health Tips: Get Guidance

There were times when I wasn’t sure if what I was doing was the right thing. I needed encouragement and at times direction and support. I realized that it was important for safety to use good judgement to know what I could do myself and what I could use professional help with. The third health tip was to do research in order to understand modalities and find credentialed practitioners with integrity and the skills to help with more challenging problems.

It was this step that made all of us realize how important guidance really was. We were professionals and had to search for practitioners for ourselves and our patients. We thought then that a directory would be so helpful where all alternative and holistic providers would be listed in one place. Today, the technology exists, and for the benefit of people who seek more natural ways for healing and wellness, we have been able to fulfill our mission with our comprehensive holistic website and directory

#4 of 4 Health Tips: Count Your Blessings

No matter how badly things seem to be, there is always something to be grateful for. Every night at dinner, we express at least one good thing that happened and one righteous thing that we did. That one action causes a shift, no matter how your days are and makes a world of difference in how you feel…and that is our best health tip.

Learn more to help manage your feelings.