Today I was part of a discussion where a question was asked: How can people be motivated to value their own health?
As the discussion started, we figured out that we mostly think about health when we are sick. Pain, temperature, shivering, shaking, swellings, cysts, etc. are generally the first things that make us aware of some kind of health issue.
We receive healthcare services and get immediate short term and long term solutions from our healthcare provider. The short term things take care of the specific issue with some kind of treatment based on quick medicines, surgeries, exercises, etc..
Most of us will complete the process with full diligence as the event was physically and mentally constantly on our minds. We heal and slowly the memory of the events we just went through becomes very selective, only coming to our mind when we see ourselves or someone else in a similar situation again.
So what happens to the other things your healthcare provider told you to make part of your life, which would reduce the probability and even PREVENT chances of getting sick. Our immediate lifestyle changes with respect to what we eat and breathe, how we exercise, what we measure as part of continuous betterment, sleep, stress, etc.
Here is where most of us start faltering. We follow the plan for a day, a week, a month, or even three to six months. However, as we start thinking about other things, we forget the sickness we had and how uncomfortable we were during that time, the resolutions we made, and we slowly slip back into our old life pattern.
What steps does one can take to remind ourselves of the bad effects of eating unhealthy?
The following are a few things that can remind us to value our health:
The diagnosis is the instigator needed to take better care of ourselves. Although, it’s up to you how best you use this instigator. If there are questions, you can call your doctor or drop a message. However, you need to remember what motivated you to start this journey in the first place.
We can set our goal to be medication-free and pledge to maintain healthy habits for the long term. Don’t consider it as only a diet; it’s a lifestyle change that involves diet, exercise, family, friends, and doctor support network.