Being human I make mistakes, FREQUENTLY. One of the big ones for me is succumbing to stress. This leads to sleep issues and sugar cravings. I spent several days mired in this trifecta last week with planning for a camping/wedding/family reunion trip and the first week of school. By the time we returned from this trip and started the second week of school I was a mess. I was tired and borderline ill. Recognizing the signs I created a recovery plan that included physical, emotional, emotional and nutritional support. Within four days I have significantly more energy and lower stress. I was also sleeping better. My family noticed the difference – especially when I cleaned out the garage.
Humans and complicated creates, we need more to be healthy than a prescription. Traditional western medicine tells us to take an aspirin for the headache, perhaps a cup of coffee for the fatigue. Over the last few years I have learned there is much more than that. The good news is that we can often "treat" ourselves simply by listening to our bodies and taking care of ourselves. I was recently inspired (thanks Dad) to create a visual. Think of a bicycle wheel with four spokes. Each spoke represents a foundation of wellness - emotional health/stress, physical health, nutritional health and spiritual health. This is a Wellness Wheel. Each of these pieces must be balanced for us to feel "healthy." When any one part is out of balance our wheel gets a bit flat one side and the road gets bumpy.
The key to wellness is to understand which part is flat and have to tools to restore the balance. Next time you are feeling out of sorts try looking at this wheel and asking yourself where your balance is off. If you are unsure, you can always add a little boost to each spoke and perhaps you will avoid that seasonal cold that is always going around or that fight with your spouse over something inconsequential.
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