Had a Health Wake-Up Call? Positive Steps for Better Health and Healthy Ageing.
Sometimes it takes something unexpected to make us really stop and think about our health. It might be a blood test that comes back with something we weren't expecting, a health check that identifies something that needs watching, being told that our blood sugar, cholesterol or blood pressure is creeping up, or a strong family history that suddenly feels more relevant.
Or sometimes it happens to someone close to us. Someone close to me recently had a health scare, and seeing the fear and worry that came with it was painful. It was also a reminder of how easily we can take our health for granted when everything seems to be going well. We know we should look after ourselves, but life is busy. Work, family and everything else often take priority until something makes us stop.
Health isn't simply a case of well or unwell
We often think about health and illness as two separate states, we're well until the day something goes wrong. But health is often more complex than that. Some changes associated with our future health can develop gradually over time, sometimes without us feeling any different at all. Our blood sugar, blood pressure, body composition or metabolic health can be changing while we continue to feel reasonably well.
Our genes and family history are part of the picture too, but they aren't the whole story. We can't change the genes we're born with, but our genes don't work in isolation. Things such as nutrition, movement, sleep, stress and our wider environment can influence processes within the body, including how some genes are expressed.
This isn't about believing that we can control everything. We can't, and not every illness can be prevented. But there are aspects of our health that we can influence, and perhaps we don't always need to wait until something goes wrong before we start paying attention to them.
When you want to improve your health, where do you start?
A health wake-up call can create a strong urge to do something. And that's often when the overwhelm starts. Eat more protein. Eat less meat. Fast. Don't fast. Cut carbohydrates. Eat more whole grains. Take supplements. Lift weights. Walk 10,000 steps. Get eight hours' sleep. And the list goes on. One person tells you one thing and the next tells you something completely different.
There has never been more information available about health, yet sometimes that seems to make knowing what to do even harder. And, of course, we're not all starting from the same place. Our age, health history, lifestyle, sleep, stress levels, fitness, responsibilities, preferences and goals are different. What works beautifully for your friend, partner or favourite person on Instagram may not be what you need.
So rather than trying to follow everything, perhaps a better question is: What does my health need from me right now?
Start with the foundations
When we're worried about our health, it's easy to be drawn towards the newest diet, supplement, test or health trend. But before adding more, it's worth looking at the foundations.
How are you sleeping? Are you eating nourishing food most of the time? Are you moving regularly and maintaining your strength? Are you spending time outside and getting natural daylight? What does your stress load look like? Do you ever properly switch off? And how much space is there in your life for rest, connection and the things you enjoy?
None of these is particularly complicated, but together they create an important foundation for our health and wellbeing. The aim isn't to tackle the whole list tomorrow. It's to notice where your own foundations may need a little more support and begin there.
Don't let looking after your health become another source of stress
A health scare can understandably bring fear with it, and fear can make us want to change everything overnight. Suddenly we're researching every symptom, monitoring every number, worrying about every meal and wondering whether we're doing enough.
Looking after our health matters. Becoming consumed by it isn't the goal. There will be meals out, holidays, late nights, stressful weeks and days when exercise doesn't happen. That's life, and health doesn't require perfection. Sometimes looking after ourselves also means enjoying dinner with friends, getting outside, laughing, resting and having things in our lives that give us a sense of connection and purpose.
Finding a way of looking after your health that you can actually live with matters far more than trying to get everything right.
Healthy changes can take time
Once we've decided to make a change, we naturally want to see results, but our bodies don't always work to our preferred timetable. Building strength takes time. Changing long established eating patterns takes time. Improving sleep can take time. Learning to respond differently to stress takes time.
Progress isn't always a straight line either. There will be periods when things feel easier and others when life gets in the way. That doesn't mean you've failed or need to start again. Consistency, patience and returning to the things that support you are often far more useful than trying to be perfect.
What is your reason for wanting to change?
After a health scare, the immediate answer might be obvious: I don't want to become ill. But once the initial fear has settled a little, there is another question worth asking: What do I want my health to allow me to do?
Perhaps you want the energy to travel, to stay strong and independent as you get older, to continue walking, skiing, gardening, cycling or doing whatever it is you love. Perhaps you want to think clearly, sleep well, be present for your family or simply feel more like yourself again.
For me, this is what healthy ageing is really about. Not just adding years to life, but having more life in the years ahead. And that can be a much more meaningful reason to take care of yourself than simply feeling that you should.
So, what now?
If you've had a health wake-up call, start with where you are. Follow up on any medical advice or investigations you've been given and ask questions if something isn't clear. Then take an honest look at your everyday life and consider whether there is one area that makes sense to focus on first.
It might be sleep, getting stronger, eating differently, moving more, managing stress or simply creating some space to look after yourself again. You don't need the perfect plan. You need somewhere to begin.
How health coaching can help
Sometimes knowing what to do isn't the hardest part. Actually, making those changes part of everyday life can be.
Health coaching gives you the space to look at the whole picture, your health concerns, sleep, nutrition, movement, stress and daily habits, but also your mindset, emotional wellbeing and some of the patterns that may be making change more difficult. Rather than following a one-size-fits-all plan, we work out what feels most relevant for you and what is realistic within your life.
And then there is accountability. Having someone alongside you to check in with, notice what's working, help you through the weeks when things don't quite go to plan and keep you connected to why you wanted to make the change in the first place can make new routines much easier to maintain.
Because lasting change isn't just about knowing more. It's about finding an approach that works for you and having the support to keep going long enough for those changes to become part of how you live.
If you've had a health wake-up call, or you've simply reached a point where you'd like to start taking better care of your future health, you're welcome to book a complimentary, no-obligation conversation with me.
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