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Social media, the news, 'The Google', the man/woman at the gym and so many more sources of a mix-mash of health information always remind us what "we need to do" to be healthy and happy;
Exercise and eat right.
Well who knew!?
Problem solved eh?
*Insert major scarcasm here*
Why doesn't this work?
Why do we keep trying the same #$%@ over and over and end up still unhappy, worn down and feeling stuck and confused? Because health is MORE than those two things. Those are just two pieces of our health puzzle. True health comes from DEEP HEALTH.
Every one of the 6 dimensions of health interact with another. They overflow into each other and work positively and negatively as we either TAKE ACTION or DO NOTHING.
So that said - What's the simple aspect of our health that has seemingly been lost? Why do so many humans seem stressed, worried, depressed, angry, sad, stuck .... and all those other negative adjectives we can think of?
BECAUSE TOO MANY PEOPLE FORGET A MAJOR CONTRIBUTOR TO BEING CONSISTENT IN HEALTHY, DAILY PRACTICES AND SIMPLY FEELING GOOD....
FUN....
ENJOYMENT...
JOY...
PLAY...
Remember those?????
We instead choose things like work, responsibility and the things we feel we "should do" or are "supposed to do at our age".
We went from this...
To this....
When we learn and understand how DEEP HEALTH works, we then can make an impact on our health and wellbeing more easily, because it shows us we can start in so many different ways other than just exercise or nutrition. Focusing on FUN and PLAY is one of those ways.
Coach Ted Lasso says it best in a season 2 episode (if you haven't seen the show I highly recommend it)....
"I'm the same way with video games. It's something in my life that I really enjoy. But then I pretend that preventing myself from having it was somehow making my life better. But in reality all I'm doing is depriving myself of something that makes me happy instead of attempting to adjust my relationship to it."
~ Coach Ted Lasso
Let that sink in for you for a minute... PLEASE. It'll be one of the best things you can do for your health, right NOW! Honestly. This quote is BANG ON.
Fun and play are forms of action that create motivation. Often fun things we love to do are actually healthy for us too! I love board games for example. They're definitely fun and they're also exercise for my brain. I love to go fly fishing. It's fun and it gets me out in nature; moving, exploring, breathing the fresh air and getting some good ol' vitamin D from Mr Sun. I love to play and coach sports. It's fun, it gets me out moving and thinking differently and, playing especially, is a form of stress relief from the day-to-day things life can bring.
Whether your fun has those mental or physical benefits or not (that are apparent), I guarantee your fun impacts your mental and emotional health. Why? Because it feeds your soul. The things YOU love are for YOU. No one else. And in our modern world, that's rare. We do TOO MANY THINGS that are for everyone else. Imagine if we implemented more things, we truly enjoy, that make us smile on a regular basis? Wow!
In just over two decades, there are too many adults I've worked with, talked to and encountered who have pushed aside so many things they used to love, and for very STUPID reasons. Yes, STUPID.
"I'm too old for that"
"I need to work"
"I don't have time"
What I hear when someone says these things...
"I'm too old for that" = You're going to feel older than you are, and
will continue to feel that way!
"I need to work" = I sacrifice life, time and memories
"I don't have time" = Rather than adjust how/when I do the things I love; I've given them up
I truly feel sick to my stomach when I write this or talk about this.
I feel sad for those who choose to miss out on things they love.
I feel scared for their future as inviduals, but also our overall health and wellbeing as human beings.
HAVE FUN EVERY DAY in some way.
LIVE LIFE.
Find your BALANCE between work and play.
DO things that make you SMILE and feel good inside.
FEED YOUR SOUL regularly.
******
If this is hitting home for you, feel free to check out a quick chat on my YouTube channel about this as well.