It’s Okay to Go Slowly: Making Good Lifestyle Choices Could Increase Longevity
Pace yourself on those days when you don’t feel 100%.
Easy does it!
It’s okay to move slowly if that’s all you’re able for right now.
I know you have dreams, goals, and ambitions, but when fatigue hits, it’s good to listen to it.
Our body knows best, so we need to respect it.
If we ignore early warning signs, something more sinister could develop with our health later.
We have to think about potential diseases in advance, otherwise, it may be too late.
It’s not wise to say:
“Oh, that won’t happen to me.”
I worked as a nurse for over twenty years and, you know, being in good health now does not necessarily protect you from getting sick in the future.
What protects you is taking preventive measures in advance.
It’s also good to be aware of your family history. If your parents suffered from heart disease, cancer, diabetes, or a mental illness, that means you may also be at risk.
But, don’t worry — you can take measures to prevent it.
For example, if your father or mother suffers from high blood pressure (hypertension), or had a heart attack (myocardial infarction), you can look at their lifestyle to determine what may have predisposed them to that.
Do they lead stressful lives, overwork, not get enough sleep, eat unhealthily, skip meals or not exercise?
Do they drink, smoke, or indulge in addictive substances?
Do they fail to have regular check-ups with their doctor?
All these factors can lead to the onset of an illness, so it is good for us to be mindful of our lifestyle choices.
We can learn to adjust our lives so that we have less chance of getting the same diseases as our parents.
Hereditary Diseases are Preventable
Studies have shown that a healthy lifestyle can greatly reduce genetic heart attacks and other genetic diseases.
It even goes so far as to say how choosing a healthy lifestyle can actually change your genetic make-up.
There is also genetic testing which personally I am not in favor of, but many people do choose to do that.
However, if they find they are carrying copies of certain cancer genes that put them at higher risk of disease, they are then faced with the choice of what to do next.
But, genetics is not the only way to prevent hereditary diseases according to an article in The Atlantic, How Health and Lifestyle Choices Can Change Your Genetic Make-Up.
Research has shown that lifestyle changes, particularly “eating well” and “exercising” can powerfully affect your genetic make-up and even change molecules.
These studies are still going on, but it makes sense to do what you can to prevent yourself from getting these diseases.
It is not only hereditary diseases that we need to prevent, but diseases that can come about from environmental stresses, such as pollution, noise, and even exposure to the unhealthy aspects of online work.
So, below are some measures you can take to increase your chances of living a long, happy, healthy life.
Habits that will help to prevent sickness or disease in your life:
- Reduce stress.
- Have some sort of activity that helps you to destress. It could be, deep breathing, walking, swimming, listening to music, dancing, cycling, going to the gym, whatever helps you to relax.
- Eat a well-balanced diet — a mix of carbohydrates, protein, and vitamins.
- Exercise regularly.
- Have a check-up with your doctor annually if you are over 40 or a high-risk candidate.
- Discuss your fears or anxieties with someone you trust to reduce stress.
- Manage your finances as this can also lead to stress.
- Drink plenty of water and avoid too much caffeine, sugar, or alcohol.
- Do not use abusive substances.
- Pace yourself at work and don’t multi-task.
- Learn to delegate or outsource work.
- Do not compete with others, but learn from others instead.
- Be kind, gentle, and patient with yourself, and accept that some days you will simply be less productive than others and that’s okay.
- Ensure you get adequate sleep.
- And my favorite of all — prioritize your tasks.
Another crucial factor that improved my overall well-being was when I took charge of my emotions and learned to express how I felt.
Repressing your emotions is detrimental to your health.
You are pushing anger in when it is meant to come out — to be expressed.
We also need to know how to do that in a way that is useful and doesn’t upset us further.
Repressed emotions can eventually lead to depression, so do your best to learn to manage your anger and express how you feel.
Below are three articles I wrote that deal with all these different aspects of our health.
One is about creating a good work-life balance, the second is about how to find more peace and happiness in your life, and the third one is about learning to express our emotions.
I hope they will be of help to you.
Thank you for reading!
© Orla K.
Thank you Illumination for publishing my article. I appreciate your support. 🙏
