Health First, Happiness Next!

Do you remember how you felt the last time you got sick? Sure, getting some days off of school or work is appealing but not when you’re home in pain, taking medicine that tastes awful and not being able to go anywhere to have fun!

How happy did you feel? Not very right? Ok, so I know that a lot of you feel so much happier when you eat foods that you love (like all those junk foods!), and you enjoy going out with friends till mid-morning, enjoying drinks, inhaling other people’s smoke and ‘having fun!’ You also probably prefer laying around in bed or on the couch watching TV all day eating chips and eating soda, rather than getting up and getting some exercise, right?

Well, all you need to do now is to decide which life you prefer. Yes, it's true, the junk food loving, partying, no exercising lifestyle does lead to sickness and sometimes premature death! Don’t be frightened. Even though what I am saying is true, you can make just a few simple changes and have a much better outlook.

It’s called balance! Even though you may feel young mentally and emotionally now, one day you might still be young, but in an old body. Poor eating habits or improper food choices, can cause premature aging starting with your cells, leading to premature death.

So, how about exchanging some of those unhealthy food choices with some of the more healthy ones that you keep hearing about? Fruit and cereal for breakfast doesn’t sound too bad, does it? Or how about a salad or chili as a side dish instead of fries? How about popcorn with light butter instead of the extra butter you often choose at the movies? Why not leave the parties a little earlier and avoid settings where there is no ventilation to dispel secondhand smoke? You can even party on Friday nights only, so you can catch up on your sleep on Saturday mornings and play games or go to the movies with friends on the other days so your nights end earlier.

Exercising can be as fun as walking your dog or swimming in a pool or walking with a friend in the park. It can also be turning on some music you love and dancing till you sweat or playing football! None of what I suggested sounds hard does it? Well, the good news is, it’s not. If you can successfully achieve that balance in your life before your risk factors increase with age, I guarantee that your life will not just be more relaxing, fun-filled and balanced, it will also be healthier and happier.

Copyright

The text on this page, unless otherwise indicated, is owned by happiness coach (Karen McGibbon) who hereby asserts her copyright on the material. Permission must be granted by the author in writing prior to copy or republish this article in print or online. Thank you.

© Karen McGibbon