The body, mind, spirit concept of healthcare centers on addressing all three of these aspects of ourselves in our health habits. In order to do this, I believe we have to first illuminate ourselves to where we are incongruent with our proclaimed priorities.
Let’s face it, most of us know what we need to be healthier: exercise, healthy foods, adequate rest, stay away from damaging things like smoking, blah, blah, blah. But how many people actually do what they say they believe they “should” do? We can come up with all kinds of excuses, but the bottom line is that we really do devote our time, effort and money to those things we believe to be most important.
My conclusion is that most people either don’t believe healthy lifestyle habits are more important than the other things that occupy their time or they don’t believe their own health and well being is important enough to devote their time and effort to. The underlying problem most likely has to do with self-esteem or self-value … which is not an easy thing to transform. But if health is your goal, you have to start somewhere.
I believe if our beliefs, thoughts and actions are united, we have congruency of body, mind and spirit. The best way to start this transformation is to take action … NOW! Here is my little exercise that I include in all my wellness classes. Now get out some paper and pencil and get honest with yourself!
- Make a list of your top five priorities. These are the things that you value most in your life.
- Make a list of the top ten activities or commitments that take up your time on a daily (or weekly) basis.
- Make a list of ten of your best qualities, attributes, talents or skills.
- Now compare these three lists for congruency. Are you spending the majority of your time on the things that you have declared to be your priorities? Are you using your talents and best qualities in your daily activities? Do these three lists reflect the way that you want your life to look?
There’s nothing like seeing it in black and white to make you recognize the glaring conflicts in your life! The last step to take is to make some plans as to how you can change your life activities to better reflect your priorities, values and talents. It’s never too late to make changes to assure you are living the life that is congruent with who you are and brings joy and well being to your life.