Our health gets kicked to the curb

I needed to get some writing done so I was working late in the office one evening last week, thinking it would be quiet. All at the same time, the fax machine started, my cell rang, the office phone rang and my email gave that familiar tone…you’ve got mail. It's the truth, isn't it? We’ve become a 24-7 society where technology seems to have the upper hand and we can’t get away from it. Life has become so hectic that our BlackBerry, Treo, cell phone and pager seem to rule and our health gets kicked to the curb. I hear this from both friends and clients—“I want to take better care of myself, I just don’t have time and by the time I do get home at night, I’m just too tired.” It’s the overwhelming mantra that is pushing us all to the brink or as a card that one of my friends sent me said—“I’m this far (about an inch) from not being OK”.

So, think about this....baby steps. What do baby steps have to do with being stressed, overworked and overscheduled? It’s a way to think about regaining control of your health and life. Think of it like New Year’s resolutions. We make a long list and by the end of January, we’ve tossed the list in the trash because it was too long and not realistic. Instead, resolutions work when they are doable and realistic to you…where you are right now in your life.

Make one small change at a time...live with it a while...make it part of your life like brushing your teeth and then decide on the next small step. You have the power to change, bring your health back from the curb and it only needs to be done…one small step at a time.

Dr. Susan