Despite my lack of recent blogging, my mind has never been far away
from this topic. With the past few weeks of school being busy-busy, I
found it particularly important to take my own advice and take care of
myself. And, while many people around me were running around stressed
and overwhelmed, I was cool, calm, and collected! I am not saying this
to gloat; not at all. As I have mentioned before, it has taken me a long
time to find my balance and discover how to truly take care of myself. I
understand that some people thrive off stress or work better when under
pressure, but your body does not. You may like those all-nighters,
surviving on caffeine and candy, and swapping those gym dates for bar
dates, but I can guarantee you that your body, your mechanism for
getting through this life, does not.
Our bodies are not overly complex; feed them right, water them, move
them around regularly, put them to bed at a reasonable hour, don't sweat
the small stuff, and find a healthy way to deal with the big stuff.
That's about it. So why do we keep self-sabotaging, knowing the rewards
for such simple behaviours could be life-changing? If we, as university soon-to-be grads, have not perfected the act of self-care, how can we expect our students to have it down?
Now, this is a topic I will discuss with anyone who will
listen, and this group of people spans from friends and family to people
who I feel could help make this change. The more I discuss this with
people, the more people I come across who agree with my plan for change
and who also acknowledge the current void. When I tell people about my
upcoming two-week program, I get nothing but enthusiasm and intrigue as a
response. Aside from giving the students the facts on how to lead a
healthier life, I have also created a very practical program. This means
students will get daily healthy snacks, will be engaged in activities,
and will have a great deal of information to take home and share with
their family. The issue: who is going to pay for it? As everyone who
tries to eat healthy has discovered, healthy food is most definitely not
cheap. This is a fact that has frustrated me for years. Many people cannot afford (financially) to be healthy, but none of us can afford (physically) to be unhealthy! This is one of those shake-my-head-with-confusion-and-upset moments. This fact is only perpetuating the
unhealthy lifestyle so many people find themselves trapped in, but I am
also now left wondering how I am going to provide healthy food for 30
students everyday for two weeks!? I will not be defeated, though - I
have a plan! Fingers crossed for me people!