The "H" is Happy is for Health
In a previous blog, I mentioned that the formula for happiness that Cathy Greenberg and I have devised and described in our book "What Happy Working Mothers Know" is:
H - Healthy physically and emotionally
A - Adaptable to change
P - Proud of your work
P - Proud of your family
Y - Young at Heart
Let's start with health. You know your health is important. But, how much time and energy do you actually spend taking care of your health? Many working mothers smile ironically at the question and respond with a sarcastic "I take care of my health in my spare time." We know that it's hard to find time to go to the gym or whip up tasty, high protein, low carb meals.
My suggestion is we start from wherever you are right now. First, you need to acknowledge that your health is important not just to you but also to your family and to your work. To be your best, at home or at work, you need to be healthy. I am not suggesting you have to train for marathons (although my friend Jill is doing that right now and I am in awe). Start small and build. Here are 3 suggestions to get you started.
Drink water. To run optimally, your body needs 84 onces of water a day. That is 9 and a half glasses of water. Diet soda, ice tea and coffee don't really count. The caffeine, sweeteners and carbonation all bring some negatives with them. You can drink those tasty beverages in moderation but water is really the best.
Move around. At least half an hour of moderate exercise every day can do great things. Of course, if you have time, do more. If you don't have time, taking your dog for a half hour walk or getting off the bus or train one stop before yours and walking the rest of the way can make a big difference in how you feel. If you have time try to take an exercise class. Committing to a class can help you work out on days when you might otherwise be tempted to skip. Some classes can be social as well.
Get some sleep. Research shows that adults need 8 hours of sleep a night. Ha! That was my first response too. I thought, I was in high school the last time I got 8 hours of sleep in one night. Then I tried it. I really made an effort to go to bed early (I am a morning person anyway). The nights when I am able to get close to 8 hours of sleep, I feel much more relaxed and I eat less the next day. Try adding one hour of sleep to your routine and see how it feels.
If you have trouble sleeping, there are some good over the counter sleep aids to get you started. Also, Paul McKenna, a hypnotist, has a book "I Can Make You Sleep". The book includes a guided hypnosis CD that you are supposed to listen to every day for two weeks. I tried his book "I Can Make You Thin" and it helped me lose about 10 pounds. I haven't tried the sleep book yet.
I'd love to hear what you do to stay healthy.
Barrett
H - Healthy physically and emotionally
A - Adaptable to change
P - Proud of your work
P - Proud of your family
Y - Young at Heart
Let's start with health. You know your health is important. But, how much time and energy do you actually spend taking care of your health? Many working mothers smile ironically at the question and respond with a sarcastic "I take care of my health in my spare time." We know that it's hard to find time to go to the gym or whip up tasty, high protein, low carb meals.
My suggestion is we start from wherever you are right now. First, you need to acknowledge that your health is important not just to you but also to your family and to your work. To be your best, at home or at work, you need to be healthy. I am not suggesting you have to train for marathons (although my friend Jill is doing that right now and I am in awe). Start small and build. Here are 3 suggestions to get you started.
Drink water. To run optimally, your body needs 84 onces of water a day. That is 9 and a half glasses of water. Diet soda, ice tea and coffee don't really count. The caffeine, sweeteners and carbonation all bring some negatives with them. You can drink those tasty beverages in moderation but water is really the best.
Move around. At least half an hour of moderate exercise every day can do great things. Of course, if you have time, do more. If you don't have time, taking your dog for a half hour walk or getting off the bus or train one stop before yours and walking the rest of the way can make a big difference in how you feel. If you have time try to take an exercise class. Committing to a class can help you work out on days when you might otherwise be tempted to skip. Some classes can be social as well.
Get some sleep. Research shows that adults need 8 hours of sleep a night. Ha! That was my first response too. I thought, I was in high school the last time I got 8 hours of sleep in one night. Then I tried it. I really made an effort to go to bed early (I am a morning person anyway). The nights when I am able to get close to 8 hours of sleep, I feel much more relaxed and I eat less the next day. Try adding one hour of sleep to your routine and see how it feels.
If you have trouble sleeping, there are some good over the counter sleep aids to get you started. Also, Paul McKenna, a hypnotist, has a book "I Can Make You Sleep". The book includes a guided hypnosis CD that you are supposed to listen to every day for two weeks. I tried his book "I Can Make You Thin" and it helped me lose about 10 pounds. I haven't tried the sleep book yet.
I'd love to hear what you do to stay healthy.
Barrett
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