Whether you have 1 employee or 5000 people
work where you work it seems many of us live minute by minute. You and the
people you work with may be planning their week at work but not planning for their
health and happiness. Their family life is in crisis mode moving from one
crisis to the next moving to the next urgent problem to the next chaos in their
life. You too as a manager or business owner maybe doing much the same thing.
What gets left in the dust is your health, the health of your family and the
people you work with. Why? Because many people just don’t have a plan.
You might want to stop for a second, take a
breath then ask yourself “Is my health important to me and is it important
enough to me to plan for?” I will never forget the day I was sitting across
from a health coaching client when they said “No, my health is not a priority
to me.” Really? You have got to be kidding! You plan for your health now or
plan for your medical bills later. You either make your health a priority or
your health will become a priority for you when you develop sickness that keeps
you from enjoying your family, working on your job and takes your money.
So what’s the plan? What are your health
goals? Do you know? If you have not thought it over in a while now is a great
time. The rules are the same when it comes to planning your vacation, your
business and your health. The more time you spend planning the more fun and
prosperity you’ll experience.
Once you have a plan in place then to insure
success you will need to keep track what’s important like your care GPS keeps
you on track helping you reach your destination.
Most experts
agree these are the top five most important influencers on your health and
well-being:
1. The
quality, quality and frequency of your food choices.
2. How much
and what type of activity you experience.
3. Sleep
quality and duration.
4. How you
manage family, financial and job stress.
5. Water
quality and frequency of consumption.
Food
Influencers: Does how you feel influence your food choices? Food choices are
made for many reasons besides hunger and these hide in your daily actions. Sometimes
it’s convenience and availability. Are healthy foods convenient and available
in your company break room? Are there healthy restaurants close by? Can you
bring your lunch to work?
Other times
your food choices are determined by your level of frustration, time pressures
and stress. When this happens you are more likely to make unhealthy food
choices. Plan to keep healthy foods like fruits, vegetables and nuts nearby in
your desk, purse or car to sooth your mood.
It’s
important to bring eating into your awareness. Noticing patterns in foods
choices and behaviors will help you make better decisions in the future. Not sure what to eat? The USDA can help www.choosemyplate.gov.
Track your
successes: Don’t limit yourself in how you measure success. The scale is only
one way and maybe not the best because the weather and food additives will
cause the scale to fluctuate. Monitor your clothing size, measure your waist,
legs, and arms, and monitor how tight or loose your clothes feel.
Keep track
of your food choices too. How may fruits, vegetables and whole grains are you
eating? Not enough check this out www.YourJuicePlus.com. Most importantly monitor how you
feel and how your body is working. With better food choices comes energy,
better sleep, improved digestion, lower blood pressure, weight loss and many
other health benefits.
Track your
goals: While your long-term goal may be to lose 10, 25, 50 or more
pounds, you need small goals to keep your motivation up. Focus on improved
healthy and vitality. Being skinny in your casket really isn’t what you are
shooting for. You can’t control your weight but you can control your habits. Make
goals you have control of such as eat 1 more fruit and veggie per day, exercise
30 minutes and go to bed early enough to get 8 hours of sleep.
So what’s your
plan to get and stay healthy? What’s the plan to support your employees to make
healthier choices at work? When you look down the road what do you see in your
future and your company’s future? If It’s not health then you still have time
it’s never too late to get started down the road to better health.
Need some
help? Then ask a wellness consultant, certified health coach or health
professional find a program that’s right for you and those you work with.
Your partner
in health,
Certified Health Coach
Wellness Consultant
