Prioritise Your Health - NOW

I see a lot of posts online about Prioritising Your Health which unfortunately often come too late for some!

These posts, on places like LinkedIn or Facebook, are unfortunately normally posted after someone has had a health diagnosis which is irreversible.

Illness

I've lost friends and family members 'too soon', I'm sure you have too. It's awful. It can be devastating, not just for the person who has fallen ill, but for those people around them too.

I don't think I reached a specific moment in my life that made me stand up and listen, but after I got gout (for the fourth time) and had trouble doing up my shoelaces because my belly was getting in the way, I started to pay attention.

I was often ill and definitely lacking motivation. Plus, my diet was appalling and I was drinking most nights of the week 🍺

I won't bore you with the FULL journey, but I will tell you that after a few false starts, I consumed an encyclopaedic amount of information and wrote a novel's worth of entries in my personal journal.

The result?

I eat much better

Exercise more

Stretch loads

Walk a lot

Meditate

Journal

Breathe through my nose (yep, it matters)

Appreciate what I have

Carry a heavy backpack

No longer take gout medication

...and I continue to do all of these things.

Far from Perfect

I still eat crisps, drink beer, don't get enough sleep, and have lazy days... I am no angel. But I make less mistakes and always feel better when I choose the better more sensible options.

My Best Tips

Take responsibility for yourself

Avoid Ultra Processed Food (ALWAYS)

Lift weights as you get older

Wash your hands (A Covid habit that has paid off)

Get some early nights

Move daily

Stretch

Laugh... a LOT

Yes, this feels like very sensible advice but all I can tell you is what it has done for me as I am not medically trained. You’ll (probably) be rewarded with a longer, healthier, happier life… hopefully.

Since hitting my fifties, making better choices has mattered more to me than ever. I don't feel sluggish, I want to get up in the morning, and now more than ever, I want to enjoy the world around me, not something you necessarily appreciate during your younger years.

Of course, nothing is guaranteed. I have known and met many people who left this planet too early, and some of those really did look after themselves. But I'm still going to give myself the best possibly chance to live a longer and happier life. I'm not prepared to leave it to chance.