INTRODUCTION
Last month, my newsletter was about how to maintain good physical health. This month, I would like to explore the concept of Wellness. Wellness, from my perspective, includes not only our physical well being but our emotional, social and spiritual well being. This is a holistic approach to living well regardless of the stage of life we are in. As each one of us transitions towards retirement, many of us will experience aches and pains after many years of the good life and in some cases the not so good life. Unfortunately, others may be experiencing more difficult challenges such as diabetes, cancer, high blood pressure, M. S., etc. However, no matter what the circumstances, there are ways that each of us can handle these situations in order to minimize the major impact on the quality of our lives.
LIVING WITH CHRONIC ILLNESS
What if you are living with a chronic illness or are diagnosed with one in your later years? Do you have enough emotional and physical reserves to adjust to the challenges of an illness? Many of the answers to these questions lie in our individual attitudes, lifestyles, support systems and self care rituals. We all have many internal and external resources if we only know how to tap into them.
I am amazed at the number of people that I know who live very productive lives while dealing with major illnesses or diseases. Some people have lived with these hardships for many years and in some cases since childhood. For example, diabetes requires daily blood checks, specific nutritional needs and regular checkups. Cancer requires treatments like chemotherapy, radiation or surgery and a constant monitoring throughout ones life. Yet many people handle these challenges well and are able to navigate the complicated side effects of these diseases that develop as they age. Unfortunately, others never are quite able to accept their illness and/or are unable to integrate it into their self care routine, leaving them with negative unresolved emotions about their illness.
ATTITUDES TOWARDS WELLNESS
In What Color Is Your Retirement by Richard Johnson, he states that "Your attitudes and beliefs about wellness and well being can have dramatic effects upon the actual physical functioning of your body". We can probably all agree that it is how we react to life's unpleasant events that will most affect their outcome. Years ago, I sustained a back injury while running in a race. The results of this annoying but not serious injury have stayed with me even thought I have tried numerous treatments for long periods of time. I have come to accept that my compressed disc is a chronic condition that I will have to live with until there is a more effective treatment or surgery. I have minimized my discomfort from this chronic condition with exercise, strength training and meditation.
How many times have you gone to bed feeling badly about something physical or emotional and saw no end in sight? However, by morning you had a better perspective on the situation. I can think of many times over the years where I may have been discouraged or confused about a situation. However, by talking to a friend or colleague, meditating and/or just waiting a day or two, I have been able to have a more positive attitude about it. Regardless of what we are facing, our attitude is a key factor in how successful we can cope with life challenges.
TAKING VITALITY INTO YOUR WELLNESS PRACTICES
Since there are bound to be unpleasant events that occur in our lives and especially as we age, what are some ways that we can be better prepared to face them? In The Creation of Health by C. Myss and N. Shealy, MD (Stillpoint Publishing 1993), they listed 8 Vitality Blockers that can prevent us from experiencing true vitality. If present, they can actually accelerate ones illness. The following is a summary of those blockers:
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Having unresolved or deeply hurtful emotional, psychological or spiritual stress, i.e. holding a grudge, resentments, regrets.
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Having negative belief patterns that adversely affect our behavior.
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Lacking the ability to give and receive love.
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Not being able to discern serious from less serious issues and being able to find humor in the less serious challenges.
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Being unaware of our ability to make decisions for ourselves by exploring various options, and then exercising our power of choice.
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Our inability to care for our physical body including exercise and nutrition.
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Failing to navigate the loss of roles and status as we transition through various life stages.
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Fearing and resisting inevitable changes no matter what life stage we are in. Those who resist change inevitably experience pain and illness.
I took these vitality blockers very seriously and I am currently working on some of these blocks in my own life. I sincerely hope that you will read this list carefully and consider making some changes in your life where necessary. To assist you in this effort, please ask yourself the following questions:
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Do I have the support that I need in my life from my family and friends?
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Do I have regrets about the past and what needs to happen to release them?
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Can I laugh at myself and "not sweat the small stuff"?
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Have I resolved emotional conflicts and made amends where necessary?
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Am I able to accept change and if not what needs to happen to work on that?
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Is my glass half empty or half full? How can I make it fuller?
Please consider these questions and if the answer on some of them is "No" try to find the time to consider how to change those answers to "Yes".
For your convenience, I am including the web site resources from Physical Wellness- Part I.
Entering retirement is a journey, not a destination. To find out more about this exciting journey, please feel free to contact me at 703-435-2273, email me at
deedeelpc@aol.com and/or visit my website at
www.deecascio.com.
