Health

When I was a kid, being healthy meant having strong bones and the ability to run fast. I’ll admit that I still held this notion until my early twenties, when I thought that I could solve all of my problems on a treadmill at the gym. As I gradually started to address the sources of my apathy and general discontentment with my body, it became apparent that my balance was completely off.

Not only was I eating terribly and avoiding any and all physical activity – I was struggling to function with the anxiety and depression disorders that I developed in my late teens. Life was confusing, my body was reacting in uncomfortable ways, and quite frankly diet, exercise, and self-care became afterthoughts. As long as I had made it through another day, it didn’t matter to me how I did it. And thus began the reinforcement of unhealthy habits.

I am not suggesting that it was an easy cycle for me to break, or that it is ever easy for anyone to achieve a healthy, balanced lifestyle. I don’t have all of the answers, and what works for me may not necessarily work for you. Part of me is still figuring out the pieces of the puzzle, with the help of my therapist, loved ones, and community. As I am slowly regaining control of my life (and I mean really slowly; it has taken me 5+ years), I’ve boiled my progress down to making a few key adjustments: prioritizing a healthy and clean diet, which I’ve found is optimized by home cooking; exercising in smart ways that don’t deplete a week’s worth of energy; reinforcing that I have power over my mental health and coping mechanisms; and committing myself to developing a spiritual connection to the world through meditation.

Hopefully this section of the blog offers valuable suggestions and serves as a soundboard to share ideas about how to become the balanced, healthy adults that we are meant to be. Please feel free to share your feedback at any juncture of your exploration of this site!