|
November/December 05 |
 |
Act Now to Be Healthy! |
| Was this
past year a healthy one for you? As you approach the new year, are you
ready to increase the odds that this year will be better? Don’t leave it
to fate--do what you can to improve your health. Healthy behaviors practiced daily are the secret to improving your health. This isn't to say you won’t face a health crises this year, but if you do your part with healthy behaviors, then you can feel assured you've done your best. What is the best way to approach a personal commitment to live more healthfully? The following ideas were formulated from research and presented in the "Live Long, Live Well" project of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. L ook for the "healthy pleasures" in your life and find a way to sustain or increase them. Some sources of healthy pleasures might be:† Partnerships /marriage†Pet ownership †Education and learning †Humor †Siestas †Sexual activity †Happiness that buffers from depression L anguage is often a potent signifier of beliefs, attitudes and moods. Kate Lorig of Stanford University helps elders redefine themselves by adopting a more self-confident language:† "I can do this!"† "I have the skills to do this!" † "This fits into my daily life." † "I feel pleasure and am satisfied." † "I choose to do this." S o you have identified a change to build healthy behavior into your daily life. Follow this eight step process to undertake this change.† Identify the problem (a change in your daily life that would improve your overall health)† Decide what you want to accomplish (focus on one thing at a time) † Look for alternatives to the unhealthy behavior † Make short-term plans-- a contract for change † Carry out the contract † Check the results † Make adjustments to the plan as needed † Reward success Source: American Society for Aging |
| Silver Threads main page | Return to Articles Archive page |
 |
Kris Jenkins jenkinsk@missouri.edu Regional Specialist Human Environmental Sciencs Last revised: 03/18/09 |