Health and Wellbeing … two terms that are so popular at the moment. It seems everyone is aware
of their ‘wellness’ and the need to address it, if we listen to the constant barrage of social media posts and the like.
But, the downside is that being told about something, and actually doing something is often quite different … and here lies the real problem.
Yes, it is true that the idea of health and wellbeing is perhaps a little under-cooked in that much of the hard work behind any level of positive wellness is underplayed in favour of what looks to be ‘romantic’ … eg health resorts, wellness retreats and the like that are definitely appealing.
And yes, they may well have their place, but they are but one part of a bigger picture.
In reality, the real problem is taking action in the first place. Regardless of what approach or focus is selected, nothing can ever work if nothing is ever done.
And yes, that sounds obvious. But … how many people actually do something, something that will make a difference, that will address their personal health and that will be sustainable.
Reality check – not enough!
You see, people are all different in how they choose to live their lives, which of course is their right to do so. And, for many, their choices are made on learned/modelled behaviour. The sad thing is that this can lead to decisions and consequent action (or otherwise) that can have clear long-term impact on the quality of life endured.
The approach of an individual to taking action around their level of health and wellbeing will determine the outcome of their wellness. And … there are five distinct approaches people adopt, keeping in mind how they ‘see’ their life.
Consider the following, taking note of the differences between each as you progress from one to five.
NON-ACTION … If they don’t look they won’t see. This ‘head in the sand’ approach sees people ignoring the obvious signs of change and distress, the false hope that things will always ‘be as they are’. Life can be a success story … or a constant battle.
This category represents the majority of the population. They are living day to day, not interested in knowing, listening or changing, and are content to remain in their ‘bubble’, where they feel safe and happy in their ignorance of what is achievable for them.
Such people will never open or ready to change.
PRE-ACTION … Concerned because of the emotional or painful event that they were worried could happen, has already happened to someone they know, or they have heard about it from someone else and it’s hit a nerve.
It hasn’t happened to them yet, but they are concerned that it could. Although they are interested in learning how their life may evolve, or devolve, because they have seen some of their friends going down pathways that have not always shown a positive outcome, they live in a place of indecision, leaving them open to ‘accidental success’, but more open to random decision-making that has no clear forward purpose.
This category represents people who are happy to access free material for the sake of it … no intent of taking action at this point as they see the act of information gathering as action enough.
This group of people has the potential to change, if and when personal circumstances dictate.
PRO-ACTION … Those who have experienced the pain themselves and it is getting painful enough to take action. The stakes have been raised considerably in comparison to being in the Pre-Active stage.
This is now personal, completely real to them first hand, and they have something to lose by not taking action to solve the problem pretty quickly because what is being seen in others is starting to emerge in their world and something needs to be done to prevent their future replicating what they have observed in others.
Unfortunately, such an approach can have strong negative implications on how life is experienced, as often decisions made are based on the experiences of others.
This category of people represents those who are aware of the need to take action, but not necessarily ready yet to jump in and actually commit to anything. However, they are looking and prepared to invest their time and money (albeit cautiously an in limited amounts) in accessing information that they may deem useful moving forward.
People thinking this way represent the future success stories, if encouraged (by choice or necessity) towards taking more immediate and deliberate action.
RE-ACTION … These people have much higher stakes to play for as they are experiencing a totally unpleasant and painful situation. They need a solution, and they NEED IT NOW! They do not want to hang about. They have an immediate problem they will do whatever it takes to solve the problem instantly.
These people needed to act ‘yesterday’. Such people have left it too late, and they are experiencing a range of personal (and often work) issues that leaves them with no choice but to do whatever it takes to remedy the situation, and try to regain what they had … a place of potential desperation’, and one where poor decisions can often be acted upon in an attempt to regain ‘what was’, because that was ‘working’ in their minds.
This category represents those who are ready to take action to address a concern regardless of whether the action involved represents the best potential outcome for them. The act of acting is what motivates them.
These people are seeking ‘curative action’ and are prepared to pay for what they believe will help them. Unfortunately, they are happy to hand over responsibility for their future to another party who will address the specific issue(s) only.
ENLILGHTENED ACTION … People who appreciate a potential problem before it emerges, seek solutions, act upon them … and enjoy life on their terms … because they gave themselves time and choice through knowledge.
These are the ‘successful people’, because they are always cognizant of potential disruption that could emerge in their life and, having a future vison in place, take action at the first sign of disruption to ensure they manage the situation, maintain what is working for them, and implementing change that in turn creates positive forward movement, knowing that to take one step does (and cannot) ensure ongoing success. This is a distinguishing factor evident in all successful people, regardless of environment.
This category represents the long-term success stories, the ones who wish to learn to grow, to develop their knowledge and skills, and make effective use of them towards accepting responsibility for their own present and future, and operate from a place of control.
These people are ‘preventative’ based in their approach to life, and happy to spend time and energy in embracing what they believe and trust will be the difference that make their life complete … to experience change is to be the change.
Which category do you fall into? Before you jump in and say the obvious … number five … take a moment to breathe and think. What category do you really belong to at the moment. Being honest now can make all the difference in the future.
Why … because we are all in charge of our own destiny, of our own health. We must all accept responsibility for our own wellness. And perhaps here is where the problem starts from.
In our western society we have been taught that we need to get someone else to manage our health … a doctor, a gym, a counsellor, and so on. This is a ‘knee jerk’ after the fact reaction, and not all that effective over time. And, to a large degree it mirrors the first four types of action taking.
But, when we appreciate that prevention is better than cure by looking for ‘whole body system balance’ we become the master of our own health journey … Action Taker Number Five.
And here is where all successful health journeys begin, but never end. Why? Because looing after your body, mind and environment is a lifelong process, but oh so rewarding for those who choose to take that path.
So … what type of action taker are you? Someone whose head is in the sand … or someone who is ready to take and maintain control … or somewhere in between.
The choice will always be yours … just as is the level of health that will follow you the whole of your life.
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