Physical and Mental Health

Physical and Mental Health ~ Episode 420

Where is your physical and mental health! What a year! As I record this we have just dipped our toes into a new year and already emotions are high and low and the overwhelming consensus is that we just want life to return to “normal.” But there is hope, and in this episode, I’m going to talk to you about balance and getting healthy both body and mind!

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This podcast does not have a focus on weight loss, but if you are looking for episodes on this topic, here they are:

Missing Key to Weight Loss

Body Weight and Good Health

Weight Loss Secrets

Can we just tall take a collective deep breath. No one expected what has come over our nation with illness and mental stresses. It is all around us and I for one am ready to take charge of my life and focus on what is really important and that starts with my faith and my family. So, how do we balance our lives in a way that makes sense and is doable?

I wish we were having a coffee somewhere quiet because this message has been on my heart to share and I just didn’t know exactly how I wanted to say it and finally it is falling together. Sharing this message with you has helped me as well.

First, I want to share with you something that I’ve observed from the most successful and busiest people I know in the homeschool curriculum community and they just put their minds to something and get things done. We need to assess our situation and our lives and make that commitment to change. Now, I’m not going to give you a list of 100 stress busters or 100 ways to lose weight, but what I am going to talk about today is very doable and it is more of a mind over matter.

Physical and Mental Health

What do I mean? First, we have to make a decision that we are going to make a change. I know in all the times I’ve failed to lose those ten pounds, it was because I was not really committed. First, we needed to get past Thanksgiving and Christmas. Then there was New Year’s and what about Valentine’s Day right around the corner. See what I mean? . Make a decision that you are going to make a change even if you are not crystal clear what that change will be, and now for the easy part.

How do we do this? Easy. Seriously it is easy. We must take ownership only for the things we can control. What is in your sphere of influence that you can personally control? Look around you, begin with your relationships. Relationship with God, with your spouse, with kids. Stop! That’s it. Just your family because we are going to get our own life worked out before we head out to the wild yonder. Now, your family duties. What are the things you must do each day? Feed people, homeschool, keep the house clean, wash clothes, etc. Look at this list. Where can you get help? And, who can help with some of these things? For moms with little ones I know it is an uphill task just to get chores done and watch those babes, but it is so worth it. Don’t’ be so hard on yourself. We all started that way, some of us with more kids than the other but all of us at times overwhelmed.

Are you done? What else do you have direct ownership of, the things you can control? Add those to your list. It is time to combat physical and mental stress.

And, now? Those things you can not control, what are they? You know, those things that stress you out. List those. Is there something you can do? Is this something going to stress you out? If so, drop it now. If not, add it to your sphere of influence.

The answer for the things that you can not control is to let them go and let God. God is in control even if you look at this chaos and can not see the hand of the Lord, He is there. On my podcast A Few Minutes with God, I spoke about this fact in Stress and God and go through the scriptures I love beginning with Luke 12:22-31 – Here God talks to us about how he provides for the birds in the air and how much more He loves us and will provide for us. But here is the catch. Are we willing to let go?

You can pray but that is it, and here is what I pray. Your will Lord. Because my will sure isn’t getting done! We have to let go at some point friends and we can’t create the world in our image. Each thing that happens in our lives has great consequences not only for ourselves and others but stressing about the things we can not control does us more harm than good. I also pray to the Lord that he helps me to see what he wants me to see and ignore the rest. Look into the gift of discernment. It is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit and it has been a blessing for me to pray in this way.

Now onto the physical side of things.

If you are sick, it’s time to take care of yourself. I struggled with a problem and refused to go to the doctor, and finally did not have a choice. It all worked out well, but why I fought it I have no idea and I feel so much better. Peace of mind goes a long way toward our mental health. And finally getting to the doctor helped me remember something, and that is the Moringa plant. It is amazing, look it up. My doctor happens to grow it and I have to tell you that I started taking Moringa – from my doctor’s farm, it works in giving me energy and perking me up. I take it at about 1-2 in the afternoon, whenever I started feeling tired.

If you are super unhappy with one aspect of your life it can weigh you down and add that unneeded stress. If you are tired and run down (stress can do that!) or you want to shed a few pounds, do it. How can you solve your problems?

Moms, we are resourceful, there is always a way and if you have little ones, it is time to give yourself a break! Quit expecting to accomplish so much, some days it is just not going to happen.

Our minds are the issue even with our weight. While we place more merit on the interior than the exterior, sometimes we just have to look in the mirror. Are you happy with your appearance? Okay, let me rephrase that! None of us are totally happy with our appearance and now with so many more conference calls and seeing our faces, we are reminded that age knows no time. Let me share a quick observation. Have you looked at a photograph of yourself in your younger years? Maybe you were leaner, had fewer wrinkles, and no gray hairs, you know before kids. Did you think you looked great? Do you see where I am going? Even when you looked great or greater than you do now, you were not satisfied, so here is what I’d like you to do. You are going to decide you are going to take care of yourself and you are going to be happy with yourself no matter what.

If not, what are you going to do about it? If you are not going to do anything about it then you are not going to complain. Do you see a pattern here? I am going to talk about weight loss and I’ll have some links to other podcasts on the topic in my show notes, but for now, I want to focus on your outlook on things in this session because it is important to not only your well being but also your weight and your health.

Often we allow our goals our insecurities to get in the way, no one believes that I was once very shy. No one! But, I was and somehow I was passionate enough about my message and what I had to say that I allowed that to move me forward instead of focusing on my insecurities – we all have them, I focused on the message and the goal.

Do what makes you comfortable and what is within your ability at this stage of your life. Don’t keep thinking you will do this and that when the kids grow up because my kids are grown up and I still run out of time each day and take on projects So moms, take a breath and first things first, take control of that wandering or racing mind and get it under your control, don’t let it control you. If you can do something to change it, fine, do it and if not, we are going to let it go!

Once again I wish we lived closer, I’d give you a hug of encouragement and tell you – you’ve got this! And, I believe you do.