I have several speeches I like to give when appropriate, “The bed is not your friend” speech I use to encourage patients to get out of bed after surgery. My all time favorite speech is “Life’s about choices” which my niece and nephews seem to dislike immensely. But honestly, these speeches or tales have a lot of truth in them regardless or our ability or willingness to accept their wisdom. Sometimes it is hard to embrace a concept that lying in bed after a major surgery is in some way not good for us. When your body is telling you how much better you feel being horizontal sometimes it is hard to argue your way to being vertical.
For me time is seemingly passing faster and faster than ever before. I find myself at light speed in graduate school realizing I have less time for myself and the things I enjoy doing. I am sure many of you can relate with these feelings of not enough time to do what is important in your everyday life. I spend hours upon hours reading and writing, and the only way I am able to keep up with world events is to have continuous news scrolling across my computer screen. I keep reading about how change in healthcare is needed, and yes to some degree I think change is needed in our healthcare system. We need to be mindful that change for the sake of change is not always the best change. I have read repeatedly some think that healthcare is a right, I disagree- Healthcare is a responsibility.
For me my life is very stressful. I never seem to have enough time for the things that are important to me. I have not eaten the way I would normally because of time constraints and the ease of making poor choices. I make lifestyle choices based on convenience not by desire or knowledge. This week I spent a lot of time discussing health promotion when I realized I have not done a good job with my own healthy choices. I say this because we all have to make choices between cooking vs. fast food which often equates to healthy vs. unhealthy. I challenge you to make one small change in your daily life; it can be as simple as cutting out sugary drinks or taking a 20 minute walk. My challenge is to get an hour more rest per night than I have been getting.
Take control of one thing that affects your health and make that change. Change doesn’t require an act of Congress or a Presidential Seal. Change takes a desire and a willingness to accept personal responsibility for its success or failure. Join me this week and make one small change in your life and lets change together.
Your health is not a right, it is your responsibility.
Howard Baker, RN BSN
For questions, comments, or suggestions on topics you want to read about please email me at: howard@howardsbaker.com
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