Most of us know about the major warning signs of pending health problems but I was delighted to find a list of warning signs of good health.
I have seen such lists before but often they are about physical measurements. I like this life affirming and positive check list for it measures the quality of our health beyond calorie counting and fat measurements.
Feeling happy and healthy throughout our life? Yes we can!This list is not pop psychology. Study after study have shown that these 12 signs of good health are correlated with well-being throughout a person’s life. Studies show, for example, that social support systems are essential for maintaining physical and psychological health.
Other studies have explored the relationship between gratitude and well-being.
Not surprisingly, learning new skills throughout life can help keep the mind sharp and delay or improve age-related brain functioning problems.
But 12 things? Oh my, that can sound like a lot to change, yes? I like the approach of Dr. Mike Dow, author of the Brain Fog Fix. He recommends start with one thing and then another and another.
THE 12 WARNING SIGNS OF GOOD HEALTH* plus the SUPER ONE MORE
(If several or more appear, you may rarely need to visit a doctor.)
You are my cup of tea.1. Regular flare-ups of a supportive network of friends and family.
It is going to be a great day!2. Chronic positive expectations.
I am so glad I work with kind people.3. Repeated episodes of gratitude and generosity.
Let’s go for a walk.4. Increased appetite for physical activity.
Hmmm . . .I wonder how I am feeling.5. Marked tendency to identify and express feelings.
I want to help my neighbours.6. Compulsion to contribute to society.
I care about the people around me. 7. Lingering sensitivity to the feelings of others.
I see challenges as a series of steps not road blocks.8. A habit of seeking new challenges.
I feel so alive.9. A craving to live life fully.
The unexpected changes in life don’t get me down . . .well not for long!10. Tendency to adapt to changing conditions.
My heart is filled with the wonders of the universe.11. Feelings of spiritual involvement.
I see the humor in this goofy life. 12. Persistent sense of humor.
THE SUPER DUPER ONE MORE There are so many wonderful things in my lifeA habit of intentionally recognizing what is right in your life.
It is easy to dwell on the hardships and the things we don’t have or what is “wrong” in our lives. We might think that helps us plan and improve. Yet making a list every day of what is right in our lives is probably the best step to start the day on a path of improving well-being.
********* I wish you all well being and a few moments to make a list of what is right in your life today.
fondly from Oregon,
Shaun Hi from Shaun on a wintery Oregon day.
*List Adapted from a posting on a computer bulletin board in Waldport, Oregon, author unidentified. Reprinted in Whole Earth Review (Winter 1994), a compendium of brash thinking and lofty ideas.
