Every now and then, always when you least expect it but when you most need it, an AHA moment sneaks out and smacks you back into the reality you are so eager to avoid. And more often than not it’s thanks to Ms Oprah Winfrey that these moments occur.
Today I find myself a target for this episode on “Know Your Numbers” in 2011, as if it was written with yours truly exactly in mind. Its focus was on understanding the seriousness of keeping blood pressure under control, the importance of exercise & how to obtain that often AWOL motivation, and controlling clutter in our lives.These three factors are overwhelming my world at an alarming rate at the moment. But the good news is, I am listening, my heart is open and I am ready for some tough love, Winfrey Style, to help me clear the cobwebs from my cluttered vision.
First up, health, and in particular, the sobering statistics on high blood pressure, which many readers will know I am currently at the mercy of.
THANK YOU, Dr Oz for your blunt, but effective message. Because I finally get how grave this situation is. That high blood pressure is actually called “the silent killer” for a reason; because we do not take it seriously. That I, even though being given cause for concern, have not been taking it seriously. Until I heard Dr Oz speak on this show I have been guilty of being a little blasé about it all. But he does not mince his words. “If your number is hypertensive, which is 140 over 90 or greater, you are losing about 10 years of life expectancy.” At one stage my number was 155 over 115… Those 10-20 years are something I’d like to have back on my side thanks. So FINALLY I have the impetus to get a game plan to accomplish this goal.
Which leads me to my management of the situation. Yes I am on prescribed medication to control it, but the dietary, stress and exercise side of things still need a severe overhaul.
By joining the gym I have made the first small step in the right direction. But that was the easy part. Because when it comes to motivation, mine is on par with the popularity of an alive Bin Laden in the Western world.
Exercise Guru Bob Greene gives us the low down on what we need to be successful in this area. And it’s quite simple: you have to learn how to manage your life and the rest will follow.
1. Have a clear vision of what you want.
2. Convince yourself that you are deserving.
2. Convince yourself that you are deserving.
3. Identify the biggest barriers holding you back.
4. Break through the barriers.
5. Put yourself first.
4. Break through the barriers.
5. Put yourself first.
He makes a pertinent point that leads to a light bulb moment in my mind: “We all have a natural aversion to discomfort and pain, and that’s the irony on both exercise and diet. You don’t want to give up. There’s some discomfort giving up your favourite foods,” he says. “If you’re doing exercise right, you have a level of discomfort to get results. And we are wired to avoid discomfort and seek pleasure.” And that is me to a tee. I loathe exercise for that reason, because I do not enjoy the pain and ergo, the irritation that comes with it. I am not sure I have the skills to push through those barriers. But with the words of Dr Oz ringing in my mind, that I am slicing a decade off my years on this earth, I have no choice but to master this phobia and discomfort. And by implementing the five issues Greene has listed above I will be on my way.
Just quietly though, I still find number 5 as the biggest obstacle to overcome. How you do that when you have so many commitments to meet, especially first & foremost when you are a mother I am yet to understand. Though I also know as a parent I am my child’s role model so if I lead by happy & healthy example that can only be a good thing…
Clutter is something that is killing me slowly too. Expert Peter Walsh was on hand to walk us through the “everyday clutter” epidemic that most families suffer from. I despise it, and am sick of living with it, but the task seems too overwhelming to tackle. I always figure I dont have the time to do it right, so I don’t do it at all. Or, correction – I MAKE DO with a half assed attempt and tell myself I will sort it all out as soon as I am presented with that glorious chasm of glistening free time where nothing else is pressing me for my immediate attention. (Hopefully by 2021 that gap in my calendar will present itself).
One thing that resonated with me the most is that flat open spaces DO NOT also equal storage spaces. “The moment you give up on a flat surface—whether it’s a kitchen table, a countertop, the top of a bedside table or the biggest flat surface of all in your home, the floor—the moment they are not clear, you have given in to clutter,” he says. And, oh Lordy, how we fail in this department. I literally have a “too hard basket” on the end of my kitchen bench, that all manner of miscellany can be found dumped in. And it seems to morph and grow the longer it’s left untouched. And if I don’t get around to sorting through it, suddenly, much like an acne outbreak, another pile starts to fester elsewhere in the house. And all the while my skin crawls at the thought of it yet I never seem to find the required time to sort it out once and for all.
So, there is much to do on this Health & Happiness project, but I must remind myself there is also much to achieve – and more alarmingly, to lose – along the way.
I can help with the clutter thing. I’m really, really good at de-cluttering and have heaps of tips about getting started, finishing and staying on top of it all. I can coach you via email if you like? Seriously. x
What do you mean that flat open spaces do NOT equal storage places?! Holy hell, that is my problem. Ah, I am a terrible pile creator which drives my dear husband around the bend. I am working on it because I agree that the clutter has begun to make me feel anxious.
As for exercise, find a person or a class at the gym that you enjoy and make yourself known. I have people at kickboxing (the instructor included) who will send me little messages if I haven’t been there in a while. It makes me a) a part of a wonderful community and b) accountable. Knowing that it will be noticed if I am not there, provides incentive some days to make certain that I am there.
Good luck!
Jenn
I think it’s a bit weird that Dr Oz wears scrubs all the time on his show… but I’m pretty sure that’s just me.
I have a floordrobe and really need to figure out how to declutter my life. A clean house is a clean mind 😛