Getting Well: Is Your Health Foundation In Place?

Have you bought the latest book, program or pill trying to find a way to feel healthier? Problem is, if that's the isolated event, it’s not enough help. You may not spend a lot, but you usually don’t gain what you need either. You’ve wasted just a little money, sure, but what’s worse is that you grow frustrated and begin to lose hope that you can find a solution.

Whatever it is that you want to improve upon — your energy level, stress, muscle aches and pains and so on — the foundation of it is your overall good health. You can’t build a solid base for getting well if your foundation remains shaky. A good understanding of what it takes for you to feel your best right now becomes the building block that allows you to continue. When you figure out how you can reclaim your wellness, other areas start falling into place.

One good tool that will help you build a healthy foundation is how you look at changes you need or want to make. For example, you decide to exercise only because you want to lose weight for a special event. You go for a walk, come back, weigh yourself. Darn, that didn't help. Walk all week — maybe you still don't show a pound lost. Then what happens? Do you feel continued motivation to walk? Or do you say, "The heck with all this effort," and head for the chips? Sure that harms your waistline, but the worst thing it does is damage your wellness. The foundation now is showing cracks; more improvement is going to be difficult.

But consider changing your perspective about exercise. Look at exercise as a tool to help you feel healthier. Go out for a nice, brisk walk or a hike. Do you feel better? Are you less stressed? Do you have more energy? Mission accomplished! Reaching this goal, right in this moment, makes it more likely you’ll want to do more because the thought process becomes: “Wow, if I go for a walk, I'll have more energy for other things I need/want to do plus I'll feel so much better.”

If you find the right perspective to motivate healthy changes, you’ll have a much better chance of success. Still, even though that is a good tool, there isn’t just one simple answer regarding what you need to do to reclaim wellness. One book or program or pill or suggestion may make a small dent, but it isn’t enough.

What helps more is putting together the whole picture of information and resources that suit your unique needs. Pair that with support, motivation for the rough patches, accountability and taking advantage of the special insight and tools a trained coach brings to the plate, and you then can create your own recipe for success. What works for you is what works for you. Someone else’s game plan may not do a thing to help you.

Enlisting the services of a good wellness coach is like having a mountain climbing guide. The guide isn't going to climb the mountain for you, but taking advantage of her expertise in your journey up that hill sure is going to help ensure you successfully arrive at the top.

Putting together the pieces that lead to the best health for you is the most important item you can work on in your life. The rest follows. This time, make sure you reach the top. Stopping midway and falling back downhill time after time is a recipe for health disaster.