The Sunday News
Selusweyinkosi Mhlanga
What does health mean to you? A lot of us define health as physical well-being or the absence of illness.
The World Health Organisation defines health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. This definition suggests that in addition to the way we physically feel, our state of mind and social life also form a part of our health.
Seeking medical attention to get a diagnosis and treatment is the first port of call when we are physically unwell. We should however, also bear in mind that our state of mind has a great bearing on our well-being as it can assist in recovery from the illness affecting us. The loved ones of the person who isn’t well are advised to keep the environment pleasant to assist the patient to be in a peaceful environment. If you paint a gloomy picture of the condition the person is suffering from you may cause the person to lose hope and give in which may make their health deteriorate at a fast rate.
People living with chronic conditions should try to live their normal lives the way they would when all is well, adhering of course to diet changes and medication that they take but shouldn’t focus only on the illness as that makes the problem bigger than it is and may cause stress which may aggravate the situation.
Rhonda Byrne in her audiobook The Secret to Health Masterclass says good thoughts are equal to good feelings and good health and negative feelings have the opposite effect. “Feeling bad about anything, tension causes nerves and cells to contract, vital chemical production in your body changes, your blood vessels contract and your breathing becomes shallow, all of which reduces the force of health in your organs and your entire body.”
American author Prentice Malford said, “Let us remember so far as we can that every unpleasant thought is a bad thing literally put in the body.” Science has proven that negative thoughts and stress can seriously degrade the body and the brain’s functioning while happier thoughts remove physiological stress from the body which allows the body to heal itself.
Laughter still the best medicine.
Whether one is taking medicine, adhering to a diet or changing their lifestyle it’s still important to make an effort to be happy as that will relax your body and allow healing to take place. Remember the mood shifters we discussed in our last instalment, keep that list at hand as it may come in handy when you feel down.
It may seem difficult to keep a positive attitude when in pain but that’s exactly what we should do and keep the hope of being well again.
Stress can cause diseases
Stress has been identified as being responsible for a number of illnesses such as hypertension, ulcers and mental illnesses. A lot can go wrong when one is subjected to a lot of stress. Some people suffer from anxiety while worrying and that can cause one to react badly to situations.
Cases of suicide have increased at an alarming rate not only in the city but in the country as well. If one’s mental health is not taken care of, that may lead to loss of life. It all begins with one thought and it spirals out of control until the person decides that they can’t handle life anymore and want to end it. Let’s change the way we think one thought at a time and realise that no matter what happens we can choose to react in a calm way.
Be around loved ones and be a loved one
Do you have friends and relatives who you share your life with and they advise you or support you when you are going through tough times? Man is not an island. Having a social life is healthy and is a need for all of us. Give support to a relative or friend who seems unhappy or distant. Make an effort to find out what’s going on in their lives and if they open up don’t judge them, offer a shoulder to lean on and counsel them.
Protect your peace
On the other hand if your relationships are causing you more harm than good it’s important that you choose to protect your peace and walk away if you can’t reach common ground or if you seem to be frustrated a lot or having pressure to keep up with them.
Visualising the future
We all make plans for tomorrow, next week and the future. A lot of us however, stop making plans when we fall ill or are feeling low. Granted, it may seem absurd to make plans for the future when one doesn’t know when they will be out and about again. But that’s exactly why we should make plans, because of the hope that we will be well and out there doing whatever it is that we do. Those plans and visualising will help catapult us to good health as we have something to look forward to. A person who gives in to disease and makes no plans for tomorrow is most likely to be down for much longer than one who is hopeful. The last thing a human being should lose is hope.
