Let’s talk Vitality!
No, not the health and life cover, although I am a Vitality member and am highly motivated and incentivised by linking my Apple Watch to their app. I am talking vitality, the state of being strong and active. The power which gives continuance of life present in all living things; the capacity to live, grow and develop.
I spent last weekend in my home town of Stratford-upon-Avon on the third of four retreats as part of a year-long programme. It’s called Lead the Change and is run by the organisation, One of many, headed up by Dr Joanna Martin. Every time I go on one of these retreats I come back with a deeper understanding of what makes me, me and WHY! This retreat was called Be Vital and it totally blew me away.
Vitality is key to living a life with purpose. If you have good health you are able to create your living legacy. You can act on your vision, mission and purpose. Without your vitality, you are barely living.
There is a good reason why when you are admitted to hospital, they first check your vitals. They check your body temperature, pulse rate, respiration rate, oxygen saturation and blood pressure. Any one of them is critical to your health and wellbeing, however together they form your vitals.
Your vitals give the medical professionals an indication as to where or what to prioritise right now and where or what to focus on next. But what if you are not in a hospital right now, how can you keep an eye on your own vitality?
Triage your vitality. What needs your urgent attention and what action will you take to correct the course you are currently following? Instinctively you most likely know what you need to do but you haven’t prioritised certain areas of your own health. I know this because that’s what I have done. Other things, tasks or people often take precedence. However, that is not a sustainable way for you to live!
Taking a self-assessment of my own health on the retreat, I have become aware of some red and amber flags that I need to address immediately. Some are simple actions I need to implement, others are more complicated but one by one I will focus on what needs to be done.
Ensuring I am fully hydrated every day is a simple one to rectify. Do you keep hydrated? Do you give your body fresh filtered water every day? Or is your body more like a stagnant pond?
Being aware of any toxins I may be ingesting is another. I was educated at the weekend about the difference between toxin stressors and food and water enhancers. Real and raw food is the secret. Again, sounds simple because it is!
Taking the appropriate exercise for my age is another action for me. Not just continuing the same type of cardiovascular exercises that I have done for the last 30 years. At almost fifty, my body has changed. I am now perimenopausal and my body needs different types of exercise to ensure I keep fit, strong and well.
I will use my journalling practice around my vitality to notice any patterns, dysfunctional beliefs or habits I have and take appropriate action to correct them. I am also going to make a specialist appointment with a nutritionist and with the help of my accountability partner, Catherine Morgan, and my coach, Karen Roswell, my vitality is going to go from strength to strength this year.
How about you? What is important to you in the context of your vitality? What changes will you take to ensure that your vitals are thriving and not merely surviving?
Focus on Vitality!
Action Point – What needs to happen for you to be living with vitality?
Amy