Negative attitudes towards health to leave behind in 2023
As the year comes to an end, it provides a great opportunity to reflect on the past year and years gone by. Since this is a health article, naturally, I am suggesting that we reflect on health—specifically, our attitudes towards it. This is because attitudes shape behaviors, and behaviors, in turn, shape actions. Every action we take, whether it's going to bed early or opening a bag of chips at 10 pm, can be traced back to our attitudes. If we can change our attitudes, changes in behaviors come easily, and we do not need to rely solely on sheer determination to make the change. So, let's explore various attitudes and reflect on which ones apply to us.
Health is a given
You either have it or you don’t. Some people believe, “You are either born with good health, or you are destined to live a life of illness.” Due to this attitude, these individuals do not feel the need to do anything to attain good health. Likewise, when they acquire a chronic disease, they do little to try to get rid of it. They simply accept it as fate and go with the flow. Needless to say, this is a very passive attitude towards health, making it challenging to effect behavioral change. Without first changing this attitude, any strategy to improve health will not yield long-term positive outcomes.
“Health? I'm too busy to even think of health”
Many busy individuals fall into this category. Health becomes less of a priority because they are too occupied making money, putting food on the table, or completing the myriad tasks on their to-do list. They sacrifice their health for their family, employees, the company—everyone else but themselves. Healthcare workers are not spared either. Many neglect self-care, overlooking their health in the process. Taking a step back and considering the consequences of falling ill due to a lack of prioritizing health should be a wake-up call. The higher your responsibilities, the more important health should be in your life. Being healthy enables you to care for others, grow your business, and ensure you remain productive and busy for the long term.
YOLO (You Only Live Once)
The YOLO attitude is all about living in the moment, focusing on instant gratification, as tomorrow may not come. This attitude may lead us to spend our time, money, and health more frivolously, without a care for the future. Focusing on short-term pleasure is another behavior resulting from this attitude. People adopting this mindset may indulge in a lifestyle that steers them away from health, ending up eating and drinking excessively and engaging in activities that bring instant enjoyment. From a financial standpoint, they may spend on luxuries they can barely afford, accumulating huge credit card debts that become a source of stress. Having the YOLO attitude will undoubtedly affect health both in the short and long term.
“I don't want to die”
The “Kia Si” (Singaporean term for the fear of death) attitude may drive us to adopt certain health behaviors, but this mindset is highly unrealistic because death is inevitable. Being afraid of dying will cause us to be hypervigilant and operate life based on fear. Living in fear may lead to poor decision-making and increased anxiety, ultimately affecting our mental health. It's essential to recognize that death is certain and focus on living the best life possible.
“I can buy my way out of poor health”
Some people think they can buy health, believing they can live without regard to health and, in the end, purchase medications or supplements to regain it. The fact of the matter is that money can’t buy everything, and health is one of those things. Thinking you can buy your way out of poor health also causes us to put off certain health behaviors, like not getting enough sleep and subsequently requiring copious amounts of caffeine to stay awake and function.
Exercising is my ONLY outlet
Although exercise is a healthy activity and a great form of therapy, it should not be our only form of release. Relying solely on exercise may lead to overtraining and forming an addiction to it. Overtraining may then result in injuries, and if an individual is injured, exercise may not be possible for a period, leading to poor stress management. We should, therefore, have multiple forms of stress-relieving strategies, providing us with alternatives when one method is not possible. This is akin to having many routes to a location rather than just one road. If that road is blocked, reaching the destination becomes impossible, but having multiple routes and methods increases our chances.
Let’s leave these negative attitudes behind in 2023 as we look forward to welcoming 2024 with positive attitudes. Stay tuned for the next blog, where we will explore the attitudes we should adopt towards health.
