We All Need Some Structure to Lean On

However these unusual times find you, it’s probably not in a place in which you’re used to finding yourself… Less contact with the people in our lives, more dependence on technology, less of a routine or a different routine, different expectations, different temptations, new levels of boredom and, for many, a level of unproductiveness to which we aren’t accustomed.

Paying attention to (and taking ownership of) individual moments that nourish us physically and mentally can have an impact on both our physical and psychological health. And this, in turn, can have a huge positive impact on our blood pressure.

One way you can cultivate these moments and reclaim a sliver of normalcy is to create a routine. Make appointments with yourself:

1. Make an appointment to take inventory of which health-supporting foods you have in your environment so that you can purchase items that support your health goals.
2. Make an appointment to take your blood pressure and record it. (More to come on this topic in the near future).
3. Make an appointment to journal your feelings and met/unmet goals.
4. Make an appointment to work through some breathing exercises or meditate.
5. Make an appointment to take a walk or work out.
6. Make an appointment to do something new that you’ve always wanted to try: a new language, an instrument, an art project, an online cooking class (or any other class that interests you).
7. Make an appointment to work on your mindfulness. Sit outside, look around, breathe, feel the sun, and take note of all the different forms of life that dwell outside of where you live.

Routine is structure. Structure provides strength. If we choose to use it to help manage our emotions, it can help us create the environment we need to meet our health goals. And to misquote the great Bill Withers: we all need some structure to lean on.

Here’s to your health!