Having a personal wellness program has become a concern for more and more people. The problem is many people do not know where to begin a wellness program. Here are a few keys to maintaining a personal wellness program:

Know and understand your current health situation. Do you have a proper assessment of your current state of health? Do you have a bad cholesterol problem? Or maybe you have good cholesterol? Do you gain weight easily? Or do you have a hard time keeping weight on? Has your overall health been getting worse, stayed the same or has it been getting better?

Taking time out for yourself is important to your (and your family’s) well being. Do you take out personal time for yourself everyday? If you fail to support your personal wellness program with alone time you may experience burnout. Burnout can affect your personal wellness and that of your family. The results of this can have a lasting residual effect on your families’ health and wellness.

Getting proper rest and sleep should be a part of your personal wellness program. Do you know how many hours of sleep you need a night? Can your body function on four hours of sleep a night? Or maybe you need eight hours? Make sure you’re getting the proper amount for your personal wellness. Not having enough rest can make you susceptible to illness, irritability and lack of concentration. There are many more problems that can arise if you neglect sleep.

Managing stress affectively in your life will help you maintain your personal wellness program. Do you know what stresses you out? How can you avoid that stress? If you can’t avoid certain stresses how can you better cope with stress? Find healthy ways to channel your stress so you don’t internalize it. Internalizing stress is what affects your health negatively.

Getting proper exercise is a big part of your personal wellness program. What kind of exercise and fitness do you currently get on a weekly basis? Did you know walking just 10 minutes a day is beneficial for your health? You don’t have to spend hours in the gym a day. You can ride a bike, walk a round of golf, walk the dogs around the block and you can even go to the gym. The key is making exercise a regular part of your personal wellness program. You will feel better and stronger, reduce stress and function at a higher level of energy.

Supporting your body with proper foods and nutritional supplementation are essentials to your personal wellness program. What kinds of foods do you eat on a daily basis? Stay away from fried foods, sweets, sodium and salts, fatty foods and empty carbs. Empty carbs are foods like white potatoes, white rolls and bread, cookies and cakes and foods that lack density and fiber. Support your diet with dense carbs like peanuts or almonds, corn tortillas and green vegetables. Another important aspect of making sure your body gets all the nutrients it needs is finding good nutritional supplements. Unfortunately eating a good balanced diet in this day and age does not get your body all the nutrients that it needs. Do your research and find out about supplements that will increase your optimal health and fit your personal wellness program.

Copyright 2005 Libby.