Counselling is a systematic process. Coping with any sort of trauma, isn’t easy. There are many subjects that need to be covered when we counsel. It is important to understand and analyse our lifestyle, a subject we usually take for granted and tend to overlook. When we try to assess a situation, there are many things we have to review. Not only how the mind works, but also what a person’s habits are. What are our patterns and is that counter productive, without us realising. Very often of course, we think we are doing things the correct way, or we are resigned to the fact that : this is the way i am, but that does not mean it is acceptable and should be ignored. What then are the things that must be reviewed too, apart from the body language and state of mind? Don’t we all want to be productive, mentally sharp, emotionally balanced, and full of energy all day long?
Eating Patterns
It is essential to review a persons eating patterns , say over a period of 2 weeks. To lead a complete and energetic life, healthy eating is a must. Reviewing this will help in finding out if certain changes need to be made in order to improve diet. It will give a chance to review the frequency of eating as well. This will also help in determining if the eating patterns are related to Emotional Eating. If not, and there are shifts in weight, then is it lifestyle? Eating but no exercise? Is it a food addiction? Is it age related? Weight is a very important issue for a lot of people. People are very often dissatisfied with the way they look. Sedentary lifestyle or self indulgence can be more harmful than we realise. Cardio vascular diseases, insomnia, anxiety and diabetes are heightened due to improper and unchecked intake. What motivates a person for food? Social lifestyle, pleasure, convenience, family traditions? It could be anything. Determining organised or unorganised eating patterns is important. Preoccupation about weight issues is secondary to health. Health is wealth as they say.
Sleeping Patterns
It is essential to review sleep patterns. The way you feel during your waking hours hinges on how well you sleep at night. Lack of sleep is a common problem. It indicates there is some form of distress. Whether we understand this, agree or not, it is true. Regular sleep indicates a healthy mind and body. Irregular sleep indicates some irregularity. Blood sugar, hormone levels, metabolic rates, body temperature, sodium/potassium levels, and immune function are just a few of the things directly linked to the body's internal clock. Altering your biological clock can have a drastic impact on your health. Poor sleeping habits can have a direct influence, not only on the quality, but also on the length of your life. There is a direct link between sleep and problems like heart disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, viral infections, ulcers, indigestion, muscular pain, strokes, asthma, headaches, and even fatal car crashes. Recording a person’s sleep patterns over a period of 2 weeks again, helps in looking into this habit/ pattern of a person’s lifestyle. Insomnia has become one of the most common problems of our time. The insomnia problem in the U.S. stems from several factors in addition to the push to become a 24-hour society. Two of the most common factors are snoring and sleep apnea.
Exercise Habits
It is essential to review exercise patterns. Regular exercise improves physical and emotional well being of a person. Recording exercise over a period of time, time taken and the kind of exercise is essential. Regular physical activity increases life expectancy and reduces the risk of many health problems including heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, osteoporosis, diabetes mellitus and mental health problems (such as depression and anxiety). Vigorous physical activity is associated with a wide range of positive health outcomes for children and youth including reduced rates of obesity and hypertension, increased self-esteem, and decreased rates of teen Physical education programs at school have been found to have a positive effect on the health of young people. Despite the growing evidence of the benefits of regular physical activity, our society is becoming more sedentary, and an important public health challenge is for people of all ages to adopt more physically active lifestyles and behaviours.
Analysing patterns and behaviour will help in making a correct diagnosis of the larger picture. A healthy body will lead to a healthy mind and a happy soul. What else can be done to get a deeper insight to a person’s problems? Have i missed out something? Please feel free to add to this in the comment box.
No comments:
Post a Comment