Dear Patient,
Conversations about healthy living tend to include a lot of rules. Eat certain foods and avoid others. Get plenty of sleep. Don’t be sedentary. Get your steps in. Do cardio and weights and stretching. Use these products. Stay away from those toxins. Avoid triggers. Minimize stress. Don’t forget to breathe.
It all starts to feel like a very long and joyless to-do list, one which we can never possibly complete. So instead, allow me to offer my Un-Rules for Healthy Living…
Health is whatever you define it to be. You don’t have to adhere to anyone’s definition of “health” but your own. Not mine, not your doctor’s, not your family’s, not society’s.
Health does not have to be your top priority. Maybe happiness is more important to you than health. Maybe survival is. Maybe it’s something else, and that’s fine. You get to set your own priorities.
Eat and drink what you like. Sure, some foods will make you feel energized and strong, while others will cause bloating and lethargy. Some beverages are full of antioxidants, and others cause liver damage. But “health” doesn’t have to be the end goal of every meal. Enjoy your food, share it, and let go of guilt.
Move your body in a way that feels good. Exercise doesn’t need to be a means to an end. It’s not punishment. It can even be fun. Let go of counting and measuring and scheduling and repeating. Just enjoy the movement.
Rest when you need to rest. Sleep, nap, snooze, doze, laze, chill, veg, slumber, zone out, nod off—isn’t it wonderful that the English language has so many words to describe rest? Enjoy the full spectrum of rest, when you need it, for however long you like.
It’s okay to ask questions. If you don’t understand what’s happening in your own body, in your own life, it’s okay to be curious and ask—your doctor, your loved ones, yourself, and yes, even the internet. You never know where you’ll find answers.
It’s also okay to surrender to the unknown. Sometimes answers are overrated.
And remember…Many aspects of “health,” like genetics and environment, aren’t under your control anyway. The state of your health is not a reflection of your worth. Live your life, listen to your body, and trust its wisdom.
Love and gratitude,
Your Acupuncturist
Nice “expansive” note, thank you for all the reminders.