Health

Informational or personal experience posts on health and illness topics such as COPD, self-care, and others areas of interest to the author, Lynette M. Burrows or her readers.

How to Turn I Can’t into I Can

Lynette M Burrows

Inspiration has failed me today. I have started four or five different posts and stopped. Uninspired, they failed to grab my interest. If I’m not interested, how the heck do I think I can interest anyone else? This doubt grew into an I can’t. How do you turn I can’t into I can? Resistance Steven Pressfield’s book, The War of Art, left me pretty unimpressed. I disagreed with much of what he wrote, except for his primary concept, resistance. Creatives aren’t the only ones who struggle with resistance. Resistance, or the naysaying inner voice, is a part of being human. Some call it fear. Long before I read Mr. Pressfield’s book I called my naysaying voice “the dark side” (a la Star Wars). It’s the inner voice that says, “I can’t.” Its name doesn’t matter. Recognizing when that inner voice speaks is what matters.  Don’t Go to Battle I take exception to Mr. Pressfield’s insistence that we must battle resistance. The “I can’t” means something. Sometimes “I can’t” means I’m exhausted or I’m sick or I’m distracted. Sometimes it means I’m tapped out as in empty or I’ve got nothing more to give. Forcing yourself to work when you’re empty or […]

How to Save Your Life

Lynette M Burrows

How to save your life? The easy answer is to take care of yourself. But taking care of yourself isn’t as subjective as it seems. Your mental health, your emotions, and your physical health can be subjective. They also need objective evaluation. Here’s the thing…if you are ignoring any part of yourself, you aren’t taking care of yourself. And guess what? If you aren’t taking care of yourself, you aren’t taking care of anyone else. Empower yourself to take care of you first.  Be Selfish Like on an airplane—give yourself the oxygen / the self-care—so that you are able to help your child or loved one. Ignoring your health and assuming you’re healthy enough can be deadly. You can do the basics: Get enough sleep Eat healthy—on the average for a week Drink plenty of water— (plenty means enough that your urine is light yellow) Get enough exercise Maintain personal hygiene Don’t take on too much (see my post, Warning 10 Signs You’ve Pushed Too Hard) But the basics may not be enough for you. You could be deluding yourself about “doing enough.” Bottom line, as you age what’s enough changes. Annual Health Needs Don’t worry. I’m not saying you […]

How to Find Your Inner Peace

Lynette M Burrows

Have recent political events raised your blood pressure? Perhaps it’s a work/boss/co-worker situation that sends you into the stratosphere. Family members know exactly which buttons will send you on the rampage. It can be exhausting. Don’t try to fight your way out. Find your inner peace. What is Inner Peace? It is a state of being. A state of freedom from emotional and mental stress. It’s an acceptance of the moment you are in right now. We all have the ability to be at peace, yet often we ignore or forget that ability in the hustle and bustle of daily life. There are many, techniques for finding your inner peace. The study of zen, meditation, yoga, some do it by prayer. Choose the method that works best for you. But those techniques won’t bring inner peace if you haven’t done the work. To achieve inner peace you must be intentional. Know Your Self Do you know what your core values are? Are you living a life that supports them? If not, why not? What pushes your buttons, rattles your cage, or sets you off? Ask yourself why do I feel (mad, sad, hurt) about that until you get a truthful […]