Summer seems like the time where everyone works to be healthy by doing activities outdoors, or eat healthier with grilled foods and lots of fresh fruits and vegetables from the farmer's market.
However for many people it can be a time of weight gain and stress, especially for busy parents that tend to put everyone else first. Summer is a crazy time with constantly changing schedules, parties, late nights, and more demands on time with kids at home and changing family dynamics.
With Fall around the corner, it's a good time to settle back into a routine, and recommit to healthy goals and feeling good about ourselves.
Dr. Diana Bitner, a nationally recognized women's health specialist from Spectrum Health, says being healthy not only extends to physical aspects, but to mental health as well.
People with good intentions and are very capable, can get overwhelmed with family dynamics and find themselves in a very stressful situation. Most people end up doing well if they are open to understanding how certain reactions are triggered, about how fear and guild and of beliefs can come up unexpectedly in times of stress. By getting more information and perspective on these issues, it can allow us to have healthy relationships and take care of ourselves.
Dr. Jared Skillings, director of Behavioral Medicine at Spectrum Health, also shared some advice on how to keep a healthy mind:
- Guilt and shame do not work-to solve problems or as coping tools.
- Commitment to solutions does work with being accountable and having support.
- Good relationships are like summer homes-sturdy walls and open doors.
- You can only control you.
With a healthy mind, you can get back into the regular habits of exercise and eating right. Only you have the power to get back on track and take control of your health.
Dr. Bitner's office is located at 3800 Lake Michigan Drive Northwest, Suite A. To schedule an appointment with her, call (616) 267-8225.
All information was provided by Dr. Diana Bitner and her blog. Read more.
