The first week of the new year came with a host of physical complications. I was finally facing the consequences of not taking care of myself over the last few years.
You can call it body karma.
Everything that could’ve hit my body did in one week, from extreme body pain to fatigue, to low blood pressure, to a significant drop in iron and Vitamin D levels, to a fierce sore throat, and to bowel issues (which I won’t go into detail about).
Then I suffered from a blocked ear in the same week, wondering if maybe excessive listening to loud music finally rendered me deaf.
It also doesn’t help that I’ve been dramatically underweight my entire life, but this time, my doctor looked worriedly at the scale, making me feel a thousand times worse.
So, after feeling completely miserable and holding a mountain of regret on my weak shoulders — I came to one conclusion…
Nothing else matters more than my physical health.
Over the past year, I’ve focused so much on my mental health that I forgot about my body – which is very much connected to mental health. Because if you’re physically in a ditch, then mentally, you will be in an even smellier ditch.
What’s worse is that I’ve been preaching about going for walks and eating healthier on my blog, yet I don’t follow my own advice. (But I think I am in my head.)
In this article, I’ll share eight reasons why physical health should be your biggest life goal too.
Table of Contents
8 Reasons Physical Health Should Be Your Biggest Goal in Life
1. We’re Cocky about Our Health
When you’re young, you feel invincible. I’m guilty of feeling this way too.
I thought that I was in the best shape of my life. When listening to other people’s health issues, I would pity them, thinking I had something special that they didn’t.
But we forget that we’re getting older and going to die someday – and your physical health is the most significant factor influencing this.
The cockier you are about your health, the more you should be worried. Plus, when you’re overconfident, you don’t visit the doctor as much as you should.
My advice to young people is to go for tests, body scans, and the hard stuff like colonoscopies now – not later in life when you’re forced to and it’s too late for treatment.
2. The Body Is a Machine
Our bodies need to be used to keep functioning properly. If it just sits there (like an idle machine), the gears will stop turning as fast, and you’ll need oil to keep the components moving.
Last year, I felt like my body had stopped working properly.
I spent most of my time at home and sat for 12 hours – with little to no exercise. It’s no wonder my body reached a point where it didn’t want to work anymore. It’s utterly heartbreaking that I could do this to myself.
Listening to my mom’s retired friends makes so much sense now. They all say to keep moving. If you keep moving, then you’re okay. When you stop and get lax, you start to suffer from complications.
Keep your body moving to generate new cells, boost your mood and immune system, and literally keep you going.
3. We’re Exposed to Toxicity
Today, more than ever, our bodies are exposed to harsh toxins.
Whether that’s pollution, chemicals in our foods, diseases grown from a lab (hello, Corona), or negativity from the internet.
Science and technology have progressed so much to bring more solutions because we have more problems.
I actually envy my grandparents, who quietly passed away from illnesses they never knew they had. At least they had peace of mind.
Toxic substances and energy are everywhere, and it’s no surprise that a myriad of health issues exist.
Basically, if you’re living in today’s world, you need a health check-up ASAP.
4. Nothing Else Will Work If Your Health Isn’t Okay
Your physical health affects every other area of your life – from your mood, self-esteem, career, relationships, traveling, etc. And when it goes bad, it has a ripple effect, leaching poison to other areas.
I experience this when I sit to write and feel fatigued – all I want to do is curl up and sleep. Or when I’m suffering from stomach cramps and can’t concentrate on my studies and work.
Your physical health affects everything.
You can’t have a successful career if your health is in the dumps. You can’t be a good partner to somebody when you can’t help yourself. You can’t travel if you’re in pain. And you’ll never be mentally okay if you aren’t feeling good.
5. You’ll Regret It
Everything’s all well and good until you’re ill.
I regretted letting myself go last year. All my health problems could’ve been prevented if only I had formed small healthy habits.
Most people regret not taking better care of themselves when faced with a health issue or when they get older.
In fact, the pain of regret is worse than the pain of failure. Nobody knows what the future has lined up. However, we can at least try to take care of ourselves – so we know that we tried and didn’t just wait for life to happen to us.
Start implementing small, even tiny healthy habits. For example, doing 10 minutes of exercise, eating yogurt instead of reaching for a carb-filled snack, etc.
6. It Shows You Love Yourself Enough
Keeping your body healthy means taking care of yourself. And you only take care of something that you love.
I’m embarrassed to admit that I didn’t love myself for most of my life. Self-love is a recent concept for me, which I’ve developed over the last two years.
And the abuse I’ve been showering my body with from bad food, comparisons, low self-worth, and indifference is finally showing.
7. It Isn’t as Hard as You Think
It’s easier to be healthy than not. However, we make it seem like good health is hard to achieve.
But we have access to more healthy options than any other generation. In fact, there are more healthy options than unhealthy ones. It just means opening your eyes and looking at things with a new perspective.
YouTube is a health mine. Hundreds of healthy, easy recipes plus workouts are available for FREE. Most companies have gone organic. Working out has become the new fad. And green smoothies are a measure of success. We’ve just become used to living an unhealthy lifestyle.
8. Nobody Else Will Do It for You
I’m sure you have family and friends you would do anything for and vice versa. But nobody is going to be around forever.
The only person who will always be around to take care of you is you.
And if you don’t take your health into your hands, nobody else is going to force you to because everyone has their own pot of shit to deal with to worry about you.
I’m just being honest, yo.
How to Make Physical Health Your Biggest Goal in Life
1. Don’t Be Cocky about Your Health
Don’t be arrogant. Go for regular check-ups. Be scared because fear is a good motivator.
Remember that nobody is invincible. If sports stars can get cancer and the wealthiest people in the world can get incurable diseases, so can you.
2. Don’t Manifest Disease
Although fear is a good motivator, there’s a fine line between good worrying and worrying so much that you manifest disease.
If you constantly think about whether you have an illness, it may one day materialize in your body.
It’s best to live as healthy as you can every day and leave worrying at the Universe’s feet.
3. Try Not to Live on Pills
Medication is great and can give you a new lease on life. However, from what I’ve seen in my older family members, it can do you more harm than good because it puts your body under too much pressure to process all those chemicals.
Therefore, one of my wishes is to die before I have to swallow as many pills as my age.
4. Use Tech
Use health coaching apps to set goals, keep you accountable, motivate, and spoon-feed you through what to do.
BetterMe is an app I recently discovered. You have to pay a subscription to access the valuable features. However, it’s worth it.
There are also fun challenges and so much motivation, making exercise look easy and fun.
5. Keep Moving
Walk back and forth in your room, do jumping jacks, and do just simple exercises.
I’m sticking to really basic exercises: no pilates, weights, and hectic cardio for me. I just want to keep moving and get my blood flowing.
I have no ambitions to be the next Serena Williams.
6. Treat Yourself Like a Human
Though the body is a machine, we still are human. Don’t hate your mistakes. I’ve made so many, and it makes me sad. But nobody is perfect or has a perfect bill of health.
Be kind to yourself as you change your mindset about health and start becoming healthier.
7. Be Grateful for Where Your Health Is Right Now
Whatever mess-ups your body may have, I guarantee somebody out there has it worse.
Even the really big problems are minor to some people. So, start being grateful for your health because it could be taken from you in a second.
And one day, you might regret not making that effort.
Plus, when you’re grateful for your body, you fall in love with it and become committed to taking care of it.
8. Prioritize Exercise
I thought I didn’t have time for exercise until I limited my social media time for it.
We prioritize things harming us, like social media, porn, and Netflix. But imagine if you used that time to build healthier habits instead.
9. Eat Clean
Clean eating means consuming foods that are preservative and toxin-free. It’s one of the reasons I’m vegetarian.
Eat whole veggies that don’t come in a plastic bag, eat more grains, forget the artificial stuff, and watch your sugar intake.
Final Thoughts on My Biggest Goal in Life
Hey, we’re all going to die someday. Most of us will perish due to health issues (natural causes). It’s an inevitable truth of life. But why get yourself to a grave faster than you need to?
Take care of yourself so you can spend the last few years of your life in a better mental and physical space.
Nobody knows what tomorrow will bring. Even healthy people are diagnosed with cancer. But that’s no excuse for being unhealthy. At least you’ll know that you did your best.
And you can go happily…
Sorry if that was depressing. But staring at your mortality in the eye does that to you.
I feel like the Universe is giving me another chance to turn my life around, and I’m going to take it.
I’m done killing myself. Now, I’m going to fight to live.
My parents deserve a healthy daughter, and I deserve a healthy body to walk around in.
Everything else has taken a backseat to my health – exams, blogging, money, and work; all come after my physical health because it’s the foundation of my life.
So, that was my spiel. Thanks for reading.
Let me know in the comments if you agree with my biggest goal in life and if it’s yours too. If not, let me know what is your biggest goal in life.
All the best for the new year; stay healthy and alive.
Disclaimer: I’m not a medical professional. Please use my advice sparingly. The information in this article should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease. Seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health providers regarding a medical condition.