Hannah
Kanyuh
Group
1-H01
This
I Believe: Caring for Your Self
I believe in taking care of your self. If you don’t take
care of yourself, how can you be expected to take care of anyone else? This time
of our lives is likely the busiest we will ever be. School, work, homework,
friends, family, clubs, sleep, food, it seems like we have to squeeze
everything in at the last minute and our schedules are booked for months.
Throughout these busy days, we often sacrifice sleep, eating healthy, and
exercising so that we have more time for other activities. However, I believe
that these things should be the last things we decide we don’t have time for.
No matter how overwhelmed we may feel, we have enough time to take care of
ourselves. As college students, we constantly feel sleep deprived and stressed.
Our first instinct to fix this is to cut out things we think we don’t have time
for. An even better solution would be to eat healthier and take care of our
bodies. Simply making a few healthier decisions with your diet, like choosing water
instead of soda, can have numerous benefits for your body. Sometimes we think
that exercise just takes too much time and isn’t worth the trouble, but the
time spent is completely worth it.
Working out releases endorphins, and endorphins make you
happy. Working out relieves stress and eliminates harmful toxins (like the ones
we consume with our unhealthy diets). So why would we forfeit something so
beneficial? Since I stopped dancing 6 years ago, I have struggled finding a way
to exercise that I actually enjoy. I walk my dog when it’s nice outside, and I
swim during the summer, but I never had anything to do during winter. I hate
the treadmill because I get bored and I don’t like going to the gym because I
feel like I don’t know what I’m doing. This winter I decided I would try hot
yoga, and it has been one of the best decisions I have ever made for myself.
Sure I have to sacrifice some time and money for it, but the benefits are so
worth it. Going to class allows me to unplug from the crazy world around me and
only focus on one thing: yoga. Any stress I have is relieved, my body feels
stronger, and I have more energy when I leave. I may be sweaty and disgusting,
but I’m much happier when I leave than I was when I got there. And the best part,
there’s someone teaching the class so I have instructions to follow instead of
just trying to motivate myself to come up with something to do. Yoga may not be
for everyone, but I believe in putting forth the time and effort to do
something good for your body. Treating your body well has immediate and
long-term rewards and you’ll wish you had started sooner. “Or do you not know
that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?
You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your
body.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
In the wise words of Elle Woods, "Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don't shoot their husbands..."
ReplyDelete"This time of our lives is likely the busiest we will ever be." Hate to burst your bubble...
ReplyDeleteBut if you mean the busiest you'll ever be happy to be, that's probably right!
And you're right, too, that every other good depends on sustaining your physical and emotional health. If hot yoga does that for you, keep it up.
Oh, and try this inversion. Instead of "I walk my dog when it’s nice outside"... When I walk my dog, it's nice outside.