Healthy Living Scholarship

It’s worthwhile to make the distinction of being and living. In an unbalanced lifestyle one simply exists, whereas a balanced lifestyle enables one to truly enjoy life to the fullest. Existing is the easiest thing I have ever done. It requires no effort. At times I become so immersed in being that I forget to live. We all need a gentle reminder sometimes, that what matters the most is what we surround ourselves with and through what methods we utilize our surroundings to improve our wellbeing and make the most of what we have. Truth be told, in our society there are various systemic inequities in health. There are different levels of economic stability, healthcare, social environments, and food accessibilities that some individuals may or may not have access to. In the United States fast food consumerism is widely accepted and propagated and thus lead to a collective health decline within Americans. Despite this, individuals can have the option to personally pursue means to improve their own individual health. Making the choice to improve one’s chemical, physical, and emotional wellbeing comes with its own set of merits. A healthy lifestyle promotes longevity, mental gratification, and overall increases the quality of your life. Take sleeping for example. Having sufficient sleep boosts your mental, emotional, and even immune function! It is important to understand what your body communicates and prioritize your own well-being in a balanced manner. To reiterate, balance is imperative. It can be easy to become fixated on certain aspects of health, especially the physical kind, and consequently forget to nurture our mental health. For example, prioritizing the concept of beauty over physical wellbeing, something I have personally done. This is something I struggled with the most, and from those experiences consequently increased in my understanding. There was a time I felt so full that I could barely stand myself sometimes. I was tired. Tired of having expectations. Tired of having to eat, to sleep, to talk, and to smile. I started to believe that by continuing on such a road I would eventually achieve that which was the ideology of beauty, yet for some reason I remained mentally unwell. After some time I could understand the wrongness of such thoughts. Little by little: this became the endless mantra that kept me going. With every failure I made, I forced myself to believe I could change, learning and growing along the way. One step at a time. Gradually, I found myself adapting and wanting to improve for my own well-being. I stopped seeking outside validation and started to take care of myself. It took effort and time, yet every action made a difference, regardless of how small it appeared to be. Having sufficient dedication to improve myself greatly benefited me personally, as well as all those who I interacted with. This became one of the most significant changes I undertook within myself and from then on, I started to prioritize a healthy, balanced lifestyle. Just like I did, at some point we all fight battles. It can be challenging, but when we are struggling, we should make the most of it, remain headstrong and look forward to our victories. It is important to understand our own physiologies, so that we can grow and thrive in the best conditions. Exercising, avoiding unhealthy habits, nutrition, and self-care are equally important. Knowing this and exerting it throughout our lives are completely different things. We should strive to individually improve our own choices, so that we can pursue health, wellness, and physically and mentally healthy lives.