Have You Taken Your M.E.D.S.

As we move through Mental Health Awareness Month, I thought I'd share one of my favorite tools for checking in around my HEALTH. 

And by health, I mean all the "healths,"

physical health, mental health, spiritual health, sexual health, emotional health.  

Because let's face it, they ALL impact one another and they all make up HEALTH. Our culture often thinks of physical health from the neck down and mental health from the neck up. 

 But isn't your head apart of your body? 

Don't emotions change your body chemistry? Aren't moods impacted by what you eat, drink, say and do? Don't you feel different after movement? Doesn't comfortability connecting with others effect your mental state?  

 While part of me sees the VALUE in differentiating all the healths, to me, they're kinda one-in-the same. 

 One of the best ways I've heard this described is by using the acronym, MEDS.

 MEDS are areas where small changes make a BIG difference to your…health.

 I first heard this acronym years ago from my mentor Dr. Chris Mathe and since then I've added a few other S’s on the end.

 Here's what my MEDSSSS check-in looks like:

Meditation/Mindfulness

Exercise

Diet

Sleep 

Screen Time
Spirituality

Sexuality

These are all areas of life that are SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN to impact your HEALTH - your mental, physical, sexual, emotional, spiritual, HEALTH. So, I invite you to take a moment and check-in! 

Can you get really honest about where you are currently in those areas? What is your relationship with these important aspects of life? Are there areas you want to SHIFT? IMPROVE? CHANGE? Or are there areas you feel good about? The more accurately you assess your current situation, the more REALISTIC your goals for the future can be.