What is health?

I am a 22 years old female, I grew up in the dawn of instagram and Facebook, I’ve been surrounded by social media since it began, growing up in effect as these platforms have. We have the internet which is amazing, we have constant news feeds and a constant connection with our phones that has become so ingrained in us that we no longer think that checking our phones as soon as we wake up is fine to do.

The reason why I’m bringing these platforms up is because we are constantly in a loop of trying to be ‘happy’ and trying to be ‘healthy’. Don’t get me wrong I use all social media and I love some parts of it. But having a constant stream of what we should be looking, every SINGLE DAY, is a constant standard that we are striving to meet. I don’t know about you but I am soooooo tired of seeing the perfect body type and then the description telling me how I can get that specific body if I drink kale 7 times a day for a year or even just go on a liquid diet for the rest of my life. OH GOODY!! I don’t know about you guys but I love the idea of never eating chocolate again or even just having a lush sandwich (I am being sarcastic just so we are all clear!)

So, with that being said, what is health? Genuinely if we actually think about it for ourselves, just sit there and ask yourself: ‘Hey, what do I think health is for me?’ - Personally, I’ve had to detoxify my brain from what I thought health was; I thought I needed to be in a constant state of happiness, size 8, clear skin, and to be able to run a 5K without breaking a sweat and also be a genius. YEP - I THOUGHT THAT. Those of you who know me will be like sorry Ella what? I would get so annoyed with myself if I had a break out, and then that would add more stress to my life and I would continue to break out even more. Funnily enough at the time I didn’t know that stress = more spots. LOL.

Its strange to think but health just put simply is what YOU know is good for your body and mind. YEP THATS IT. Not some drink that you shot before breakfast that makes you run to the toilet all day! If you have changed the way you eat (i’m not using the word diet here as a hate that word I think its awful and stresses everyone out) and it makes you feel good, then do that. If you love working out every day and it brings you joy then do that. DO what you feel comfortable with and what makes you MENTALLY sound and physically. If your social group are pushing you to go out and you don’t want to as your anxiety is through the roof or you’re just not feeling it and all you want to do is stay in bed and read a book - do that. We think that we need to justify our actions to others when it comes to putting ourselves first, when in actually fact that has also been ingrained into us since birth. Be polite sure, you don’t need to be rude about choosing to put yourself first. Just say ‘no thanks i’m not feeling like going out, catch up soon’. If other people have a problem with it, then that’s THEIR problem, no yours. Remember that you can’t control how other people think and feel, and if you continue trying you will be drained and will have gotten nowhere. So just put yourself first! If you priorities you health (mental and physical as they are both linked) it just means that you are doing what is best for you, which should be the norm!