Every day you get up to work, try to carry out the activities in the best possible way, deliver demands on time and, finally, return home. When you turn the key to the door, there are still tasks ahead: cleaning the house, preparing a meal, taking care of plants, animals or children.
Some people can find the strength to go to the gym, cycle around town, or walk in the park. For others, they lack energy for any kind of additional effort. In the midst of the busy routine, do you have time to take a closer look at your own health?
This is one of the premises of world health daycelebrated this Thursday (7), which promotes awareness of needs related to quality of life and reinforces the importance of drawing up public policies aimed at the safety and well-being of the population.
Health and climate crisis
On World Health Day 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) makes an urgent appeal for accelerated action by world leaders to protect human health with a focus on reducing the impacts of the climate crisis.
“This year, World Health Day is dedicated to the health of people and the planet, in the perception that there is no way to talk about human health without talking about preservation of the environment and sustainable practices. It is also related to the well-being of societies”, explains the specialist in Health Management at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) Claudia Araújo.
In the appeal, the WHO points out that 99% of people breathe unhealthy air, mainly resulting from the burning of fossil fuels. In addition, mosquitoes have spread disease faster and more efficiently in a warming world, according to the WHO.
The entity emphasizes that extreme climatic events, such as the loss of biodiversity, land degradation and water scarcity cause displacement of people, directly affecting the health of these populations.
Regarding nutrition, the WHO highlights that the excessive consumption of processed foods and beverages contributes to the increase in obesity, development of cancer and heart disease.
“The climate crisis is a health crisis: the same unsustainable choices that are killing our planet are killing people,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom said in a statement. “We need transformative solutions to turn the world away from fossil fuel addiction, reimagine wellness-focused economies and societies, and preserve the health of the planet on which human health depends.”
The WHO argues that the Covid-19 pandemic highlighted gaps in inequality across the worldreinforcing the urgency of creating sustainable and well-being societies that do not go beyond ecological limits.
“From a healthy coexistence with the environment, with all this ecology and in a sphere of kindness between people – remembering the vaccine as a health pact for the communitybecause it is to the extent that everyone gets vaccinated that we block the circulation of the virus and protect individuals, we can reach the broader concept of health that is physical, mental and social well-being”, says health researcher Chrystina Barros, member of the UFRJ’s Committee to Combat Coronavirus.
The manifesto lists country guidelines, which include the investment in essential water and sanitation services based on clean energy in healthcare facilities, the rapid and healthy energy transition, promoting healthy and sustainable food systems, building healthy and livable cities, and stopping funding for technologies associated with pollution.
“The pandemic made it very clear that we cannot talk about health without talking about people’s quality of life in terms of basic sanitation, access to water and minimum housing conditions”, says Claudia.
Look for quality moments
In 1946, the WHO defined health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease”.
The mentor in changing habits and Leadership Innovation by MIT Professional Education Carla Lubisco highlights that the concept of health involves ways of thinking, care with the pillars of good living, in addition to the relationship and management of life’s unforeseen events.
“To be healthy is to achieve a greater approximation between thought and action towards quality of life. That is, it is about the connection of what a person practices with their life purpose,” she explains.
The specialist says that breaks, even if short, in the hectic routine of the job market, can bring health benefits. The practice of mindfulness (or mindfulness), which refers to a state of mindfulness, contributes to emotional control and mental health.
“We are used to dealing with life in automatic mode. I attribute this to the constant rush of everyday life. Really, no one can stop to think and connect with themselves, to come to the conclusion that the greatest value is health. Mindfulness is a way of waking up and living each moment as it happens, in the present, one at a time, and thus delimiting priorities. At the end of the day, health should be at the top of the list,” he says.
The specialist argues that habit changes are possible, as long as they are a priority. Like any new activity, the practice of mindfulness should also be started gradually. Find a quiet environment and set aside five minutes a day to “empty your mind”. During this period, focus only on your own breathing and the sensations of touch.
Over time, progressively increase the duration of meditation, which can be incorporated into everyday routine, such as traffic, waiting for a doctor’s appointment, or between work meetings.
“Leaving health aside to invest in a career is not a good decision. At some point, the professional will be exhausted and will give up. Therefore, it is essential to understand that the change of habit needs to happen now, or the bill will be higher in the future”, he says.
The mindfulness technique goes beyond meditation and can also be extended to everyday activities. While eating, for example, turn off your cell phone and focus on the present moment, paying attention to the texture of the food, the different colors of the plate and how the smells of the spices mix.
“Doing the process of changing habits every day is what will lead us to our goals. It’s an illusion to think that every result we aim for will come immediately, but it comes if we stay focused”, he concludes.
Source: CNN Brasil
