We often discuss good overall health in the context of our bodies being more resistant to headaches and Migraines. We also look at the relationship between headaches and Migraines and other conditions such as stroke, heart attack, depression, and others. Prevention is essential, be it headache and Migraine prevention, stroke prevention, or trying to avoid the flu.
An interesting new campaign was launched today: "Healthy Monday," a project
of
Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. According to Dr. Allan
Rosenfield, dean of the Mailman School, "Healthy Monday seeks to make
Monday the day of the week that Americans start healthy lifestyle changes by
getting health-related businesses, media and health organizations to mobilize
their marketing efforts and integrate Monday into their health messages.”
Campaign founder and chairman Sid Lerner calls the group organizing Healthy Monday "the gang that stole Monday for health," saying, "After all, Friday has become pay day, Saturday is play day, Sunday is pray day—so we want to make Monday health day."
We tend to let good health habits lapse. We drive when we could walk, take elevators instead of stairs, grab fast food instead of cooking, a sweet snack instead of a piece of fruit, soda instead of water. We have all the best intentions to do it "just this once," but do we? You can't watch the news on television, read a newspaper or magazine, or look at a news site on the Web without seeing something about the declining health of Americans. Diabetes, heart disease, and stroke rates are rising rapidly. In many cases, these are preventable diseases, but we have to stop putting off taking preventive measures.
The Monday Method
How many of us think or say, "I'll start on Monday?" Healthy Monday targets that way of thinking and encourages all of us to employ the "Monday Method." Pursue Progress, Forget Perfection. There are seven steps to this method. Get out your calendar and start now...
- Highlight every Monday though the rest of the year.
- Set specific and measurable goals. What are yours? Lower your cholesterol? Lose 10 pounds? Control your Migraines or blood pressure?
- Break it up. Once you have your goal, break it up into interim goals, steps to mark your progress along the way.
- Calendar it. Put both your end goal and interim goals on the Mondays you've highlighted.
- Keep records. Mark your progress on your calendar. Give yourself gold stars!
- Set milestones. Reward yourself along the way. Did you lose a pants size? Treat yourself to a new pair of pants or a movie. Do both!
- Make setbacks your stimulations. If you have a setback, admit it then
move on. Figure out how you went off track, then keep going.
We can do it!
Do you ever wonder what it's going to take for you to feel better? Get
frustrated because your treatment regimens seem to be letting you down? Of
course, you do. That's normal. Let's take advantage of Healthy Monday to do more
for our overall health and lay a firm foundation for that treatment regimen to
help us. Let's make this part of taking control over our health. By preventing whatever health problems we can, we also make those we can't totally prevent easier to manage.
For more information about Healthy Monday, visit
HealthyMonday.org.
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Teri Robert, About.com's Headaches and Migraine Guide since 2000, is a
nationally-known author and award-winning patient advocate. In addition to her
work here, she is the Support Advisor for MAGNUM, the National Migraine
Association, and serves on the education committee of O.U.C.H., the Organization
for Understanding Cluster Headaches. To read more about Teri, read her
full bio.
