Hello My Dear Readers,
I am going to talk about a topic that has been close to my heart for the last few years - eating healthier.
Social workers, like many in the helping professions have a lot of responsibility heaped onto them. I'm talking tight timelines, large caseloads and severe repercussions for making mistakes. Sound familiar? So oftentimes, eating healthy gets pushed onto the backburner while quick options take its place.
Each one of us has probably become a victim to this diet of disaster at one time or another. It hit me for sure in my first year as a social worker as I would hit up a drive-thru most nights after work. I just did not have the energy to make my own meals at the end of the day. Or perhaps you've started using unhealthy food as a reward. I just made it through a stressful meeting with a difficult client so I deserve a treat - like a tasty donut!
In the beginning you may not feel the consequences of having a unbalanced diet, but trust me, you eventually will. A lack of energy, having a hard time sleeping, feeling blah etc. will creep up on you. Then it will hit you that something has to change because you can't keep on going like this. Now comes the hard part, changing your eating routine. I recommend starting small. Try making one small change and once you accomplish it, move onto the next goal on your journey to eating better. It may take weeks or months but you will feel a positive difference. But just remember, don't expect to eat perfectly because you'll only be setting yourself up to fail. There will be some treats that you may never be able to eliminate from your diet, however, if you are eating healthy more often than not than what an achievement!
But you can't make the change unless you truly want it. You can't do it for others because if that's your reason you'll never stick with it. Being a social worker can take up a lot of personal energy but don't forget, eating healthy is a sure way to keep you fighting the good fight!
As Always,
Patti
