6 Health Goals For Warriors

Every year we promise ourselves that we will take our health seriously and do better with our health but we never really make that change. Sometimes we give up and never try again, other times, we try again. If you are ready to try again this year, this article is for you.

Setting health goals

One of the reasons some of us never get to become better with our health is because we do not have a goal. Benjamin Franklin said if you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.

Planning begins with having a goal that you want to achieve. It’s never too late to set a health goal this year so if you are thinking about the type of health goals that you can set, I gat you.

Below I’ve listed some health goals that you can set so that you can achieve your health goals this year

1. Drink more water

One of the major dos of sickle cell disorder is to drink enough water. Staying hydrated is as important as breathing for people living with sickle cell disorder.

This is because, in people living with sickle cell disorder, the red blood cells change shape from the normal disk-like shape to a sickle shape due to different triggers including dehydration. The distorted shape can obstruct blood flow in the system, thereby causing pain and other complications. However, drinking lots of water can ease the movement of these cells and prevent obstruction.

An important health goal to set as someone living with sickle cell is to drink more water. Increasing water intake can prevent the vaso-occlusive crisis, improve your skin complexion, and flush out toxins in your system.

2. Get in more exercise

If you are serious about improving your overall health, exercise cannot be ignored.

Inactivity poses more danger to you than staying active and engaging in physical activities.

As a warrior, you might face certain limitations like fatigue and pain when it comes to exercising your body but you need to push yourself a bit.

That is why you need to practice safe exercise.

• Hire a professional trainer (if you can afford one) especially if you are a total beginner
• Start slow and small
• Go at your own pace. You are not in a competition with anyone
• Feeling pain or any discomfort? Stop and try again some other time
• Rest often

Exercise has been proven to improve mood and boost energy.

3. Get more sleep

Insomnia is one of the most complaints I've heard from warriors. If you find it difficult to fall asleep, this might be the right health goal for you.

The average person should get at least 7 hours of sleep every night. Aiming to get 7 hours or more of sleep every night can help you reduce stress, improve your mood, reduce your blood pressure, and give your heart a rest.

Here are some tips to help you get more sleep

• Reduce distractions before bedtime. Get rid of anything that would prevent you from sleeping.
• Stop using phones and other devices at least 30 mins before bedtime. Lights from these devices prevent the brain from shutting down
• Avoid bright lights in your room. Dim colored lights are a better choice.

4. Improve diet

Diet plays a huge role in managing sickle cell disorder. Like the saying “you are what you eat”, you are really what you eat so watch what you eat.

A proper diet can make a huge difference in the pain level and the overall health of warriors. Improve your diet by including more vegetables in your diet, eating more fruits, avoiding sugary foods, increasing protein intake, and taking more water.

5. Create time for yourself

We are no good to others if we are no good to ourselves. Keep that saying in your mind.

You are your number one priority. Nothing or no one is more important than you so you need to create time for yourself. Take care of your appearance, try to figure out what you love and do more of it, enjoy your own company, and shower yourself some love.

6. Improve your mental health

There is more to sickle cell disorder than what it does to our physical health. It also affects our mental health.

I believe that our mental health is more important hence we need to spend more time taking care of it.

Set goals that help you improve your mental health. Connect with other people, ask for help, and do things that make you happy and active. There might also be a need for you to see a therapist.

Being SMART about your goals

Whichever goal you decide to set, make sure it is a smart goal or they are smart goals. A smart goal is one that is

Specific: Be clear on what you want to achieve. For example, don't just think you want to drink more water. Ask yourself, how many liters do you want to take every day?

Measurable: This has to do with knowing when you have achieved your goal? How would you determine your success towards a goal? By making it measurable.

Attainable: I know you have big dreams and huge expectations but you need to first start small. Think of the health goal that you have set for yourself, can you really achieve it? Look at your current reality and set goals that can accomplish.

Also, make sure that you are not sabotaging yourself by playing too small. Your goal needs to be attainable yet challenging.

Relevant: Your health goals need to be relevant to your values and long-term goal. Do not set goals that have nothing to do with where you want to be in the future.

Time-based: Your goal is not complete without a deadline. When do you want to achieve it? Is it a daily health goal or months or even years? Make sure there is a deadline.

However, do not beat yourself up if you do not achieve that goal before the deadline, you can always extend your deadline and try again.