Living a Healthier Life is Now Harder Than Ever

I have a timer every 40 minutes to remind me to stand up and take the long route to the bathroom so I can take a bio break. I have a standing desk attachment next to my desk and I have a back support on my work chair that I use now and then to make sure I sit straight. I also purposely put my phone face down on the other side of the desk when I am writing test cases in my QA job and I can only check my phone when I have finished at least 1 test script. After lunch, I take my lunch bag and take a walk around the campus for another 10 minutes just to offset the amount of sitting I do at work.

This is what I believed I had to do in order to continue to be active and moving instead of sitting and looking at screens all day.

My job before this was a CrossFit coach. I helped people become prepared for the unknown and the unknowable by teaching them mobility exercises so they can squat below parallel, get their arms above their head and effectively lift their legs so they don’t end up with a stair lift when they grow old. My previous work required me to stand up, talk to people and avoid doing both of those while looking at a screen.

Looking further back, growing up in the 90’s, I never recollected a day in my life when I had to be reminded to look away from the screen, stand up, walk around and to talk to people. First of all, the only screen I had growing up was … a TV (and not an impressive one if I may add). In Asia, whenever a teacher comes in, we had to stand up. Once a week, we had a flag ceremony that lasted almost an hour where we all had to stand up under the sun. In order to go from class to cafeteria, we had to go down the stairs. And most importantly, if I ever had to ask a question about as simple as when a store is closed, I would need to pick up a phone. And if I ever had to ask a question as hard as asking a girl out on a date, I had to also pick up the phone and dial … redial, hang up, redial before I actually got the courage to ask.

Living a healthier life meant, adding certain activities into your day to day life with healthy activities.

Healthy activities includes, increased movement like walking, improved eating habits like cooking your own food, and creating positive connections like, making new friends.

In my book, healthy activities, is NOT going to the gym, working out, lifting weights, exercising 5 days a week or taking your own weight (or photos) in front of the mirror.

As an ex-CrossFit coach, I have realized that these are all the “sexy” versions of healthy. But the un-sexy, reality of health is what you do every day that makes you better than yesterday.

Living a healthier life is now harder than ever because:

• Majority of the work is now being done in front of the screen
• Information can be found by tapping a screen
• Fast, easy and delicious food is now available on demand (drive thru, delivery)

These are things that was not readily available in the 90’s.

I am not being un-grateful. I would be the last to say bad things about technology especially since the technology industry is the one that is providing me with financial security, food, medical insurance and roof above our head.

What I am saying is … It’s not your fault.

Living a healthier life is now harder than ever … and it’s not your fault.

But … it is your responsibility.

It’s your responsibility to create strategies that works for you in order to ensure that you can live a healthy life around these technologies that aims to make your life easier.

It is your responsibility to create effective boundaries around work that is important to you, so you can focus on doing what is important and get what you want.

It is your responsibility to find time, make time and maintain the routine that you have so you can enjoy the moment that is in front of you.

Technology is only going to keep on growing. The ones that takes your time and attention will be smarter and more addictive. But the ones that is going to help remind you to be on time to your interview, to take a moment to meditate, to allow you to reconnect or connect with someone across the world, will also continue to thrive.

In the end, the decision is yours. You are in control. You are always in control.