Check, Please with Mike Rosen

Quick. Without pause, answer this question with a Yes or No. 

Are you healthy?

Hmmm. What did you answer? It’s not really an easy or fair question to answer straight away. My answer is “Yes (for the most part. I think?)” See, I immediately tried to contextualize it and compare. I think I’m healthier than THAT guy but not as healthy as her. I can do THIS which might mean I’m healthy but I do THAT and I know that isn’t so healthy.

Wait, hold on. What does being healthy even MEAN? How is it defined? How do you measure? How do you even know? I mean, it’s right there on the MenLiving Vision Statement. A World of Healthy, Intentional, Connected Men. What does that mean to you? I offer there is a dictionary definition, societal definitions, and there’s also a real world, personal definition that’s unique and each of ours. Personally I’m terrified of stagnation in any form, whether it be mental or physical. My parents are in their 80s and have peers who still ski at Jackson Hole while they struggle to make it 150 yards to the dining hall in their assisted living facility. I recognize much is beyond my control AND there are still many things I can do to slow the pace of inevitable decline.

Social Health+Mental Health+Physical Health=Your Health

There is no shortage of advice, news, and information directed towards our health. A day doesn’t pass without someone telling me, cajoling me, or attempting to shame me into ingesting something that I need to ingest or buying something else to be ‘healthier’. There are countless newsletters, blogs, podcasts, and feeds that are filled with seemingly unending information and (generally) well-intended help. A favorite of mine is the 2% written by Michael Easter. I invite you to check it out. For a very funny alternative go here or here.  With that, wellness is really big business, $5.6 Trillion in 2022 according to the Global Wellness Institute.

MenLiving encourages practices to help move towards healthier minds, bodies, and spirits and in 2024 you’ll see a renewed commitment towards sharing and evangelizing around those efforts. MenWalking is a perfect example. Connection between men while outside walking. Perfect. Easy. Go outside and walk. Done. To that larger end, we’ve created a Checklist to help keep organized the things that are generally and widely accepted as ‘healthy’ things to do. Some are medical, some are physical, and some are mental.

There’s a lot on the list and it’s intended to be used as an easy way to check to see if you’re doing some of the things that are accepted as healthy/preventive. Is it all encompassing? No. Could you be doing more/less/different? Likely! You and your Doctor, ahem, you do have a Primary Care doctor you see regularly, right? You know best and what’s right for you and what’s unique to your health journey.

Create your own list here! You may loathe yoga, but it’s on the list because it might be helpful and I’ve personally found it to be a fantastic physical and mental practice. The Checklist is both an invitation and a launch point and is meant to help you organize and if needed, find motivation to take action towards a healthier you in mind, body, and spirit. What are you going to add that you do to keep you moving in a healthier direction?