Increase Your Healthy Opportunities

Activity

There are many different ways to increase our exposure to and awareness of healthy opportunities! Despite popular beliefs, a large bank account isn’t necessary to improve your well-being. Adding healthful activities to your life is one simple way to expand your opportunities. Luckily, these opportunities are accessible to all and do not require your external world to be a certain way in order to reach them. 

Write down on a piece of paper the questions below for each of the following categories:

  1. Physical/Recreational
  2. Creative
  3. Charitable
  4. Social
  5. Educational

We provide ideas below but put some thought into this activity and take your time to answer. You can come back to this exercise at any time — your answers may change as you do!

Step 1: Identify Health Opportunities in Your Life

What rewarding events can you count on in the next few days?

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

What rewarding events can you count on in the next few weeks?

1.

2.

3. 

4. 

5.

What rewarding events can you count on in the next few years?

1.

2. 

3.

4.

5.

Here are some ideas from each category:

Physical

  • Walking
  • Stretching
  • Gardening
  • Cycling
  • Jogging
  • Swimming
  • Hiking
  • Yoga
  • Meditation
  • Massage
  • Leisurely bath/shower
  • Household tasks
  • Rest

Creative

  • Crafting
  • Listening to music
  • Singing
  • Playing an instrument
  • Go to the theater
  • Go to an art gallery
  • Watching a film
  • Creative writing
  • Photography
  • Painting, drawing, coloring

Charitable

  • Attend a volunteer group
  • Attend a religioous meeting
  • Donate your time
  • Donate clothing, goods, etc
  • Support non-profit organizations
  • Help others in need

Social

  • Calling a friend
  • Expressing gratitude 
  • Inviting guests over
  • Sharing books, arts, crafts, healthy recipes
  • Playing a group sport (golf, tennis, basketball, etc)
  • Playing board games or cards
  • Join a club or choir
  • Workout with a friend
  • Express love
  • Start a group 
  • Make someone laugh
  • Comfort someone who is sad
  • Plan and take a shared vacation

Educational

  • Help someone solve a problem
  • Teach knowledge and wisdom
  • Acquire new computer skills
  • Acquire a new language
  • Take a class in something you want to learn
  • Take a class that will provide you valuable skills
  • Do the BYG program!

Click here to print a list of the categories above.

Step 2: Incorporating and Remembering your Health Opportunities

Look back at your compiled list from Step 1 and come up with ways to remind yourself of these opportunities. 

Try writing your goals onto your paper or electronic planner so that you can cross them off or delete them as you achieve them. You could keep a checklist or post-it notes along a wall you commonly walk by (make it aesthetically pleasing!) or on the refrigerator. Each of these serves as a tangible reminder of the ways in which you are actively involved in your own health. 

Resource:

“Training Your Brain to Adopt Healthful Habits: Mastering the Five Brain Challenges” Trafton, Jodie Ph.D, Gordon, William Ph.D, and Misra, Supriya Sc.D. Institute for Brain Potential. Third Edition 2019