Health

When I was travelling in Hangzhou, I met two girls from Denmark in Youth Hostel. They once slept in the room for a whole day. Since I was used to believe when traveling, daytime should not be slept away. So It seems to me a bit surprising. When I asked them the next day, they told me that because they had done too many things in a too short time, they felt tired and needed more rests. Travel, for them, is not only for tourism, but also for knowing the limit of themselves.

We all have our limit: the longest distance we could run, or the heaviest weight we can lift. From the two Denish girls, I found a limit that I never thought about before: the limit of how many things one could do at one time. Without the knowledge of this limit in me, I foolishly piled up six tasks last year. Later when I found I may not be able to finish them, I began to feel worried and anxious. And that worry, together with the pressure of work, leads to a breakdown of my health.

This breakdown lasted for one year. In the worst time, I could not read, write or even think for more than half a hour. This breakdown forces me to change my diet, my living habit, and my attitude towards the body. I eat more fruits than before; I cook food with traditional Chinese medicine; I practice breathing exercises; and I learn how to monitor health through signs in the body, like tongue diagnose. Beside, I began to estimate how much time each task could cost before actually doing it, and I also began to learn how to manage my pressure and stop worrying. Most importantly, I learn that health is a dynamic state of body which, if I do not pay attention to maintain, will decline.

I am now in the process of recovery. Now and then I think about that, if I have not experienced such a breakdown, what will change in my life. Obviously, the tasks in last year could have been done better. But in the long run, say in a ten years, if I do not reconsider my attitude and practice towards my body, if I still do not know the limit of my body, I will surely have a breakdown of health. Comparing having it early with having it late, I prefer to have it early, when I still have the courage to cope with it.

Updated 15 June 2007

Image credit: www.healthshaper.com