This month was the healthy single mom month where I focused on writing about ways to improve the health of single moms who face various health issues. I am going to tell you right now, this health month was an interesting one. I pushed out this series when my health took a hit.
We are directly in the center of a pandemic and the pandemic literally caught up with me. Everything from my physical, emotional, and financial health was impacted this month by COVID-19. Even though I did everything I requested concerning preventive measures at home and work, I still contracted it.
Everything has been shut down for me and my bed has been my best friend. It has been a struggle though being a single parent and quarantined with a 4-year-old. She’s a pretty independent little girl bu,t she still needs her mama for some things. So in other words, mama is struggling a bit to get quality rest.
Health is my priority this month. And with all that I’ve experienced these past few weeks, I would encourage you to assess and plan how you will stay or get healthy for yourself and your family’s future.
Single Mothers and Health Issues
It can be so easy to forget about the small steps we can take to better our health. Unfortunately, sometimes it takes extreme life events or illnesses to make us sit down and think about our health. Just like when we sit down each month and figure out our monthly bills, we should re-evaluate our health choices for the month to overcome our health issues.
I do admit, I haven’t been the best at managing my health lately. Sometimes the demands of work and making sure our child(ren) is good trumps my health of myself. As a single mom, I find life to be demanding and challenges are a given. What good is a woman that pours out from an empty cup?
I know one thing is that we have to change our perspective on health. Health is more than taking a bunch of medicine and going to the doctor. Even though these avenues help, health is all about how in tune we are with what’s going on in us and around us. It’s the beginning of how “well” you know your own life. Hints the focus is on more wellness this time around.
What Health Issues Do Single Mothers Have?
Single mothers can have all the same illnesses and diseases as others. However, most health among single mothers is stress-induced secondary to poor access to adequate health information and care. Below I share some of the common health issues that correlate to the single mother experience:
- Stroke
- Heart Attack
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Diabetes
- ADD
- Substance related
- Suicide
- Grief
- Mood/Personality disorders
- Orthopedic conditions (back pain, nerve inflammation)
- Headaches/migranes
These are some complications with health that single moms face. Most stem from a lack of support, finances, and access to community resources. Being a single parent is burdensome for both men and women. However, women are often left with the brunt of child-rearing that takes a toll on the health and wellness of single mothers.
How Well Are You?
Has someone ever asked you ” How are you doing?” Your answer was I’m fine. And you know that was a lie…
What they really meant to ask is you was “How well, are you?” How versed are you in the things that are going on within you and around you?
Wellness is the state of being in good health or in the pursuit of being well. And with that, I try not to focus on setting goals to accomplish them anymore. I am currently in a place where I want to establish a lifestyle.
It can be addicting to chase goals and the following big things, which can leave us discontent in the process, I am all about the pursuit of being well and in a healthy place without all the pressure of being the perfect single mom. Which I refuse to become…
Health is a state of the body. Wellness is a state of being. – J. Stanford
There are 7 areas to wellness concerning the optimal state of our health. Within each area, I have focused on helping you develop a regimen, not a routine, to help you overcome health issues as a single mom. I hate the word routine. It gives me anxiety.
Regimen building is helpful because it allows me to incorporate specific actions to meet our personal needs in restoring our health and lifestyle.
Below I will cover each area and provide some helpful examples to help you develop your specific health plan to combat your health issues while also receiving assistance from your trusted health professionals.
As I tell all my patients in my day job, you have to be an advocate for your own health. Take charge and know your body well so you can live well.
7 Areas of Health & Wellness To Overcome Your Health Issues
Disclaimer: I am not a health instructor, physician, or doctor. I do not claim to be. I am a health professional that knows a margin about each realm. If you want to know the specifics of health and wellness, I would seek a certified professional. This post is only to encourage you to advocate for and take control of your own health. Definitions were paraphrased from the University of Wisconsin’s Health Promotion and Human Development Department site.
Physical Health
Definition: Physical health refers to the composition of the body. This area of wellness is all about your need for physical activity to reduce undue stress and fatigue on the bodily structure. Physical health helps reduce the potential of bodily injury, illness, and disease in your life.
Options to implement concerning physical:
- Learn about and find ways to improve your skin health
- Complete one exercise daily for 30 days
- Make a point to drink a specific number of water cups a day
- Add or remove one food for a month from your diet
Emotional Health
Definition: Emotional Health refers to the awareness and acceptance of your own emotions. Focusing on acknowledging, accepting, and managing the feelings that arise both positive and negative. Emotional health is helping you to understand others feelings and how to navigate them in a healthy way.
Options to implement concerning emotional:
- Start a journal or writing poems
- Talk with a friend about what’s going on
- Learn new ways to cope with stress
- Add one strategy to improve your time management
Spiritual Health
Definition: Spiritual Health focuses on your personal search and understanding of the purpose for human existence. Spiritual health encompasses the ability to make peace and harmony in your life. Helps you to find the meaning of life and establish your personal values and beliefs.
Options to implement concerning spiritual:
- Start praying for 10-15 minutes each day
- Research God, the bible, and understand why you believe what you believe
- Pick a devotional on a specific topic to complete for the month
- Try to implement 15 minutes of meditation a day (while eating, yoga, be fully present with kids)
- Start each morning with worship music to focus your spirit.
Mental Health
Definition: Mental Health focuses on encouraging creativity, exploring issues related to problem solving, critical thinking, and adapting to change. This form is usually combined with emotional and spiritual to help stimulate your minds for growth.
Options to implement concerning mental:
- Pick a book to read for the month
- Try to learn a new language
- Take a new course or a online training to learn a new skill
- Watch Youtube Video focused on a specific concept to improve your understanding
Social Health
Definition: Social Health focuses on your ability to connect and relate to other people. Emphasizes the importance of improving your ability to make friends and use willful choices to improve personal relationships.
Options to implement concerning social:
- Attend one social event for the month
- Write a letter or make a phone call to one friend or rekindle with an old friend
- Volunteer with a community organization that you’ve always wanted to
- Join a club or mom group to develop new relationships
Financial Health
Definition: Financial Health, also known as occupational health, focused on finding satisfaction and fulfillment your life through your work. Improving the quality of working environments and your attitude to help with improving your success and money management. Proper money management allows for more significant opportunities in other areas of wellness.
Options to implement concerning financial/career:
- Take a financial course
- Find out your strengths, personality traits and find a career that aligns
- Implement a specific no-spend month
- Create a vision for your future including financial and career goals
Environmental Health
Definition: Environmental Health focuses on caring for the state of the earth. To what extent are you willing to make adjustments to make the world a better place to live in that reduces the effects on the health of the world.
Options to implement concerning environmental:
- Reduce water use in your home
- Shut lights off when not in a room
- Eliminate purchase of paper products
- Implement use of one natural product a month
Developing your own personal health regimen
This month, I also took the time to create a fun, printable worksheet for all my single moms who want to give health planning a try. I will warn you… It won’t be an easy process and there will be days where you fall short. We are all sinners and fall short of glory (Romans 3:23). But what makes the difference is that we get back up again, in the words of Donnie McClurkin. I love that song.
You can find your Health Regimen Worksheet in the Freebie Vault:
For each boxed area, I would advise you to just pick one thing to implement. Because if you overwhelm yourself with more things, then nothing gets down and you will feel defeated. Which I don’t want to happen at all.
One tip would be to include your child or children in it to have a built-in accountability partner. At the end of each month, you can return to your worksheet and see how you’re doing with your health.
All in all,
I will leave you with a wonderful quote from an amazing woman that reminds me of how important my health is often. Hope it motivates and inspires you to be the best woman you can be. So when someone asks you again, How are you doing? You know for sure your answer is ” I’m doing well, thank you for asking.”
They who have health have hope; and they who have hope, have everything. –Maya Angelou.
Hope this post blesses and inspires at least one mama to be happy, healthy, and whole! In Jesus name, Amen.
Having trouble with improving your health and overcoming certain health issues?
Supportive Blog Post:
- Why You Shouldn’t Neglect Your Spiritual Health
- 5 Secrets To Better Social Health : Healthy Single Moms
- 50 Bible Verses To Help Combat Fear, Anxiety, And Worry (printable included)
- Give Yourself Grace: 3 Reasons Why There’s Nothing Wrong With You!
You can also join the Women Seeking Confidence Facebook group for a community of women headed in the same direction as you in regards to growing in love life:
I am impressed with your positivity and encouragement even while struggling with COVID! I really like your differentiation between health and wellness. And the specific examples of action steps are helpful! Thank you!
Great article! Thanks for sharing!!