No matter where you are from, there must be a certain group of people you identify with or feel some sort of affinity toward. You may not always get along with your tribe and you may have many different opinions and values, but there is some shared history or experience that allows you to fit in with your community.
Perhaps this is why we all are on the lookout for the well-being of our community. Apart from their safety and accommodation needs, a very big aspect to take care of is their health. Unfortunately, there are so many people in the USA who are not healthy. They may not have any serious diseases or impairments, but they are far from living a healthy lifestyle. If you want to be proactive and help promote good health practices in your community, here are a few things you ought to be doing.
How to have an impact on boosting community health
You may be thinking that you, just one person, cannot possibly bring about so much healthy change. That is not true; you have the power to influence those around you and those close to you who then have the power to influence their own circles and hence the cycle continues.
1. Promote healthy living at home
Change begins with one’s self and then with one’s primary surroundings. Besides, what could be a better community to influence than the one you have at home? If you are a parent, instill a healthy lifestyle in your home so that your kids can grow up healthy and have a better shot at being successful. After all, if people aren’t healthy, they face a lot of hindrances in trying to achieve goals. Make sure you keep healthy foods and snacks around the house for hunger pangs and make everyone drink plenty of water and fresh juices. Even if you aren’t a parent, you can always practice this with your partner or roommates or even with yourself if you live alone.
2. Promote the importance of health at schools
Children and teens are at an impressionable stage where it is possible to influence their choices. If you are an educator or work in an administrative role at some educational institute, bingo! All you have to do is to promote healthy habits as a part of your school lectures. Even if you don’t happen to work in a school or a similar capacity, you can always do volunteer work with a non-governmental organization (NGO) or even on your own to get in touch with school management to come up with workshops, activities, or lectures that can help teach kids how necessary it is to remain healthy. This is a very clichéd line but it’s true nonetheless: kids are our future, so we must do what we can to protect them and help them become promising adults.
3. More physical activity, less screen time
Don’t get me wrong, I am an advocate of smartphones and technology. But we all must admit that digitalization has largely impacted how we utilize time. Everyone is on their phones because our lives are online, be it work, school, or even communicating with peers. In order to promote a healthy community, you should be the voice of reason that encourages people to send their kids outside to play and to get some fresh air. Parents should have a say in how much screen time is allowed so that kids don’t become an extension of their mobile phones.
4. Become a health professional
There is no bigger way to give back to a community than by choosing a profession where you can be of direct service. Doctors, therapists, nurses, etc. work directly for improving health conditions in all sorts of communities. If this is something you can see yourself doing, by all means, consider becoming a part of the healthcare industry to make sure your community has access to your professional help.
If you happen to be in this industry then think about advancing your career so that you may be able to do more of the work you want to. Nurses often work toward getting a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree to be able to excel in their careers. If interested, look at the MSN to DNP program offered through Walsh University. It will open a world of possibilities for you to provide the best care to your community.
5. Use your votes wisely
Healthcare policies are important enough to convince you to vote for the people who you think are good. One of the best ways in making sure a community is safe, looked after, and has access to healthcare aid is to elect politicians who actively work for these things. Try to keep up with the efforts and the work these officials do so as to put this rightful pressure on them to do well by the people.
- Employers should encourage healthy practices
So many people are unable to look after their health because they have stressful jobs. Employers have a huge role to play in promoting the health and wellness of their workforce not only because it is better for the organization but because it is their duty to make sure everyone is all right. Workplaces should have a culture of frequent break times, gymnasiums, cafes, or just spaces where people can breathe for a while. In fact, to make sure people listen, incentives can be offered for partaking in healthy activities during work.
Conclusion
Hopefully, now you have a better understanding of all the things you can try in order to make sure your community thrives. Our health is the only thing we get to keep even when everything else is taken away. We should prioritize it above all else and with taking care of ourselves comes the responsibility of taking care of our communities.
