Honesty Is The Best Health Policy

“Never stab a man in the back. Stare them in their eyes when you strike, that way they can die with honor,” he told me with red in his eyes.

Loyalty

I was too young to understand what my father meant when he said this, and I think I’m not old enough to feel the pain he then felt but I’m closer now than I was before. There are many moments in life when we are presented with two choices: act with loyalty or betray those we love. It’s never an easy decision and sometimes we don’t even recognize when it’s happening which is why it’s so important to always be honest and a straight shooter. Finding out someone you believe to be trustworthy is lurking in the shadows of deception is no easy feat to overcome. It will sting and build massive tension, so much so that it can literally cause you both physical and emotional pain.

When going about your life, establish who you are and how you interact with your loved ones in a straightforward and loyal manner. Whether you are rich or poor, no matter your background, ethnicity, creed, or religion, loyalty is one of the few things in life that is free but extremely valuable. It’s the best way to not just gain respect from others but also live a healthy and meaningful life.

Don’t Get Trapped

Think about the last time you got into a big fight with a loved one and for some reason, you couldn’t bring yourself to apologize or even accept their apology. Tension began to build, didn’t it? You became a shell of yourself—the real you began disappearing. You started following back into nasty habits like smoking, overeating and drinking too much alcohol. Your energy levels decreased leading to so much stress, anxiety, and depression that the overwhelming nature of this fight has caused literal pain to your body when it all could have been avoided with a constructive conversation.

One of the worst things you can do is manipulate those you love. It can be hard, especially since you know so much about the person, their wants and needs, but they have put their trust in you and to betray their loyalty is equally as wrong as it is selfish. You can feel it too, can’t you? That gut-wrenching feeling was like a twisting dagger.

That’s your body telling you to stop.

All this tension and built-up resentment are known to be harmful to the body. Is it the same as a broken arm or concussion? No, but stress and anxiety can lead to plenty of cardiovascular issues and other mental health problems. Every healthy relationship is built on communication and a willingness, to be honest. Without these two things, it is impossible to have a healthy connection.

Manipulation And Health

For most people, the art of manipulation begins in childhood. I call it art because in a lot of ways it is. To become good at it requires practice, discipline, and an emotional response from those who are participating. It’s a sadistic game for people who don’t know how to properly resolve issues but in the long run, this is going to have serious health effects.

This probably sounds strange—how could manipulating someone actually have health consequences? For starters, these lies, and half-truths are building layers of stress and pressure which lead to very negative thoughts of yourself and even the world. It will build and build until there is an inevitable breakdown which hopefully, doesn’t lead to needed medical assistance.

Then there’s the flip side—you’re the one being manipulated, watching someone you trust and love lying straight to your face. This has led many people to spiral out of control, completely changing whom they are by making unhealthy life choices like drinking and indulging in drugs which could ultimately have grave consequences. 

Check-in With Yourself

It’s important to not just see the signs but to always do something about them. If you are someone who has faced issues like this before, then you know how much of a toll it can take on your health. It can be hard to get out of that funk and it’s a battle to drag yourself out of bed to receive help but that’s what medical attention is for. There are many resources that are here to help and nowadays many urgent care companies are offering programs and treatments to recognize such things.

In life there are times when someone will break us and only, we can be the ones to put the pieces back together. It’s cruel and unfair but no one said it would be easy. The best and healthiest way to combat this is a simple lesson that we all learned in our youth—treat others the way you want to be treated and honesty is the best policy. It’s a simple rule to follow that will allow you to be your best self and live a proactive life.

* Legal disclaimer: The content of this article and the entire Chai Care blog is for educational purposes only; it does NOT constitute medical advice and must not be considered as such. Please consult a medical professional regarding any symptoms or health concerns you or your loved ones.

Nov 10, 2022

Fair Is Fair: Your Body Deserves Care

Today we live in a world where the philosophy of fairness has been questioned.

A Fair Life

What is fair and how does one be fair without hurting anyone’s feelings? It’s hard to say because it’s impossible to know what someone is truly feeling on the inside, but a great starting point is to never be biased and treat everyone the same. Even if what you are suggesting to someone might sting, if you are being truthful and genuinely trying to help the person then you are completely in the right.

But fairness can be applied to all aspects of life, however, there is no more important place than fairness in health.

Fairness & Family

Family is the most important thing in life which is why it can be so hard to give an honest, unbiased opinion. These are the people whom you have spent your entire lives with so when someone begins to exercise less, gain weight, and is clearly in need of a wake-up call, being the one to do it is no easy task. But as difficult as this may be, the cornerstone of true love is brutal honesty because, in the long run, they will thank you.

If you are the type of person who has a hard time having these types of conversations, it’s best to put yourself in their situation. Wouldn’t you want someone to have your back, giving you words of encouragement? Of course, you do, who doesn’t? Sure, it may sting but this is your family. You’ve already been through the trenches together so it’s only fair to help them in a time of need.

Sometimes it isn’t that easy. You may have a hard-headed family member who is as stubborn as they are naïve and will always think they know what’s best for them because after all, you can never truly know a person, right?

Wrong.

You do know this person! You grew up together and spent years of time with one another, and as much as they might think you don’t understand them, this is the most important time to reach out and help because they are so far removed from themselves that they need someone to come in and support them, whether they know it or not. This will only create a stronger and deeper bond between you and when there comes a time in life when you need someone to show the same kind of fairness, they will gladly be there to offer it.

Be Fair to Yourself

For some people helping others is easy. They have no problem being unbiased and supplying the truth where it is needed, but when it comes to practicing what you preach, that’s a whole other story.

This may sound strange but being unfair to yourself is incredibly selfish. Yes, it’s important to put others’ feelings ahead of yours, but that’s only true sometimes. The same way you should be fair to your family, you should also be fair to yourself. It’s easy to look around and help everyone else, pointing out how and where they should improve their lives, but talk is cheap. It’s time to apply the same unbiased words to yourself.

It’s an easy system to follow. When you’re good, reward yourself, and when bad punish yourself. Now, this isn’t meant to be viewed in extreme circumstances but offers a healthy way of acknowledging when you’re right and wrong. After a week of exercise, healthy eating, and long hours at work, take a night off to let loose. But if you’re the opposite, eating junk food and slumping on the couch all week, then it’s time to put down the chips and hit the gym.

Accountability

Let’s say your brother has an injury that won’t go away, and he complains about the pain but won’t seek medical attention. It’s easy to hold him accountable believing him to be responsible for his own body, however, this is your brother. You care about him, right? Sure, you do. So now it’s your job to help and offer a sense of tough love. Be the one to hold him accountable and be so persistent that he finally gets a check-up. After he heals, you’ll get all the credit.

This exact example applies to you as well. Don’t just sit around waiting for your body to heal when you can just as easily go to your nearest urgent care facility and get a check-up. The truth can be intimidating but be fair to yourself because when it comes to staying healthy, it’s better to hear the hard truth than face grave consequences!

Stay True & Fair

When it comes to your health and the health of your loved ones, always be fair and help where you can. As tough and awkward as it may get, these are the moments when you need to step in because if we can’t count on family then who can we count on you? Even if you get backlash, it’ll be worth it in the end because you know in your heart that you are being unbiased and only trying to help.

* Legal disclaimer: The content of this article and the entire Chai Care blog is for educational purposes only; it does NOT constitute medical advice and must not be considered as such. Please consult a medical professional regarding any symptoms or health concerns you or your loved ones.