Dear ,
when was the last time you were really sick and still felt happy?
Or when you had persistent pain - like a constant headache or backache - and still felt content or, let alone happy?
Can't think of a time? Me neither.
I experienced that without health, it is incredibly difficult to be happy.
As the German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer once said:
"Gesundheit ist nicht alles, aber ohne Gesundheit ist alles nichts."
"Health isn't everything, but without health everything is nothing."
Therefore, health must be treated as a foundation for happiness. So I really want to commit to being and staying healthy.
But let’s be honest - the thought of fully committing to anything can feel overwhelming. Working on one thing every single day, 24/7, day in and day out, for months, years… maybe even forever.
It’s especially hard when you’re not sure about that thing.
That relationship. That sport. That job.
When you’re unsure, the idea of “forever” can feel like a balloon in your chest, ready to burst from the pressure.
But when you are sure — you’re all in. You’re willing to give it your all and put in the work it takes.
When it comes to health, it's the same If we're sure about it, committing becomes easier.
So why aren’t we fully committing to our health, then? Are we unsure about whether we truly want to be healthy?
It would be like saying we don’t want a life where we can chase our dreams, do what we love, be our best selves, visit all the places we long to see, or be there for our families.
Don’t we all want to be capable of living the life we desire — the one we phantasise about in our heads?
I believe we do. And it's often not a matter of being unsure about health, but a matter of forgetting about it and taking it for granted. Forgetting that everyday, bit by bit, we can do something good for our health and work towards a life we think is out of reach, when it really is already at our fingertips and just a "yes" away.
"Yes" to nourishing the relationship to our body with one little thing to start with. Like writing a little note to our loved one and tucking it into their lunch box in the morning, we can be kind to our body by composing a mind-note of appreciation as we wake up, drinking a big glass of water when we wake up, choosing a nourishing first meal of the day, or taking five minutes to stretch before the day begins — small acts that say, “I care about you.”.
There are many little ways of showing love to ourselves and stay healthy: Food, water, choosing the right people to surround yourself with, exercise, oral hygiene, meditation, sleep, rest. Focus on one single thing you want to improve and commit to. Be easy and kind to yourself about the other things.
For me, that one thing is sleep.
Sleep isn't just sleep, especially not nowadays, when our phones are always right by our side, often the last thing we see at night and the first thing we see in the morning.
But good sleep really is a game changer and has so much power. It fills you with energy, makes you emotionally unshakable, and leaves you feeling peacefully balanced.
I’ve always been very sensitive to poor sleep and have often encountered skepticism when I said I’m basically useless if I haven’t had a good night’s sleep — because some people think they’re “absolutely fine with 5–6 hours of sleep.”
But science has strong evidence that getting enough good-quality sleep is crucial for your health, emotional regulation, appetite, and so much more. Fun fact: just a few days of insufficient sleep can impair your reaction skills to the same level as being drunk!
I really recommend the research by Matthew Walker. He commits his life doing research on sleep and is a very good science communicator.
So if you think you’re doing okay with less sleep, try tuning in more to your body and really listening to it. Poor sleep also weakens your immune system and lowers your ability to fight off illnesses — even serious ones like cardiovascular disease and cancer.
Here are a few steps I'm trying to establish to achieve good sleep:
Eating the last meal at 4/5 pm.
Being home by 8 pm (on days without fencing practice).
No phone after 8pm.
Sleep by 10 pm.
I love eating early and getting good sleep because it makes such a difference in how I feel day to day.
But, when we don't see the immediate effect of a healthy lifestyle it's hard staying committed.
One little hack you can try is set an alarm.
If the one thing you want to commit to is meditating every day, set an alarm at a convenient time to help you stay consistent. If it is good sleep you want to commit to, set an alarm to remind you to get ready for bed and start your bedtime routine. You can write a journal to see how that one health commitment is going, just for 2 minutes every night to begin with.
It will pay off.
When I was ill for almost four weeks, it felt like a whole month of my life just flew by. It was like falling asleep in November and waking up to the new year. Meanwhile you were in pain, physically and mentally. For someone self-employed, that’s a monthly salary gone.
If these things happen, they happen. But I want to do my best to stay healthy and live the life I imagine for myself.
Happy and healthy.
Much love,
Linh
