What worries people can vary greatly

WHEN it comes to self-care, managing finances may not immediately come to the top of your mind! Interestingly,money topped the list of worries of Irish people in a survey commissioned by Protection experts, Royal London earlier this year–ahead of health and relationships! Money, health and family have dominated the list since the survey began 4 years ago.

The survey also showed that women are more likely than men to worry about family, (17% versus 14%) while men are more likely to worry about health and work – and interestingly even more likely to lose sleep over romantic relationships (7% versus 4%).

The study also showed that making health improvements was the biggest priority change for people in Ireland with 36 percent highlighting it as number 1.

People over 55 were more likely to report health as their primary worry as compared with younger people. Generally it was shown that older people worry less about money and younger people are four times more inclined to worry about relationships as compared to the over 55s.

Men surveyed were more focused on their careers, with 32% saying it’s a priority for them as comparted to 21% of women. Women prioritized their health, with 41% saying they were going to make improvements in this area as compared to 29% of men.

Mr Charles, of Royal London stated: ‘ The survey findings give an interesting read on the ‘pulse of the nation’ in a given year. It informs us as to what’s worrying people the most and what are people trying to focus on in their life. In 2019, ‘ money’ stands out with 39% of people saying that this is their biggest source of worry. Meanwhile, in terms of their biggest focus, the largest portion of people surveyed (36%) intend on making health-related improvements.’

It is interesting to reflect on these things at this point in the year. We still have 3 months to go before the end of the year. This is a lot of time and you could make a lot of progress if you use the time wisely.

WHAT DO YOU WORRY ABOUT?

If you had been asked at the start of the year what were your worries and priorities what would they have been? Has anything changed ? What are your answers to the same questions today? It is always important to take action to address problems and to give time to what is important to you.

When we solve our problems and address our worries we feel good. We feel less burdened by life. When we spend our time on our priorities, life and time has more value and meaning to us. We feel motivated and uplifted.

Confidence grows when we can rely on ourselves to address worries and do what is important. The opposite happens when we don’t. When we have problems that we don’t solve, our mind generates a lot of unhealthy stress. This adds to physical stress which in turn creates a host of other problems including health problems which ultimately, adds to our worries.

TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR TIME AND THOUGHT PATTERNS

In the same way that financial experts advise people to take control of spending when looking at financial wellbeing, personal wellbeing can be supported and managed when we look at our time and how we spend it. When our thinking, actions and how we spend our time are in alignment, we feel good. If not, we don’t. If you have worries, take action to address them and if you have priorities, give them their due time.

The main food sources include cod liver oil, oily fish, eggs, cheese, butter, fortified dairy products, and cereals.

Some health issues associated with Vitamin D deficiency include osteoporosis, lowered immunity, low mood, and hormonal imbalance. Bone pain and muscle weakness are a symptom of deficiency. A deficiency can increase the risk of heart disease and cancer. Both adults and young children are at risk of Vitamin D deficiency. So as you can see it is an important vitamin and it’s worth considering whether you need to take extra.

You’ll find vitamin D2 and vitamin D3 supplements, D3 (cholecalciferol) is commonly made from extracts from sheep’s wool (lanolin),it’s also made from lichen which is suitable for vegetarians and vegans. D2 (ergocalciferol) is the synthetic form vitamin D present in many supplements. D3 is considered the more absorbable form Vitamin. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin meaning that it’s better absorbed in the presence of fats or oils.

The amount needed will vary from person to person, a blood test will help you decide. Some people will judge according to how they feel, for example a drop in mood in the darker days can be an indicator, if you also get lots of colds and flu this may be another sign. Most people take 1000iu at this time of year.

Why not have a chat with the staff in your local store to help you choose.