As a hospice nurse, quality of life verse quantity of life, was something that often came up in discussion with patients and families. How do you want to live your life? What is an important focus for the time you have left here? You may not think this questions is relevant to you at this time, after all you are not dying, but this question is relevant to all of us. None of us know how much time we have left here. Even more importantly, sometimes quality of life and quantity of life are not the same thing.
According to Deepak Chopra, research shows that people who age well have 7 things in common.
They are:
- Meditation
- Wide social support systems
- Close relationships with family and friends
- Daily Multivitamin and mineral
- Good sleep and daily activity
- Life long curiosity
- Take on new challenges
Deepak goes on to say that most of these things are about quality of life. Therefore having a good quality of life equates to having more quantity of life too. I have seen this first hand in hospice. Patients on hospice, on average, live about 30 days longer than similar patients with the same diagnoses. Shifting the focus from curative to quality of life, actually extends life.
So what makes quality of life so important? It makes life worth living. What is the point in having a long life if you are miserable? Do I think that this means you should eat everything you want, party, and abuse your body? No, absolutely not. Although those things may give you pleasure in the moment, the abuse to your body is likely not going to contribute to healthy quality of life over the long haul. These types of abuses to the body take a toll on it, which could potentially cause disease and frustration.
A better quality of life can be found by:
- Working through you baggage
- Forgiving others and more importantly yourself
- Learning to truly love yourself
- Making healthy choices for your body
- Finding hope
- Having balance
- Surrounding yourself with people who respect you and make you feel heard
- Trusting the flow of the Universe to support you
- Awareness of yourself as an eternal being
- Remaining positive whenever possible but also acknowledging your emotions
How do you feel your quality life is? What steps do you need to take to attain and maintain a healthy, happy, quality of life? Remember that happiness is an inside job! No one can “make” us feel happy. It is a choice we make in every moment and with each interaction. Live your best life now. Don’t wait for tomorrow.
Thank you for reading my blog today. I love you! May you have an amazing quality of life, as if by magic.
Please Follow the Adventure Sisters
Stacy’s Blog
Emy’s Blog
Adventure Sister’s Facebook Page
Stacy’s Instagram
Emy’s Twitter
Adventure Sister’s Pinterest Board
Stacy Crep, Adventure Sister 