David Vienna’s Guide for Hypochondriacs, Overthinkers, and Worrywarts

Mental HealthJanuary 23, 2023

Ideally we’d all like to believe that personal health is just that: personal. But, regrettably, it has long been a trade and a way to build wealth.

It stands to reason that the experts and gurus want you to utilize their method, diet, or products because it helps them generate money. They make unabashed claims of how you must let them lead the way to a fresher, magically improved you. But David Vienna claims otherwise.

David Vienna is an author, writer, and the founder of “The Daddy Complex,” a parenting humor website where he recounts his wife and twin boys’ antics. Let’s look at some key takeaways from his new book, “Pretty Sure You’re Fine: The Health and Wellness Guide for Hypochondriacs, Overthinkers, and Worrywarts.”

1. Have Faith In Your Gut

In general, you can trust your body to tell you when you need to modify something; if your body isn’t providing that signal, that’s great. If you feel fine, you probably are. Not everyone who hears this is perfectly secure and well. Please don’t skip a doctor’s appointment because of a sentence in a book.

However, you can tell when you’re lying to yourself no matter how much you insist on flawlessly belting out Adele’s songs at karaoke. So, if you believe there is a need to better your mental or physical well-being, you are most likely correct.

Andrea/Pexels | And if that voice is the one you attempt to silence with unhealthy behaviors, you know it’s the one you should be listening to

2. Determine Your Own Pace

Many experts, as well as Penn State research, have discovered that comparing oneself to people thought to be doing better than you might lead to depression and other undesirable outcomes. So, don’t put yourself in the same category as your neighbor who runs five miles every morning. Or that employee who goes to the gym during their lunch break. They have their own routine, and, to be honest, no one loves a show-off.

Being realistic about your talents is the key to success. If you intend to run a marathon in the future, start with walking a half-mile on your workout days. When it becomes too easy, add a half-mile. When that becomes second nature, try jogging that mile. And so forth. The same is true for dieting and even seeing a therapist. Cut calories gradually, not abruptly. Recognize that rehabilitation takes months or years rather than days.

Andrea/Pexels | And disregard any ticking clock in your head that tells you to be in bikini form by spring break

3. Concentrate On Routine Rather Than Goals

If getting out of a mental slump or dropping 10 pounds feels overwhelming, that’s because it is. But there is a way to alleviate all of that stress: consider your chosen path (or pathways) to progress as a journey rather than a goal. You know, self-improvement of any type is never a smooth line. So, if you only focus on the goal you’ve set for yourself, it’s sometimes easy to become disheartened. Occasionally, totally typical setbacks will conceal the final line.

Oliver/Pexels | True wellness has never been an easy road

For example, if you go on a scale and realize that you’ve not only not lost any weight but have actually gained a pound or two, you may experience an irresistible impulse to toss the scale from your balcony and eat that leftover mac and cheese in the fridge. However, if you understand that the routine—daily self-care—is the true aim, you will be more likely to continue with it.