When it comes to signs of poor health in others, women are the first ones ready with the thermometer, the hot pad and the doctor's phone number. But when it comes to their own needs, women say they have too little time.

In a National Women's Health Resource Center survey of some 1,000 women (aged 18 years and older), researchers assessed women's knowledge, attitudes and perceptions of their health.

And the Survey Said ...

A whopping 71 percent of women said they control the primary health care decisions, namely when and whom family members will see for medical care. Yet few women were able to make large-scale or permanent lifestyle changes to improve their own health:

• The majority of women said they exercised more and had dieted, though few of them had reached their weight goals.

• While they acknowledged stress played a significant role in their health, only half of them actually reduced stress in their lives over the past year.

• Only 40 percent believed having enough free time to improve their quality of life was very important.

• Having a healthy family took precedence over eating better, losing weight, exercising and sidestepping chronic disease.

Moreover, researchers took into account the various races, ethnicities and incomes of the women surveyed and found 54 percent of lower-income women said they believed being healthy was something they could control, compared to 71 percent of middle-income women and 79 percent of upper-income women who felt they had control over their health.

National Women's Health Resource Center May 4, 2005 (Free Full-Text Article)

Los Angeles Times May 9, 2005

Gary Craig's Comment:

Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) can be of inestimable value here because it can restructure the conditioning underlying this plight. Think about it! Women are conditioned to be caretakers since the time they're born; and most do the job dutifully and with style and grace.

Gratitude is my gift for their tireless efforts. However, this job can certainly be done without ignoring the caretaker herself. I've had many discussions with women along these lines and have discovered that often they harbor subconscious beliefs such as ...

"People will think I'm selfish if I look out after myself. Good caretakers wouldn't do that. We must be martyrs."

"I'm not worthy of taking care of myself and this is one way to prove it."

"My mother would frown upon me if I treated myself well."

"If I don't put everyone else first, my husband may leave me ... just like my father left my mother."

And so it goes.

The proper use of EFT can replace the above useless beliefs with new ones such as ...

"Taking care of myself allows me to set a glowing example."

"There is plenty of room for me here."

"Ignoring my own needs is a poor model for my children."

Note: Those without an EFT background can receive an orientation by going to EFT Newcomers Info or by getting the free EFT Get Started Package, including a free download of the 79-page EFT Manual (it includes all the basics).