The more people are able to take care of themselves, the happier they will be. The more they are able to take care of themselves, the more fulfilling and interesting their lives will be. They will spot more opportunities, and they will have more confidence that their decision-making is accurate and balanced. On top of that, when we take care of our physical health, we’ll feel better, live longer, and again, be more able to achieve things in life.
Yet understanding how to take care of ourselves is not always as easy as it might seem at first. In fact, it can be very hard. We know we need to stay healthy, but how can we do that? We know we need to think more positively, but when there are negative things happening, how is that possible? These questions and many others can all be answered when you know who to ask, and when you know to ask those in careers that help people take care of themselves.
When you start to look around, you’ll realize there are many of these careers in the world. These are the jobs that people take on because they want to be of use to others. There are lots of variations, and that makes choosing the right career both exciting and difficult. With that in mind, here are some of the best careers to try if you want to help people take better care of themselves.
Table of Contents
Nursing
Nurses have many different jobs to do under the overarching umbrella of their career. They have to look after the physical, mental, and emotional needs of their patients, and that’s why it takes a special kind of person to be a nurse.
Many people would be able to learn the medical side of things, especially if this was something they were interested in, but when it comes to the emotional help that a nurse needs to provide, that’s something else entirely, and it’s not something that everyone is capable of. This is why not everyone can or should become a nurse; it takes a certain type of personality to do it.
What’s truly wonderful about being a nurse, however, no matter what department you work in or what your core patient group might be, is that you can help people take good care of themselves. You’ll be in contact with many thousands of people throughout your career as a nurse, and every person you meet in this capacity will need some kind of help.
This is where a nurse can be so crucial; you will be able to teach people how to look after their physical needs, whether that’s looking after an injury or helping a wound to heal better after the patient has been discharged, and you’ll be able to help them understand their health in more general terms, such as why exercise is important and what a good diet is. Having this knowledge will ensure people are healthier in their lives going forward.
Personal Trainer
We’ve just mentioned how important exercise is, but that doesn’t mean it’s something that everyone is happy to do. There is a lot of effort involved, and although some will love the challenge that exercising regularly will bring, others will put it off as much as possible, only doing the bare minimum, and often not even doing that. This is not good for them. Lack of exercise can cause many different conditions and illnesses, such as obesity, type II diabetes, heart problems, and much more. Our bodies need to be taken care of, and although there is help out there, we really need to do it for ourselves to get the most benefit.
Regarding that help, a personal trainer can make all the difference. It is their job to help people exercise in the best way, usually creating a specific exercise plan for that individual so that their strengths and weaknesses can be taken into account.
They will work with their client to get them the results they are looking for. This is great in itself, but what is the difference between a personal trainer and simply going to the gym? The biggest difference is the motivation that a personal trainer will bring.
When you are being taught by a personal trainer, you will have one-on-one lessons, and that is hugely motivating – you won’t want to let your trainer down, so you’ll often work harder and ensure you do what is required of you, especially when you receive praise for it. You can also ask as many questions as you need to ensure you understand exactly why you need to do what you’re doing, and that will help too.
Social Worker
Being a social worker is one of the most fulfilling and rewarding careers you can choose, and if you want to help people take better care of themselves, it’s an excellent choice to make. Social workers are there for people through traumatic and frightening situations, often the worst they’ll ever have to encounter, and with good work and dedication, they can help those people understand what happened and move forward, helping themselves to lead a positive life, no matter what might have happened in the past.
Of course, this does mean that social workers need to take good care of themselves as well as others or the trauma could certainly affect them, but there will be a good support network to help you, and your training will enable you to know when you need to step back.
The great thing about being a social worker is that you can help many different people from all walks of life, and no two days will ever be the same. You might need to assist someone who is just leaving the foster care system, for example, or ensure that new adoptive parents have everything they need to take care of their child.
You might need to help someone deal with grief or come to terms with life changes they would never have expected but have to deal with. Being a social worker is not easy, and you must think hard about whether it’s the right choice for you, but you can improve so many lives and help people really take care of themselves better, so if you can do it, you should certainly consider it.
Dentist
You’re probably surprised to see that dentist is on this list of careers that will help you help others, but the fact is that physical health is crucial, as we’ve seen, and sometimes it’s the little things that can be so easily forgotten but that make a huge difference, both negative and positive. For example, you’re likely to remember to book an appointment to see your doctor regularly because doctors take care of the whole body and even the mind in some cases, but you might forget to make an appointment to see your dentist because your teeth aren’t such a big thing to think about.
However, a dentist can help people help themselves, and it’s important to understand how. Poor dental hygiene can lead to many other health problems. Plaque on the teeth and gums can enter the bloodstream, for example, and cause infection or blockages. On top of this, toothache is hugely problematic, meaning that people won’t be as productive as they should be at work, and they might be distracted. This could have a negative effect on everything they do.
A dentist can fix the issues, but they will also help people understand why dental hygiene is so important, and how to ensure their patients get it right. As a dentist, you can teach people how to brush their teeth properly and why flossing is such a vital part of the process. You can even teach what foods are good and bad when it comes to your teeth. All of this information will help people take better care of themselves.
Nutritionist
A nutritionist plays a very important role in people’s lives and certainly will help their clients to take better care of themselves once they have imparted their wisdom and given plenty of information. Eating a well-balanced, nutritional diet is crucial, and if you don’t, you run the risk of developing:
- Depression
- Heart disease
- Lung disease
- Obesity
- Ulcers
There are other issues besides these as well. Sometimes it’s a case of knowing what’s good for you but ignoring it, and sometimes it’s a case of not knowing in the first place. With the second group of people, a nutritionist can teach them what food is good and what is bad and the reasons behind it (which will help it to stay in their clients’ minds) and ensure they have a great diet plan that gives them all the vitamins and minerals they need and helps them become healthier. Over time, they will be able to help themselves and choose their own food because they have a better understanding of why some foods are better than others.
When it comes to the first group of people, again, the nutritionist can use all their skills and knowledge to impress upon their clients just why it’s important to eat better, and they will show that eating healthier doesn’t have to be boring. This is hugely important, and it will truly help people become a lot healthier in their lives.
