Personal health and hygiene as a bigger picture life skill

Cleanliness is a resource that can be given, taken and shared. It can be created, used, misused, shared or selfishly hoarded:

Such words like aesthetic, neat, beautiful, tidy, spic and span are used to describe what the eyes behold as good to look. Such words like inspirational, enjoyable, enthusiastic, engulfing and awesome are used to describe what the ear has picked and finds appealing. Tasty, crunchy, wholesome, delicious and nutritious are some of the words used to describe what the tongue has tasted and finds palatable. Fragrance, perfume and good air can be some of these words one uses to describe a non foul atmosphere. In a way all these adjective presuppose one thing: cleanliness. If food were to be served in a place that was untidy and full of flies, that would demotivate many. Now, that place would not escape such adjectives like: vile, dirty, unclean, dangerous, infectious and down right unwelcome. If a person serving say food is not clean, smells or does not mind about appearance this may turn away many people.

The Ten Step Life Skills in maintaining cleanliness:

1. Personal hygiene

2. Clothes

3.Grooming

4.Home

5. Domestic Animals

6. Articles ( equipment, tools, utensils..)

7. Exercise and recreation

8. Environment or contexts

9. Prevention and curative services

10. Follow up

By personal hygiene, is meant the care and minding about body, mouth and hair. One needs to care for their teeth, ears, nails, armpits, loins, various body parts and limbs. These need washing, scrubbing and well cared for. In fact all external body parts need washing and grooming much the same way. Applying light moisturized lotions helps keep the skin aerated and moist.

Our clothes are part of the ten factors of health. They add to elegance and respectful demeanor one can be given. Clothes keep one warm and lessen on exposure to weather vagaries. This in turn lessens the vulnerability to colds and infections.

Grooming is the regular care one gives to the body, hair, nails and way of dressing. This contributes to the whole idea of how one is presenting her/himself.

One's home is the primer for all care one expects to get. It is at home that one feeds, is warm, washes, does laundry, relaxes and lives. It is here that one spends longer times. A bigger percentage of one's life is spent in a place where one has access to bed, breakfast and bonding with other members. In this atmosphere one has to be clean and neat. Otherwise, lice and other pests may find this an invitation for them to stay too. These pests are vectors of disease causing agents.

Domestic animals should be fed and housed well. They should be reared in an environment that allows them to lead their animal life with not so much of interference by human activity. They must be able to mesh in human life. They should not get in your of life too.

By articles is meant all such machines, tools and equipment that enable one do work or perform roles in their home or workplace. These articles must not endanger you nor must they be left in such a way as to endanger others. They must be used according to their purpose (utility and purpose).

Exercise and recreation enable the muscles and bones of the body to maintain a state of good health. Exercise and recreation help the brain to remain sharp. Interaction with other people as one is exercising helps in maintaining links with other humans and improves on ones skills and reflexes.

The environment or context is composed of the regulations, policy, trees, air, water, animals and other people. How one conducts her/himself vis-a-vis the environment influences one's hygiene status. One has to know where to dispose off garbage and how. One has to know what activities should not be construed as nuisance to self or others. Understanding the environment is crucial in a waste management process. All humans are participants in this process. All it takes is: knowing what one uses and disposes off after. It is imperative to sort the waste in three piles; biodegradable (hazard and non-hazards), non-biodegradable non plastics (metals, synthetic articles) and non-biodegradable plastics. These are put in different bags marked for the articles to be disposed off. For more information one can access various links. One such informative and authoritative link is a government department link of your country e.g. for USA it is http://www.epa.gov/.

Preventive and Curative services are part of the holistic cleanliness agenda. Regular brushing of teeth, regular washing of one's body, regular cleaning of one's home and regular laundry are part of the preventive best practices expected of one. However, there are moments when falls ill. It is at this time that one visits the health facility for further check ups, diagnosis, treatment and management of the illness. It could be a debilitating or infectious illness. It is imperative that one adopts a culture of seeking health care services from trained health workers.

'Follow up' is the tenth factor in this ten step life skills for preserving heath. Continue doing the 'good' practices and drop the 'goof' practices!

There are various models in providing and demanding health services. It also depends on physical status, mental status and attitude.

In providing services for low income beneficiaries a model of a static facility which acts as a base and point of referral comes in handy. This is also a resource Center that can be a drop-in facility with scheduled health education and Life planning resources catering to all people whether young persons and adults.

This model is an opportunity to bring policy, personal development and public health together at a venue and in an environment that is friendly. The facility has resources that are user friendly. These resources are collected and distributed to the beneficiaries at a regular time determined by appointments or voluntary drop-ins. This has its advantages in that one's decision for continued follow up is supported. The consumables are in the following forms: paper, electronic and prophylactic consumables.

It is easy to turn a popular venue into a health facility through the outreach services. For instance a library, office, meeting place, training facility and a conference space can be used as impromptu drop-by venues. This in turn enables various persons to engage in mentored conversation.

A one stop community services center, offers the following services: provide information, education and communication services geared at influencing decisions for health seeking and life preserving practices.

The mission of engaging in life preserving practices is to prolong one's life while at the same time safeguarding the life of others. It is believed that this creates an impression about you to other people. Trust and confidence in you is built and it will not as a surprise if you make friends easily with people.

Integration and assimilation into societies is an ongoing thing.Good manners, good conversation skills, good people skills and cleanliness all go had in hand.

For one to attain get psycho-social-economical empowerment and turn out to be good, one has to also work through the ten life skills pointed out earlier. To indeed be empowered, an individual’s public health status has to be of a good quality.

It is my hope that in reading this short narrative you have been empowered as individuals to take charge of the basic preventive health practices. It is my hope that I have guided you through a path to access health services in a vicinity near you. Know your contexts, that way you know your contests better. This empowerment gives control and belief in life.