Health scan

Pat Coyle, Jesuit communications manager

Do you think you have a healthy lifestyle?

I want to say yes, but the truth (anticipating your follow-on questions) is no!).

How often do you exercise?

Not often enough I know . . . about once a week I have a 20-minute walk or ride the bike. I am hoping to change this over Lent!

Do you get your five a day?

Not always the five, but I do eat well – lean meat, fruit and veg and not too much sweet stuff – and I’m not overweight.

Do you worry?

I used to worry a lot when I was younger, but now I manage it very well with various strategies such as reminding myself I have control over nothing or nobody except myself.

What do you do to relax?

Meet my friends, read, watch films, go out for a meal, go for a drive in the country, drink a glass or two of wine, sleep (which I don’t get enough of during the week), go to an Al-anon meeting.

Al-anon is a 12-step programme (like AA) for people who have been affected by another’s drinking. My sister is a recovering alcoholic who is now an addiction counsellor in Donegal. Al-anon is a spiritual programme which helps me in every aspect of my life and has been described as “America’s contribution to the history of spirituality”.

What’s your unhealthiest habit?

When the glass of wine is more than a glass or two, and eating too late at night. Every year I try to take up the Pioneer Association’s invitation to either reduce or cut out alcohol for Lent.

Last year I found cutting out alcohol for Lent a challenge, but it turned out to be really worthwhile. As a result, I am doing it again this year, and I hope I can complete the challenge like I did last year.