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Everyone has struggles that we may not know about

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By Brian Foley from Activate Fitness

In Part One last week of 'Do we all have the same 24 hours in the day?' I discussed negative comments such as “No one is too busy in this world. We all have the same 24 hours. It’s all about priorities”. In Part Two below we'll look at how life can throw a spanner in the works of even the most persistent of people.

If it’s not a matter of ‘motivation’ and ‘grind’, what creates barriers in peoples’ lives that stop them from achieving financial, health, or fitness goals?

There can be many things, but in this case, we should look to research rather than conjecture and anecdote and the most comprehensive research on this are The Social Determinants of Health (SDH) as defined by the World Health Organization as ‘non-medical factors that influence health outcomes’.

We’re not even talking here about those whose chronic disease keeps them from being active and living a ‘normal’ life, but SDH affect them, too.
It’s all inter-connected.

This 2014 study outlines how Social Determinants of Health are inseparably linked to health outcomes.

So yep, motivation doesn’t enter into it.

The social determinants of health include:

Income and social protection
Education
Race
Gender
Working conditions
Housing and environment
Early childhood development
Social inclusion and non-discrimination: this can range from having friends to lean on during structural conflict
Access to adequate health services
Unemployment and job insecurity
Food insecurity
Put simply, we all have different priorities and needs.

Social Determinants of Health are why people who are lower socioeconomic status often have poor health compared to their more affluent counterparts.

Someone who is working multiple jobs, shifts, is on their feet all day, and/or is struggling to pay their rent might not give a sh*t about your amazing transformation.
Their 24 hours are exhausting and stressful.

Another person who lives on Social Welfare, or who is struggling to afford food at all, is probably going to have an issue meeting the latest fad diet guidelines which include organic kale that can only have been grown under the light of a full moon in soil infused with sacred manure!

It’s not that they ‘aren’t trying hard enough'. Their 24 hours are devoted to putting food on the table as best they can.

How about the person with a medical condition that saps their energy making them unable to work or even leave the house? Are they supposed to find the ‘motivation’ to force themselves to be active and ‘get off the couch?’ Their 24 hours are spent trying to cope.

These people aren’t lazy, and they don’t lack direction or drive. They also don’t have the same 24 hours a day as someone who shops at the trendy organic market and can afford someone else to clean their home (or who has a home) and mind their children.

They don’t even have the same 24 hours as a person who has a 9-5 job and a roof over their head.

These sayings make me so mad, and I’m sitting here writing this from a place of extreme privilege.
For someone in a less fortunate situation, I can’t even imagine how insulting and demoralised they feel.

We should remember that not everyone has the things that most of us take for granted: time for food preparation, having someone to do the cleaning (or the time and energy to do it ourselves), food shopping, being able to take sick days, being able to get out of bed, having access to and money for medications, and being able to work from home.

Those are all luxuries.

We often know nothing about the people who see our content or who we interact with, so proclaiming that we all have the same 24 hours, or that they just need to get up off the couch, or that a ‘challenge’ is good for them, can be really off the mark.

It’s also ableist: that is, assuming that everyone is physically and mentally able.

Your only point of comparison should be yourself.

If you want to do a challenge, you do it, but please don’t shame people for not doing it with you.

If you want to eat organic food, go right ahead, but please don’t say that everyone should be eating that way.

Everyone has struggles that we may not know about. What’s good for you, isn’t necessarily good for someone else.

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Newstalk Summer Tour arrives in Killarney

Newstalk’s 2025 Summer Tour, in association with ESB, is making its way to Killarney this week, bringing live broadcasts from the town. On morning, Friday, June 20, Newstalk Breakfast with […]

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Newstalk’s 2025 Summer Tour, in association with ESB, is making its way to Killarney this week, bringing live broadcasts from the town.

On morning, Friday, June 20, Newstalk Breakfast with Ciara Kelly and Shane Coleman will be live from the Café du Parc in the Killarney Plaza Hotel and Spa, kicking off at 7 am.
Ciara and Shane are scheduled to speak with local Kerry figures and take a trip on Killarney’s jaunting cars to see the sights.
Kelly said: “I am so excited to head to Killarney. I have had some fantastic memories as a child visiting Kerry and can’t wait to go back for Newstalk’s Summer tour!”
Coleman added: “Kerry is a wonderful place to visit and I am looking forward to seeing its natural beauty, vibrant culture and rich history.”
The week-long tour is taking the full Newstalk experience to towns across Ireland, featuring live shows, special guests, and conversation.

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Ring of Kerry Cycle to honour founder Paddy O’Donoghue

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This year’s Ring of Kerry Charity Cycle, scheduled for July 5, will be run in memory of Paddy O’Donoghue, a founding member of the event.

Mr O’Donoghue, aged 81, from Muckross, passed away following a road collision in Kilgarvan on Tuesday, this week.

Paddy was a retired Kerry County Council engineer, affectionately known as ‘Paddy the Engineer’.

He was a driving force behind the annual charity cycle since its inception in 1982, regularly participating and fundraising for various causes. Beyond his cycling contributions, the Glenflesk native was also a notable footballer, having been part of the East Kerry team that secured the first All-Ireland Senior Football Championship in 1971.

Cathal Walshe, PRO of the Ring of Kerry Cycle said: “On behalf of the Ring of Kerry Charity Cycle I wish to extend sincere sympathy to Brenda and the O’Donoghue family on the sad and sudden loss of Paddy.

“He was a fantastic supporter of the annual charity cycle since it’s inception back in the 80s. A regular participant and wonderful fundraiser for whatever charity he chose. Paddy loved a challenge in whatever he undertook and was the epitome of what the event was all about. We miss the banter and craic but he won’t ever be forgotten. This year’s event will be dedicated to his memory on July the 5th. His likes will never be seen again. Slan Abhaile our friend.”

Tributes have been paid to Mr O’Donoghue, including from his local Glenflesk GAA club, who stated, “Glenflesk GAA would like to offer our sincere condolences to the family and friends of Paddy O’Donoghue on his sad passing. He was a true Glenflesk stalwart as a player, mentor and lifelong supporter.”

Paddy is survived by his wife Brenda, children Florence, Áine, Denise, Brenda, Báirbre, Patrick, and Alice, 17 grandchildren, his brother John, sisters Margaret, Kathleen, and Anna, and a wide circle of relatives and friends.

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