If you want to be a happier and healthier person, you will have to work for it. There’s no shortcut that you can go through. You have to make changes in the lifestyle that you’re used to in order to arrive at the one that you want and know is better for you in all aspects of your life.
Sometimes these changes don’t have to be big and dramatic, even small ones can go a long way if you’re able to be consistent with them. Here are some habits that you may want to adapt to help you be a better and healthier you.
1. Go Offline From Time To Time
Everyone needs support from family and friends. Even the toughest guy on the planet has his low moments too. Visiting your parents, catching up with siblings, or a phone call to a friend is so beneficial for your well-being more than you think. But you shouldn’t rely on technology and social media to stay connected with your loved ones. Go offline and meet face to face. It’s always so much better that way.
2. Try To Achieve A Really Good Night Sleep
Notice how cranky you get when you lack sleep? Coffee can’t compensate for that. Try to sleep at least 7 hours daily and you’ll surely gain more energy, maintain sharper mind, and lower risk of getting sick.
3. Head Outdoors
The world is so much bigger than your home and workplace. Hiking, camping, swimming at the beach, and visiting more places that aren’t malls or buildings or even just spending 20 minutes in the sun keeps you grounded. The natural environment also helps calm you mentally and emotionally when work, traffic, and too much computer is starting to take a toll on your health generally.
4. Learn Something New
New skills help keep your brain healthy. Sign up for a dance class or a creative writing workshop. Better yet, master a new language. The mental work it takes can slow the signs of aging and may even delay the effects of Alzheimer's disease.
5. Quit Smoking
Smoking shortens your lifespan. If that’s not a reason enough for you to quit I don’t know what is. But aside from that, you might also be inflicting secondhand smoke on other people which is more lethal than inhaling smoke directly from a cigar. What’s the use of you installing an air purifier at home to breathe clean air if you’re still going to continue puffing that cigarette?
6. Start Small
Usually, the reason why people fail at trying to lead a healthier lifestyle is that they try to go all in. Approaching any goal with big sudden effort is bound to fail sooner or later. Why? That’s because it’s our natural reaction to feel tired or move away from something that feels restrictive and depriving. So if you’re trying to lose weight, for example, don’t go into a diet plan that is completely different from what you’re used to. If you’re a big meat eater, don’t try to be straight vegan all of a sudden because chances are you’ll start slipping off that diet. Do it slowly. Instead of eating meat (or whatever unhealthy food you eat) every day, cut it down to 4 days a week, then three, down to one. But don’t cut it out completely. Then learn to cook healthier options for your meals. This way you won’t feel like you’re depriving yourself.
7. Drink A Glass Of Water Before Every Meal
Drinking water has a lot of health benefits for our body. It doesn’t just keep you hydrated but it also helps improve your digestion, clear the skin a bit, as well as keeps you from drinking sodas. But aside from that, if you make it a habit to drink a glass of water before every meal, it will fill you up you that you don’t overeat.
8. Make One Meal Really Healthy
Making healthy meals 3 times a day or more is ideal but definitely hard to keep up. So instead, just commit to one really healthy meal a day. You could take home-cooked lunch to work or do a simple skinless chicken breast and some cucumbers for dinner. This way, you won’t have to think about eating healthy, because you just will.
9. Have A Weekly Physical Challenge
We all know that working out is great for our body. However, a busy everyday schedule can make it difficult for you to go to the gym every day. So instead of stressing yourself out about missing gym sessions, how about setting a weekly physical challenge to complete. It doesn’t matter if it’s a 60 minute Zumba class or a 5-mile hike as long as you enjoy it. Doing it this way ups the chance that you’ll actually do it and the most important part is that you get to work out your body.
10. Take Those Little Health Problems Seriously
Those “just a stiff neck/back pain” or “just a headache”lead to bigger or more complicated conditions when not addressed accordingly and right away. Leaving them untreated because they are ‘not that bad’ can over time, harm both your overall health and your quality of life, so taking a positive step towards solving these issues, like making an appointment to see a good chiropractor, will probably have a bigger positive impact on your day to day life than you’d ever imagined.