Your health goes hand in hand with your Boosting vitality, because living a long life, especially a fulfilling, happy one, requires good health. This means when you don’t fuel and nurture your body, you reap what you sow. The same applies if you take action and live well. While you don’t have to be a fitness guru or eliminate the occasional chocolate chip cookie, making some practical changes can help you lead a healthier life, especially in the long run.
Make Mental Health Truly Matter
While a recent push toward mental health is prevalent, it’s more than a trend. It’s one piece of the puzzle of your overall health and wellness because your mind and body aren’t separate entities. They work together.
Let’s put this into perspective:
Suppose you’re stressed regularly, whether from work, home, or a combination of both. It’s taking its toll on your health, more than just causing you to feel anxious and overwhelmed. Your heart may suffer from the effects, as anxiety can raise your blood pressure, stressing your heart and vessels in return. Moreover, chronic stress elevates your likelihood of cardiovascular disease and can increase your chances of one day having a stroke.
That’s not the only issue poor mental health can have on overall health, either. Even your immune system may take a hit from stress. And depression may also chisel away at your health, causing you to feel sore and drained.
To prioritize your mental well-being, take enough time out of your busy life for yourself. That may mean taking a Saturday off every so often to binge-watch your favorite series, curling up with a good book whenever you can, or dedicating 20 minutes of each day to indulge in a hot shower before bed.
Eventually, if you’re all work and no play, you’ll have nothing left of yourself to share or contribute. You’ll struggle to finish your to-do list, or you may feel overwhelmed or lack motivation. So make mental matter now.
Add Exercise to Your Routine
Whether you make physical activity your “you” time or merely incorporate it into your life, getting exercise is positive for both your physical and mental health. You can relieve stress, keep your heart healthy, and improve your mood by working out regularly. You’ll also keep your muscles and soft tissues strong and flexible so you maintain your mobility as long as possible.
And If you don’t have the motivation to go to the gym each day, know you can alter your schedule and routine to fit your life. For instance, rather than weight lifting or joining a Pilates class, go for a walk or jog after dinner each day. If you enjoy golf, spend a few days on the course, preferably without a golf cart so you maximize how much you’re getting out of the workout.
Rather than stressing over completing tedious exercises you don’t enjoy, focusing on engaging at the same time every day, or working out for an hour or longer each time, do what you enjoy, and make it fit into your schedule easily. You’ll be more likely to incorporate it as a lifestyle when you approach adding exercise to your life this way.
Change Your Diet Gradually
Today’s typical diet is often rich in refined carbs and saturated fats, and neither one benefits your health. Because each is calorie-dense, this diet can lead to you gaining weight, all while raising your likelihood of heart disease.
Make it your goal to eat a variety of fruits and veggies, increase your lean protein intake, reduce your sugar and simple carb consumption, and opt for whole-grain carbohydrates. Watching your portions is also part of eating a balanced diet.
Trying to improve every aspect of your diet overnight isn’t for everyone, and it can easily deter you from wanting to eat healthily if you’re unhappy. Slowly altering your diet, changing one aspect at a time, is often a more sustainable solution.
Better Manage Your Current Conditions
If you have a health condition and still experience symptoms despite treatment, focus on better managing it. Although working with your primary care physician or a specialist is the most effective method, you can also take at-home measures.
For instance, somebody with lymphedema may benefit from upper body solutions like a pump, which applies controlled pressure to the arms to alleviate swelling. In turn, any pain will decrease. You’ll have a better quality of life, and your health issue will hold you back less.
Some clothing can also improve your condition. It’ll provide support and improve mobility by reducing swelling. And you know how you have specific clothing for summer, winter, spring, and fall? Well, your condition doesn’t take a break because the season changes, though you may notice differences related to the weather. So, consider purchasing a lymphedema-friendly wardrobe for each season.
Focus on Improving Your Sleep Schedule
While it seems people are busier now than ever, this isn’t completely true. Nowadays, people are sleeping more and working less. Shocking, right? That, however, doesn’t mean Americans, as a whole, obtain enough sleep. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that an estimated 35 percent of the U.S. population doesn’t receive the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep an adult should get.
Though that may not come as much of a surprise, the fact that 50 to 70 million U.S. adults suffer from a sleep disorder may come as one. If you have any of the following signs of one, reach out to a healthcare professional to receive treatment:
- Excessive daytime sleepiness
- Feeling moody throughout the day
- Waking up gasping for air
- Having difficulty falling or staying asleep
Even if you don’t have signs of a true sleep disorder, try incorporating lifestyle habits that can encourage you to get all the rest you need, such as:
- Avoiding caffeine in the evenings
- Limiting screentime before bed
- Getting adequate physical activity during the day
- Implementing a schedule
Keep in mind that if you’re not getting enough rest, you could find yourself short-tempered, suffering from memory impairment, having little energy, and lacking motivation. But short-term effects aren’t the only concerns or even the most serious ones. Frequently not getting enough sleep contributes to several health issues, such as heart disease and high blood pressure. Especially if you’re reaching for unhealthy foods to compensate for your tiredness, you could wind up with type II diabetes.
Putting your health first doesn’t just make for a better today; it makes for a better tomorrow and thereafter, too. You’ll improve your health in several ways, reducing your chances of chronic conditions and emergency health episodes and warding off acute illnesses simultaneously. Ultimately, you’ll increase longevity and your overall health and happiness.