Although some people may think that being healthy and having a healthy lifestyle come from just eating nutritious foods, there are actually three basic aspects which all contribute to a healthy lifestyle. These include physical health, mental health and nutrition. Here are 20 tips and suggestions that I personally know work which will positively influence your lifestyle by making you a healthier, and therefore happier, person.
By following these tips daily, your lifestyle will become healthy and dependable in no time! I suggest writing at least 3 goals out on paper so that you can see them and feel motivated to do these ‘activities’ every day. Just remember, think of your future self. If you want to be healthy in the future you have to put in the effort now, it doesn’t work itself! Just keep persisting and push through the negative, lazy thoughts!
1. Exercise regularly! This can include jogging, swimming, cycling, gardening, walking, dancing and much more. You should be exercising for at least 30 minutes 3 times a week, but it is ideal to exercise for 30 minutes every day. Doing exercise not only helps your physical health but also your mental health. It is proven that doing exercise regularly will make you a healthier person and it also lowers rates of depression. This is because whilst you’re exercising, your body releases chemicals called endorphins which, in short, trigger a positive feeling in the body. Be sure to mix up your workouts, so that you are exercising every part of your body as well as never getting bored!
2. Get enough sleep – at least 7-8 hours sleep each night. Sleep is a major factor to your health which has a significant cause on it. Getting more sleep not only makes you less tired, fit and positive for another day, but it also helps prevent excess weight gain and heart disease. The average adult should be getting at least 7 hours of sleep, although this varies between each individual and their schedules (whether they are doing exercise etc.).
3. Spend time with loved ones and build positive relationships. Spending time with family is very beneficial for children as it allows them to be more sociable and therefore have better self-confidence and build relationships as they grow up. It also helps you cope with stress and positive relationships make you overall a happier person.
4. Make time to relax (meditation, deep breathing, watching the clouds/stars). Relaxation is an essential aspect to a healthy lifestyle as it allows our body and mind to repair and recharge itself. Relaxation improves our mood and further allows us to make smarter decisions. Not only this, it lowers the risk of depression, anxiety and many heart problems, like heart attacks.
5. Challenge your mind (cross words, work, chess, puzzle). Challenging your mind not only just increases your memory, but also helps you grow as an individual! It helps you gain awareness, knowledge and skills, whilst making you a healthier person physically and mentally.
6. Take a walk and reflect on what you see and hear at least several times per week. Not only does this get the blood flowing but also makes you gain insight, look at problems from different angles and helps you to move forward. It also allows you to pick up on little details around you that you may have missed and be grateful and appreciate the world around us!
7. Try something new and often (eat new foods, try a different route to work, go to an art gallery). Pushing ourselves out of our comfort zone helps us become more confident people and get over fears that may be stopping us from doing the things we love! We become happier whilst learning about the world and ourselves along the way.
8. Pick up a hobby! Having a hobby not only saves you from boredom, but helps you relieve stress and allow you to take your mind of everyday activities, like work. Hobbies also allow you to become more patient and learn new skills!
9. Have fun and do things you love. Not much of an explanation is needed for this one! If you do things you love you will become a happier person, and the happier you are, the healthier you are! You will be more motivated to do everyday tasks and activities and working will be easier as it is something you are passionate about.
10. Let yourself be pleased with your achievements, no matter how big or small. This will make you feel better about yourself and be healthier mentally. Being proud of yourself makes you happier and further reduces stress. Not only this, it will make you want to try harder and achieve more.
11. Talk to a therapist! This can benefit you in many ways, by letting you understand yourself better and the people around you as well. It helps us to see the world and problems from different angles and find solutions to things that may be making us upset.
12. Love yourself and your body and your mind. Loving yourself does not mean you are narcissistic or egocentric, rather that you appreciate yourself and the amazing things you and your body can do. This can be very beneficial for your mental health and well-being as it lowers depression and anxiety and makes you more positive.
13. Forgive yourself for your mistakes, you're only human! Everyone makes mistakes and as long as you learn from them it's alright! If you allow yourself to forgive you for all the mistakes you have made, you will let go of anger, guilt, sadness and any other emotions you may be feeling, and move on! Identify your mistake and what you're feeling and learn and forgive! This will make you happier and mentally healthier.
14. Be positive and pay less attention to negative thoughts. With a positive attitude you see the bright side of life and are more genuinely happy. A positive attitude helps you cope more easily with the daily affairs of life and makes it easier to avoid worries and over thinking. It's only human to pay attention to negative thoughts although it needs to be stopped! It holds people back from doing what they love and people cope with self-negativity in different ways, some constantly snack, others over exercise. It is very easy to change your mentality to be more positive, just follow the steps in this blog!
15. Close your eyes and take 10 deep breaths and relax your muscles when you are stressed or overwhelmed. This will allow you to quickly lower your stress levels and calm down. This is because your heart rate quickly slows and you breath becomes steady, which makes you feel calm and steady as well. So, next time you feel stressed or anxious just take ten deep breaths and focus on relating your muscles. Focusing on tensing and releasing your muscles takes your mind off what you are stressed/anxious about for a couple of seconds and lets your body feel more under control and relaxed afterwards.
16. Distance yourself from negative or toxic people from your life. Distancing yourself from toxic people in your life can be painful, as you may deeply care for some of these people in spite of how difficult it is to have them in your life. To maintain your resilience and cope with any sadness, stay in close contact with those who make you feel safe, loved and happy. Toxic people drain your energy and make you feel bad about yourself, whether it is in obvious situations or not. They always picks fights and make the conversation about themselves, there people do not care about you! Without them in your life you will be happier and it may solve bad coping habits, like snacking.
17. Be sure to have a healthy diet. This, along with physical exercise helps you maintain a healthy weight and body and therefore lowers risks of chronic diseases (cancer and heart diseases). Check out 'Recipes' for some healthy recipes you can add into your diet to benefit your health!
18. Drink at least 2 litres of water every day. Water is essential to every person's diet as it makes up 60% of the human body. This means it is crucial to stay hydrated and continuously drink water throughout the day. Water is also essential to a diet as it carries nutrients to all cells in the human body and oxygen to the brain. As well as this, it allows the body to absorb minerals, vitamins, glucose and other substances and it flushes out toxins and waste while helping to regulate body temperature! Water is a must need or your body will shut down!
19. Quit smoking, don't do illegal drugs and don't drink too much alcohol (moderate servings). If you already have mental health problems, smoking can make it more complicated as it can make your anxiety/depression much worse. Smoking significantly affects your physical health, causing problems like shortness of breath, becoming more prone to regular colds or flu. In the long term, smoking causes heart disease and cancers.
Drugs and alcohol change the way your brain and body work. They change the balance of chemicals that help your brain to think, feel, create and make decisions and the toxins released whilst high or the pain you do not feel whilst drunk cause people to become addicted. Eventually, drugs and alcohol leave you feeling worse - anxious and agitated, depressed, unmotivated and moody. If you were to stop these bad habits, you will be healthier and live longer, stronger life.
20. Be sure to get enough vitamin D and calcium. These elements work together to protect your bones, calcium helps build and maintain bones, while vitamin D helps your body effectively absorb calcium. Calcium is present in foods such as reduced-fat or skim milk, low-fat plain/fruit yogurt, cheese, tofu and many others.
cover photo by Morta Boo