Our health is one of the most important aspects of our lives. Anyone who has been struck down by illness or disease can testify to that.
However, it is something that many people take for granted and don’t really pay much attention to it until something awful happens. If they are lucky, then the problem is reversible. If not, they may end up with a lifelong condition. Although you cannot prevent all illnesses and diseases by living a healthier lifestyle, you can avoid some and better fight others.
A healthy lifestyle is not just great for your physical health either, it can also improve your mental health and increase your general sense of wellbeing. Often, a mental illness can progress into the physical sphere, especially where stress is concerned.
To help you develop a healthier lifestyle for yourself, here are a few things to think about:
Meditation
We do live in a stressful world, and if you never take any time out just to forget the world and your troubles, then stress is going to mount higher and higher. Stress is such a harmful thing, and left untreated, it can affect the entire body, causing, among other things, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. Clearly, anything you can do to reduce your chances of developing these illnesses is a must, and one way is through meditation.
Meditation is a great way to reduce stress and anxiety, increase your emotional health and self-awareness, it can even increase your attention span, as well as a host of other benefits. The good thing about meditation is that you can practice it at home when you have ten minutes to spare. So, anyone out there who has a particularly busy schedule can find the time to do it.
Meditation is about reducing the chatter and noise in your mind and bringing you back to your core self. So, how can you do it? A very simple technique is to sit cross-legged or in the half or full lotus position, close your eyes and simply breathe. Just pay attention to your breathing, forgetting everything else.
When a thought materializes, don’t focus on it. Instead, let it float away back onto the far corners of your mind. If you can do this for ten minutes, you will definitely begin to feel the benefits. Aim for doing it three or four times a week up to every day to really reduce the stress in your body and develop a new perspective on the world.
Minimalism
A lot of us find it hard to stay on top of everything. We simply have no time for this or that and are constantly rushing about trying to run a household, have a family, and all our other responsibilities. The truth is, a lot of these engagements can be eliminated from your life.
Minimalism is an approach to life that helps you focus on what is important. It is about purging your life of everything that no longer serves you and, in effect, stops you from moving on in any kind of meaningful way. If life is a journey, and you are reliving the same experiences over and over, you are not progressing.
Minimalism is about finding freedom in your life and helping you find the time to focus on the things you actually want to do. One of the easiest ways to begin this process is to declutter your physical spaces. Clutter has such a negative effect on our mental health. It can cause stress and anxiety due to too much visual stimuli. Some objects also have the effect of stopping you from moving on. In the sense that, when you see the object, you automatically are reminded of something in the past. In some cases, this can have extremely damaging effects on the psyche.
Additionally, too much clutter allows the home to fill up with dust and mold, which can affect your repository system and may harm your children. Decluttering is a simple process. Just get rid of everything that you no longer use and need. Once you begin to see the benefit of having more space and air to breathe, you can extend this to your other spaces such as the friend space, activity space, etc. Purge everything that no longer serves you, and you will begin to feel better.
Get a Pet
Getting a pet can be beneficial to your in so many ways. A dog, for example, is great because you need to take them for walks, which will clearly increase your fitness level, especially if you tend to live a very sedentary lifestyle.
However, there are far more benefits than that. Pets can help reduce stress and anxiety. They can increase your mood, fighting off instances of depression. They can even improve your heart health. If you live alone, then they are great as a companion.
They are also great companions for children too. Pets can be a great source of conversation and can help you create more family activities.
Another thing is that it teaches children about the circle of life. Although dealing with the issue of death is extremely upsetting, it is still a fact of life. Pets have a shorter lifestyle and can help your child develop a harder skin which can benefit them in their adult life. When your dog dies, remember to honor the occasion to help your children with closure, you can even get dog urns as a fitting memorial for your loving pet.
Exercise
There is no doubt about it, exercise is good for your health. It keeps the body strong and also has a positive effect on the mind too. By exercising, you release more dopamine and serotonin into the blood, both of these chemicals are mood-boosting and if you exercise regularly, you will become happier as it is, in effect, a natural antidepressant. Exercising also releases endorphins which are feel-good chemicals that also increase your ability to feel pleasure.
By exercising, you are also helping your body flush out harmful toxins which can build up and have harmful effects on your body, it hello you keep your weight down, and it clears your skin. Exercising can open your lungs, strengthen your heart, and help you sleep better, too, among other things. Also, by staying mobile, you will have a much better quality of life as you age, and you will have more energy to look after children and even partake in some activities with them.
If you haven’t exercised for a while, it may be a good idea to speak to a doctor. But, even walking is great. To find ways to walk more, perhaps walk to kids to school, walk to the shops, park further from the entrances to paces you go to, use the stairs more, and go for walks in your free time. Once you get fitter, you can build up to other forms of exercise.
Drink More Water
Did you know that as many as 75% of all American adults are dehydrated? Dehydration is such a harmful thing to the body too, and it is such a simple thing to remedy with the ease of access most people have to water. All you need to do is drink more water. By doing this, you can prevent a whole range of illnesses such as kidney stones and kidney failure.
Drinking more water will give you more energy, help you lose weight, clear your skin, have an anti-aging effect, lubricate your joints, and allow your organs to function to their optimum too.
Dental Care
This may sound like an odd one, but what is more healthy than ways to take care of our teeth? As well as Invisalign, you should make sure you have a healthy diet by eating. You should also consume protein sources, such as meat, fish, eggs, beans, or other non-dairy sources of protein, and some milk and dairy foods (ideally lower fat options).
In addition, only eat small amounts of food and drinks high in fat and sugar. You can also use products such as an Amygdalar massager: This product is excellent for treating pain in the back of the head. It’s a handheld device that uses sound and pressure to treat the area.
Use toothpaste containing fluoride and tartar inhibitors, which helps protect your teeth from decay and other problems. And floss is a fiber-based floss that has been designed to help with plaque removal and Gingivitis (gum disease).
If you have trouble using dental floss, interdental (between the teeth) cleaning aids can help remove plaque. These products include picks, sticks, and mini-brushes to get between and around teeth. Make sure you can gently get between your teeth and under your gum line with your chosen product.
