Being healthy is easy when you’ve done it for a while. However, if you have been leading a more sedentary, unhealthy lifestyle, you’ll have to roll up your sleeves and do some work because your wellbeing doesn’t come free.
We’ve isolated 8 habits that you’ll need to introduce into your life and get used to in order to improve your overall health. Here’s what it takes.
Eat Well
Food is the fuel we need to survive, but not all fuel is good fuel. What you eat has a massive impact on your health. Every time you eat something, you feed your body with the energy it requires to function, but also the nutrients it needs to stay healthy. Energy comes in the form of calories while nutrients come in the form of vitamins, minerals, and other essential compounds.
Fresh vegetables, unprocessed meats, unprocessed dairy products, cereal, fruit, and other healthy foods are packed with both. On the other hand, processed foods, junk food, fast food, and similar things we enjoy eating so much are packed with empty calories, lacking almost any real nutrients.
Eating well isn’t just about maintaining weight either. A good diet is essential to keep your organs healthy, including your cardiovascular system. You will literally feel better by eating better, cleaner foods. Clean foods are packed with vitamins and minerals, allowing you to get most of the recommended intake from food alone. Additionally, many people buy vitamins online to supplement anything they can’t get through nutrition. Supplementation is sometimes necessary if the food in your environment lacks certain nutrients due to your geographic location.
Exercise
The human body is a product of millennia of biological evolution. Even though we aren’t the apex predators in a physical sense, our bodies were built to move.
Physical activity is one of the main factors when it comes to health. Exercising is necessary to keep your body physically fit, thus keeping it from deteriorating. Exercise doesn’t necessarily have to mean lifting heavy weights in the gym. There are two types of exercises — anaerobic and aerobic.
Another reason why exercising is important has nothing to do with your physical health. Instead, it’s all about your mental wellbeing. Working out causes a string of chemical reactions in your brain, which causes your body to produce endorphins. This chemical’s main purpose is to take the edge of the pain you feel when working out. However, it also makes you feel good at the moment. It’s a natural high that many athletes and fitness enthusiasts are very much addicted to.
Sleep More
Even though we’re still learning about the importance of sleep, the information we’ve gathered so far indicates that sleep is essential for maintaining a healthy body, but also a healthy mind. When you sleep, your body is resting and repairing any damages it has suffered throughout the day.
If you worked out that day, your muscles are being patched up. Similarly, your brain is taking this time to cleanse itself from any toxins accumulated during the day. Lack of sleep has been related to Alzheimer’s disease and many other psychological disorders. Because of all this, it’s imperative that you get at least 8 hours of sleep per night.
Hydrate
An average person anywhere in the world is dehydrated most of the time. We simply don’t drink enough water. Being hydrated is essential for just about every single physiological process that happens in our bodies, beginning with digestion. It is recommended that you drink at least 3-4 liters of water every day.
If you’re not sure whether or not you’re dehydrated, simply try to remember how many times per day do you feel thirsty. By the time you feel thirst, your body is already in a state of dehydration. Drink more water and you’ll definitely feel better.
Practice Mental Hygiene
Mental health has long been overlooked and underappreciated. Fortunately, these days we understand just how important mental health is for our well-being. Just like you exercise to keep your body fit, you should also make an effort to maintain mental hygiene. Make sure to have some ‘me time’ during the day, and do things that make you feel happy.
Stress Management
Stress is one of the deadliest diseases of modern civilization. Although it rarely shows any direct symptoms, living with stress is known to cause all kinds of severe health issues down the road. It’s a silent killer that has the power to completely deteriorate your health.
Keeping stress at bay isn’t always easy, especially if your work often puts you in stressful situations. However, you have to find a way to keep it under control. Everything we’ve mentioned so far on this list will help you manage stress, but there might be times when you’ll have to just take a break and look for help.
Socialize
Humans are social creatures by default. This applies to both introverts and especially extroverts. Maintaining human contact is an important factor as far as mental health goes.
Being surrounded by other people, especially ones close to you can increase the amount of serotonin that is being released into your system. Serotonin is a mood-stabilizing hormone that is related to happiness. In other words, socializing with people make us happy, quite literally.
Enjoy the Outdoors
The last bit of advice we have is to take some time and enjoy the outdoors. Go for a hike, or better yet — camping. Immerse yourself in nature and you’ll feel better. Being outdoors will improve your mental health, often leading to the type of relaxation you can’t find otherwise. It might be a chore to reach it, but once you surround yourself with nature, you’ll find it well worth the effort.
It Takes Work
Being healthy and staying healthy takes work. You have to ditch bad habits, develop new healthy ones, and keep it up day after day. However, it will all become second nature after mere months. All you need to do is push through that initial period of change, and you’ll find yourself on a path of prosperity.