We all want to live better lives. We want to be healthier, smarter, cleaner and more organized, but when it comes down to the nitty gritty daily decisions of living a healthy lifestyle over an unhealthy one, we often trip up. But that in no way means that a healthy lifestyle is out of your grasp!
See the following five tips for ways you can improve your lifestyle!
5 Ways To Improve Your LifestyleΒ
#1. Go For Regular Walks In The Park
Going for a 20+ minute walk every day has immense health benefits, especially if youβre able to walk through green, natural environments (1).
Besides the obvious benefit of physical activity, moving around in the great outdoors provides you with an abundance of fresh air and sunshine, helping your body produce more vitamin D (1). Additionally, a walk through natural areas is a great way to ease brain fatigue and boost happiness (2). If youβre looking to add some healthy habits to your life, consider a daily stroll or a leisurely hike as an option!
#2. Mind Your Mental Diet
Weβve all heard the phrase βyou are what you eat,β so we know to be careful with what we put inside our bodies, but how often are you wary about what you allow inside your mind and thoughts every day?
The truth of the matter is that your thoughts determine who you are to a large extent. Emotions such as anger, sadness, and fear trigger neurochemical reactions in your body that prepare you to react (1). These reactions ultimately determine what you believe in the long run, so itβs important to consider how the information youβre consuming on a daily basis affects your mental health (1).
Cleansing your mental diet begins by paying attention to what your mind is absorbing – from TV shows youβre watching to magazines and books that youβre reading to conversations youβre having. The goal is to spend less time on things that suck away your energy and create pointless drama and focus on inspiring, motivational, and productive things (1).
#3. Eat Your Veggies
Being told to eat your vegetables is not a new idea by any means, but itβs a health technique that people continually ignore! Eating plenty of vegetables is key to a healthy lifestyle (3). Making small efforts throughout the day like adding a few vegetables to lunch and dinner, and bringing something to snack on instead of chips, will help you absolutely transform your diet for the better (1).
#4. Practice Gratitude And Thankfulness
Being thankful for things – even the smallest details in life – is one of the most powerful techniques to maintaining a healthy, happy life (4). Counting your blessings every day is a wonderful habit that trains your brain to focus on the positive rather than the negative, and studies have shown that this optimistic turn is strongly related to overall health (4).
Try implementing this practice by setting aside a dedicated amount of time every day to write down at least three things from that day that went well, for which you areΒ grateful.
#5. Drink More Water!
Many people find themselves reaching for a cup of coffee first thing in the morning, but drinking a simple glass of water instead can maintain the balance of fluids in your body much better (1). While there is nothing particularly dehydrating about drinking a moderately sized cup of coffee in the morning, it can lead to one building up a tolerance to its stimulating effects (1). Water remains to be the most recommended, non-caloric way to balance your bodyβs fluids (1).
Conclusion
What are some habits you practice to help maintain a healthy lifestyle? Have you given any of these a try? How have these shifts in lifestyle helped you? Share your thoughts and experiences with us!
References
- https://thehealthsessions.com/kickstart-a-healthier-lifestyle/
- https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/03/27/easing-brain-fatigue-with-a-walk-in-the-park/?_r=0
- https://thehealthsessions.com/eat-vegetables-with-every-meal/
- https://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/05/the-most-proven-technique-for-increasing-long/
