9 Habits To Rapidly Improve Your Mental And Physical Health
There are lots of good habits that one can inculcate to improve your physical and mental health. In this article, you’ll discover 9 beneficial habits that are particularly crucial to living your best life and assisting with optimal well being.
Millions of people have ‘lost touch’ with these habits because of the hectic pace of life nowadays, and the advent of technology and social media. Times have changed, but our bodies have not evolved to handle the stresses we place upon it.
We’ve reached a stage where what would have seemed to be insanity in the past, is the norm now. This probably explains why more people than ever are physically and mentally unwell.
Let’s look at these important habits below…
1. Have A Regular Sleep Pattern
Work consumes our lives and bringing your work home and working into the wee hours of the night has become a way of life for significant amounts of people. If they’re not working, they’re trying to burn the candles at both ends by getting their fix of social media or binge watching TV shows.
There is a fear of missing out and it has reached a stage where there’s even an acronym for it – FOMO.
One of the best habits you can have is to go to bed at the same time daily and wake up at the same time.
Once you ingrain this habit into your life, you’ll look and feel much better, rather than feeling drained and stretched thin.
2. Reduce Your Salt And Sugar Intake
Salt and sugar cause a plethora of health problems when consumed in excess. The high fructose corn syrup in processed foods has high sugar content and can lead to obesity.
Added salt in your food can also lead to hypertension if consumed on a regular basis.
Avoid artificial sweeteners too. Just by reducing your intake of these two ingredients, your health will improve dramatically.
3. Stretch Daily
Sitting at a desk for multiple hours per day in a Kyphotic position will cause muscle tension and stress. Practice stretching your body for 15 to 20 minutes each day. If you do yoga, this is an excellent way to become more supple and flexible.
Initially, it will seem like a struggle. But as the days go by, you’ll ease into it and feel your muscles relax and your body will have a sense of lightness.
4. Engage In Resistance Training 3 Times Per Week
Bodyweight training or working out with weights is a wonderful way to strengthen your muscles. Resistance training prevents osteoporosis, muscle atrophy and has been shown to have anti-aging effects.
This form of exercise is just too important to avoid if you truly value good health.
5. Take Time To De-Stress
Spending time in meditation or just relaxing and doing something fun will help to ease pent up stress. Sometimes life can feel like a pressure cooker that forces you to keep going, like the Energizer bunny.
This constant stress can cause you to become irritable and depressed. Taking time to rest your mind and soul will help you stay sane.
6. Consume Good Supplements
Clean eating is great, but supplements such as vitamin C, fish oil, greens powder, magnesium, garlic oil, ashwagandha, vitamin D, etc. are extremely useful for boosting your immunity and warding off a nasty virus or unwelcome diseases.
7. Limit Your Time On Social Media
Two decades ago, there was no social media and people were not continually glued to their phone screens. Social media has made the world a smaller place, but it has also made it a more unpleasant one.
Every single day many people get on the popular social media platforms and post negative comments, or argue with each other over current events, news, etc.
All this pointless vitriol has no benefit and will eventually sap your energy. It has also been proven to have a disastrous impact on mental and physical health. Try not to spend more than 30 minutes a day on social media. Ideally, you should just use it 2 or 3 times a week if you are too emotionally involved in it.
8. Practice Gratitude
Like Aesop said, “Gratitude turns what we have into enough.” Spend a few minutes a day being thankful for what you have.
The attitude of gratitude will instantly lift your mood and your vibration. It’s impossible to be dissatisfied and grateful at the same time.
9. Spend Time In Solitude
Music is the space between the notes. Even if you have a family, taking some time to be by yourself daily will do wonders for your soul.
A quiet hour spent alone in meditation or reading will help to calm your mind and senses. Give yourself time to retreat and be alone.
“Silence and solitude are the soul’s best friends.” – Henry Wordsworth Longfellow
These 9 tips are just the tip of the iceberg, but they’re a good start. Set them in motion today and in time to come, you’ll master them and your mental and physical health will improve remarkably.