More often than not, our self-care routine takes the back seat in our lives. And why not? Amidst the hassle and chaos of life, it can be a daunting task to prioritize what’s good for you. But as daunting as it may seem, it is what must be done.
When we talk about improving our health, we tend to miss our mental health. In general, improving your health is to improve your physical, mental, and emotional health alike.
Now, of course, you can find dozens of fitness programs online that promise to improve every aspect of your health. But paying those shiny bucks and abiding by that level of commitment is not everyone’s piece of cake.
We do, however, see a change of trend towards self-help ways to improve health. Self-help ways are what you can start doing right now to improve your health—something like working out, watching your diet, improving your sleep, socializing, etc.
So, let’s get started with how you kickstart your fitness routine right away!
Work Out More Frequently
If there is one thing that covers every aspect of your mental and physical health, it is working out.
Just imagine whether humans were even designed to sit behind a desk and lay on the couch all day. We’re not! We, humans, need adequate physical activity daily like other animals.
Yes, there is no denying the fact of how important work is in your life. But adding a bit of activity around your work and rest is all that makes a difference.
When you work out regularly, you improve your metabolism and boost your immunity. Also, your blood pressure normalizes, and so do the cholesterol levels. These changes keep you from contracting common diseases as diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular conditions, etc.
It also improves the general outlook of your body, which makes you feel more confident. But so much so for the physical benefits. Working out does have an impact on your mental health as well.
While working out, your body uses up most of the stress hormones in your body. And instead, it makes your brain secrete more happy hormones like endorphins and serotonin. This gives you the general feel-good emotion and feeling of satisfaction.
Adding mild levels of activity into your routine is all it takes to improve your health over time. You don’t necessarily have to hit the gym six times a week and clang heavy metal every time.
Learn To Say No
You hear it a lot more than you need to but still never seem to be bothered by it. How many times have you been stressed out by something you could’ve easily avoided?
Couldn’t you have said no to extra assignments at work when you already had several pending? Couldn’t you simply have said no to a social gathering that you knew wouldn’t grow on you? You could’ve!
This habit can be called people-pleasing. It is when you overestimate your abilities to please someone. And is one of the mildly destructive habits you can build over time. It takes its toll on your physical health but mostly, it affects your mental wellbeing.
Most of us find it harder to say no because we fail to come up with good excuses. What you should always keep in mind is that you don’t need to give reasons either. When you feel like you have to say no, simply explain your situation and others will understand.
Ask your employer to lighten your working load as you need to catch-up on past work for a start!
Mindfulness And Meditation
What else could be a healthier habit to build over life than mindfulness and meditation?
Mindfulness and meditation have a bunch of proven health benefits and a wide array of well-known health benefits. It has been practiced in different cultures of the world for thousands of years. And now, in this age, it is gaining popularity due to how much of a difference they make.
When you practice meditation, you practice self-control. By watching your thoughts and centering your focus on breathing, you equip yourself with the ability to control stressful thoughts and emotions. You also redevelop the neural pathways in your brain, which makes incorporating these learnings into your life much more comfortable.
But since there are so many different types of meditation routines to choose from, it becomes difficult to start. The one that I find to be best is by taking the first step with guided meditations. These are especially helpful if you’re a beginner as they guide you through the entire process.
If you’re more interested in killing two birds with one stone, yoga might be the option for you. Yoga, too, is a form of mindfulness that involves understanding your mind-body connection.
Healthy Eating Habits
Diet is probably the most effective way to improve your health, both in the long-term and in the short-term.
We usually don’t pay much attention to how much junk food and empty calories we consume in a day. Unless you get diagnosed with an illness or grow a beer belly, taco Tuesdays and a bag of chips is the way to go.
Having a healthy diet can help prevent common illnesses like diabetes, obesity, heart conditions, and even cancer. And not only that, it helps improve your mental health as well.
As a rule of thumb, having many vegetables, fruits, and lean meat options on your menu is ideal. But to aid with your well being even more, you can incorporate several herbal supplements as well. A moderate kratom dosage or chamomile tea in the evening works best to calm you down and induce a deeper sleep, purchase yours online on kratom krush.
There are not many studies carried out to determine exactly what kratom does, click here to read its effects. But from what we already know, herbs come free of side-effects and are much easier to incorporate into your diet. You can brew these herbs up with tea or sprinkle a pinch of these as a seasoning to your meals.
Organize Yourself
Organizing yourself is usually the last thing on your mind when not in your best health. But it truly is the first step you take towards improving your health in general.
Living life in clutter, literally and figuratively, will have you compromise your mental and physical health alike. By sorting out the things in your life, you make going through the day even easier.
Whether it is jotting down goals for your life or merely cleaning your surroundings, organizing has its benefits. Especially now, when working from home has become the new norm, organization matters even more.
You can try it out for yourself just about now. If you have clean surroundings, no laundry on the floor, or no dishes in the sink, you’ll be able to focus on your work much better.
However, a good part of organizing yourself is in determining your goals and dreams. They can be about your career, relationships, family, or social circles as well. Differentiating what’s important in life and what’s not makes the daily choices and decisions much easier.
With a routine, you’ll be able to carry out the exercise, abide by diet, get adequate rest, and be productive at the same time!
