Being healthy involves so much more than simply working out. It’s a lifestyle. You need to strike a balance between eating nourishing foods, getting enough sleep, fostering social connections, engaging in hobbies that bring you joy and peace, and finding fulfillment in your personal and professional life.
Just working out is absolutely great! But if you really want to tap into the fullness that life has to offer.
Here are five ways to feel like you’re living a healthy life.
Spending time with yourself and engaging in new hobbies makes you feel better for several reasons. You give yourself time to connect with a practice that you truly enjoy and brings you energy. Doing something that you’re good at always makes you feel better, too!
However, the hobby should be an activity that’s stimulating and activates your body. Try joining a sports club or even playing an instrument. According to the Drum Center of Porstmouth, there’s no better instrument for working up a sweat than the drums.
What better way to relieve yourself of stress and tension than by banging it out?
Did you know that anything less than 6 hours of sleep for several consecutive days counts as sleep deprivation? That’s right: all those late nights spent studying for tests and doing extra work don’t lead to feeling your best. Those lost hours of sleep catch up to you and can cause devastating physical and mental repercussions.
An adult needs at least 7-9 hours of sleep a night. Use a sleep tracking app to make sure that when you’re in bed for 8 hours, you’re actually getting close to 8 hours of sleep! Using a tracking app will also allow you to see how many hours you need to be at peak performance.
The things we put in our bodies directly affect how we perform in our day-to-day activities. We’re not 16 with endless metabolisms anymore. That means we have to be very intentional with what we eat, and how much of it.
Overeating can cause a crash as your body rushes to digest all the food. Overloading processed foods such as sugars and heavy starches slow down your body as well, making you feel sluggish.
Keep a food diary and annotate what foods make you feel gross. After about a week or two, you can start to notice a trend between certain foods and start to eliminate foods that are holding you back from a healthier life!
We’re always being pushed further into an isolation bubble with the latest technology. ATMs replaced bank tellers, online shopping replaced brick-and-mortar stores, earphones have made public transport lonelier, etc.
We think that by eliminating lines and reducing wait times we’re making ourselves happier, but the truth is that we need social connection daily to feel satisfied and fulfilled. Even a short (positive) conversation with a stranger at the store can boost your mood for the day.
Unfortunately, there is more to health than just taking yourself to the gym five times a week. While this is commendable, you must maintain a balance between your physical and mental wellness. Think of this balancing act as less of a chore, and more of an opportunity to better yourself. You’re better off living in a positive mental space, rather than dwelling on things you can’t change.
The practice of keeping a gratitude journal reminds you to be present at the moment and not discount the things you have, even if life is not always as you expected it to be. Practicing gratitude as a skill has been proven to have many systemic health benefits as well as obvious mental health benefits!
