Ten Simple Habits to Change to Improve Your Health
Everyone hopes that with the flick of a switch in their brain or the creation of a list, they can become healthier and fitter. You may have come up with plans in the past about how you would exercise more, eat healthier, cut out bad habits, and engage in other activities to improve your health and wellness.
The problem with many plans is not that they are flawed but that they are too challenging. When you can get healthy without really trying, you stand a much better chance of following through with your ambition.
Below are ten simple habits you can change to transform your health and wellness. These are incredibly straightforward steps you can take most days to alter your outlook on living and health.
1. Make Your Bed Daily
Have you ever gotten up to go to work and left your bed in its present state, not to think about it again until you got home in the evening? The simple act of making your bed may seem trivial, but it can help you to set off a chain of positive habits that allow you to begin your day in the best possible way. Put away your bedding, smooth out your comforter, and ensure your bed looks good before you do anything else.
2. Set Up a Morning Routine
After you have made your bed each morning, you should create a routine that allows you to get up, take care of personal hygiene, get dressed, and have a bite to eat before you do any work or leave the house. Create a routine that includes things you enjoy in the morning but also allows you to be ready to leave the house in a timely manner.
Eat healthier, cut out bad habits, and engage in other activities to improve your wellness.
3. Schedule Exercise Time
The reason so many people fail with resolutions to exercise more each year is that they set ambitious plans. Rather than joining a gym or saying that you will play sports with your friends every other day, set a simple goal for yourself. Make a pledge to exercise for at least 20 minutes each day, no matter what. You can schedule your exercise time for the morning or after you get home in the evening. Whether you run in place for 20 minutes, do some yoga stretches, or use a bicycle machine, what matters is that you get moving.
4. Drink Lots of Water
Far too many people do not drink enough water each day, which can have a negative impact on every system in your body. If you are ever feeling under the weather, irritable, or not like yourself, you may be consuming far too little water. Staying hydrated is even more critical in the summer, especially if you live in an area that gets very hot and humid. If you are exercising or drinking alcohol, you should consume even more water to compensate.
5. Meditate Each Day
Set aside 15 or 20 minutes each day to meditate calmly and without any distractions. Put your phone on silent, shut off any electronics in your room, and do not talk to anyone during these moments. Close your eyes, meditate, and try to focus on being in the moment. Allowing yourself these brief periods where you are not thinking about work or stressing about a personal issue will help your physical, mental, and emotional health.
6. Maintain a Clean Living Space
A tidy space will help you achieve a focused mind. How can you expect to get anything done when you have clutter all around you? Whether you are working from home or attempting to complete other tasks, you should be tidying up after yourself every couple of hours. Keeping your space clean does not take more than an extra five or ten minutes daily, but it can make a massive impact on the quality of your life and your health.
7. Express Your Gratitude
When someone does a good deed for you or you have a positive interaction with someone at work, express your gratitude to that person. Even if you are not thanking someone on a given day, you can express gratitude in a journal for a positive event that may have happened in your life. Your gratitude could be as simple as being thankful that it was pleasant and sunny outside rather than cold and rainy.
A tidy space will help you achieve a focused mind.
8. Visualize Your Future
The idea that you can visualize and manifest your future may sound cheesy, as though it is a line from a book or movie. While there is an element of cliche in practicing visualization, you can improve your health, wellness, and state of mind with this philosophy.
The concept behind visualization is to take a moment to think about what your life will be like if you accomplish a goal or complete a particularly challenging task. Say you are hoping to lose 20 pounds in the coming months. Rather than focusing on the hard work you must do, visualize how you will look and feel when the journey is complete.
9. Spend Time Among Nature
Whether you live in a small town, suburb, or a big city, you should spend at least 30 minutes to an hour among nature on most days. Take time out of your schedule to visit a local park, walk around your neighborhood, or go on a hike with a friend or family member. Being in nature can restore your energy, lower stress, and lift your spirits within minutes. You will also begin to appreciate little things that you notice, such as the birds chirping or flowers blooming in the spring.
10. Relax Daily
Staying focused on your work and personal tasks is important, as you have goals you may hope to accomplish in the coming weeks, months, and years. Taking out time to relax, however, is equally significant. If you are spending all your time working or studying, you may be harming your physical and mental health. Spend time playing video games, watching a television show, listening to a podcast, reading a book, or going out to eat with your closest friends.
