Nurturing Wellness | Habits for a Healthy Body and Mind

Developing Habits for a Healthy Body and Mind Everyday

By Author: Jennifer McGregor Guest Contributor

While we all know the importance of being healthy, it can be hard to accommodate such practices. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways we can easily incorporate healthful habits into our everyday life. Here are some ways you can improve your well-being with some easy tips.

The Basics

When it comes to practicing daily health habits, pretty much the easiest thing to turn into a routine is the basics. Of course, life is not always cooperative, but ask yourself how consistent you are with self-care. Do you shower daily? Are you staying hydrated throughout the day? How much walking do you do weekly? Being healthy doesn't have to take up a lot of time. Instead, look at what you can do to make adjustments to your lifestyle. Add fruit and veggies to your diet. Make a conscious effort to head to bed earlier. Switch off from tech in the evening. Reduce your caffeine intake. Avoid sitting for long periods. These may seem like small things, but they are not trivial to your well-being. Over time, they build up to have a meaningful impact on your health, from head to toe.

Nutrition

A healthy diet does not require searching for obscure ingredients or adopting extreme strategies. In fact, describing nutritious habits as a diet can be misleading. You need balance, variety, and consistency. Think about what you are eating. Does it have plenty of colors? If not, fill your bowls with plentiful salads. You may find that you are having too much of something like sugar or salt, or too little of foods rich in vitamins. Adjust accordingly, but remember that this is about balance rather than denial. You need to have a steady intake of food and should be vigilant against eating too little or too much.

To help your efforts, consider portion control to aid you in reducing your overall calorie consumption while still eating consistently throughout the day. Digital scales and measuring cups can be effective tools in giving you accurate serving sizes to keep your efforts moving forward.

Activity

One good way to keep your overall health is through physical activity. It not only helps your body but can be valuable to emotional well-being, too. Exercise helps your body produce chemicals that can improve mood, as well as reduce stress and anxiety. Best of all, you don't need to do marathons to stay in excellent condition. Incorporate workout routines into daily activities. Stretch your legs at the office, do squats while you perform chores at home, or get some fresh air by taking a family outing to a local park. Walking alone can be an excellent way to stay in good shape. Help your efforts by taking the stairs or parking your car a little farther from your eventual destination. Keep moving as much as you can, and remember, just because you are walking indoors or to the store does not make it any less beneficial.

Mindfulness

Taking time to refocus and ground oneself can be an effective way to manage stress and anxiety, and boost overall wellness. You do not have to devote much energy to see the benefits either. Appreciate good moments in your day. That might be a cup of coffee or precious time spent with loved ones. By being intentional with your actions, you can experience things rather than simply doing them. This can have a positive effect on emotional health, helping to reduce stress and improve mood. Remind yourself that you do not have to be constantly doing something.

Look to practice meditation to reinforce mindfulness. You could take 10 minutes each day to reflect on your day and thoughts, and unwind in a space you find to be peaceful, or at least free from distraction. At night, you could even journal to help process any outstanding issues, giving you the best possible chance for a restful night's sleep.

It really doesn't take much to improve the quality of our well-being. By getting plenty of rest, eating well, and doing what we can to stay active, we can improve how we feel. Taking care of our basic needs is important, and can help us lead healthful lives.

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