If somebody asked you to rate your lifestyle in terms of how well you look after your body and mind, what score would you give yourself? For many of us, our health is not the number one concern, but it should be. Even if you feel great, there is always room for improvement. If you’re keen to start putting your health first, here are some simple ways you can protect both your body and your mind.
Move your body
Exercise is a pretty magical health tonic, but we often overlook the benefits it provides, choosing to focus instead on ‘beach bodies’ or dropping dress sizes. While training and working out can help you lose weight and tone up, the benefits of living an active lifestyle are much more far-reaching. If you exercise on a regular basis, your risk of developing life-threatening illnesses, such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes, will be significantly lower, but you can also enhance and improve your mental wellbeing. Exercise is proven to reduce stress, and it can also help to alleviate the symptoms of depression and anxiety. Doing a workout can also make you feel amazing. While you might not feel quite so incredible when your cheeks are burning and your legs are like jelly, the moment you cross that finish line or complete that set of reps, you’ll experience an unbeatable natural high.
If you’re not used to exercising, the prospect of signing up with a team, joining a class or setting foot in the gym may be daunting, but give it a go. Take friends along for moral support, or work out alone if you feel more comfortable. You can go jogging or cycling, you can follow fitness workouts at home, or you could try solo outdoor pursuits such as kayaking. You can also make really straightforward changes to your everyday routine to incorporate more physical activity. Take the stairs, walk to the store instead of driving, and stretch your legs at lunchtime.
Get yourself checked out
Often, when you don’t feel great, it’s tempting to just carry on and hope that symptoms pass without the need for intervention. In many cases, this attitude is fine, but what if your symptoms persist or they get worse? If you’re struggling with chronic pain, you feel weighed down by stress, you’ve been experiencing frequent headaches, or you can’t sleep at night, don’t hesitate to seek medical advice and get yourself checked out. Avoid the temptation to use search engines to diagnose yourself, and make use of health services. It’s also really important to keep up to date with routine and preventative health checks and examinations. Take care when researching treatments, therapies, and remedies online. While there is a vast amount of accurate, science-based information available, there are also sites and articles aren’t quite as reliable and trustworthy. Ask your doctor if you have questions or queries and use reputable online sources. If you’re looking for pain remedies, for example, talk to your doctor before you buy weed online or you book an appointment with a chiropractor. It’s best to gather information and get a professional insight before you explore treatments that aren’t familiar to you. Many of us are anxious about visiting the doctor, especially if we think there might be something wrong, but the sooner you take that first step, the better.
Talk
When you think about health, you often consider how healthy your diet is, or how much exercise you do. Health is usually associated with physical strength and immunity, but this is a word that is also linked to mental wellbeing. You should consider your body and mind as a single entity when discussing and thinking about your health. Mental health has traditionally been a subject that people find difficult to talk about, but times are changing, and the benefits of opening up and having a frank and honest discussion about mental health are becoming increasingly apparent. Every one of us, regardless of whether or not you suffer from a psychological disorder, can benefit from talking and communicating. We all have days that seem to be tougher than others, and we are sociable animals that respond to interaction and contact with others. Use the network of people around you. Speak to your friends and family. Talk about how you feel and share problems or concerns. Get used to being more open, and be prepared to listen as well. If you do struggle with anxiety, or you’re worried that you might have symptoms of depression, seek advice. It’s normal to have days when you feel sad or to feel nervous or on edge before an interview or an important meeting, but it’s not normal to experience anxiety all the time or to feel low for prolonged periods of time. Opening up can benefit your mental health, but tackling stress can also improve sleep patterns and reduce the risk of physical health problems.
Sleep
Despite the fact that social media slogans and viral memes champion a fun-packed lifestyle where ‘sleeping is cheating,’ there’s a lot to be said for reigning in partying and working long hours in favour of ensuring you get a good night’s sleep on a regular basis. Most of us like to go out from time to time, and the odd late night won’t do any harm, but it’s crucial to understand the importance of sleep. You need to rest to enable your body to recover and recharge. Without sleep, you may find that you’re more susceptible to illness, you might become irritable and restless, and you may be more vulnerable to stress. Establish a routine that enables you to get around 7 hours of sleep per night and try and stick to the same bedtimes and morning alarms every day.
If you work crazy hours, you have kids, or your schedule is packed, your health may not be your number one priority. The trouble is that you can never rest on your laurels when it comes to your health and wellbeing. Making an effort to look after and protect your body and mind will stand you in good stead both now and in the future.