We all want to live a healthier life. Unfortunately, this does feel like it takes a significant amount of effort which can be difficult to muster after a hard day at work or if you’re already feeling generally unhealthy. First and foremost, you need to find your drive to improve your physical and mental wellness, and this task is down to you. However, learning about the ways in which you can improve your health can help to give you some extra inspiration to get started, so we’ve put together our top tips for improving both your physical and mental wellness so that you can live a better life.
Get Plenty of Sleep
One of the most important parts to living well is sleeping well. Getting plenty of sleep on a regular basis is very worthwhile and can help you to see some improvements to your daily life almost instantly. First off, as an adult, you need to get roughly 7-9 hours of sleep per day, but it’s not just enough to get the hours in. You’ll want to set yourself a regular bedtime that you follow strictly to keep your circadian rhythm in check. Having a healthy sleeping pattern reduces your risk of serious diseases such as stroke, and also provides you with extra energy throughout the day. This extra energy from sleep reduces your desire to eat extra calories to get energy instead, and therefore reduces your chance of gaining excessive weight too.
Drink More Water
Many of our bodily functions rely on the intake of water in the body. To maintain healthy function of some of the most essential tasks inside our bodies, it’s important to make sure you’re staying hydrated. These tasks include digestion, the absorption of vital nutrients, the creation of saliva, and also regulating a healthy body temperature. The amount of water you need to drink generally is impacted by external factors, however it’s recommended that adult men drink 13 and a half cups per day, and women drink 11 and a half cups. This may sound like a lot, but if you get into the habit of keeping a bottle of water with you at all times, it’ll become second nature to keep sipping it over the course of the day.
Exercise More
Staying fit and active is another key element to improving physical and mental wellness. It’s recommended that we all do at least 2 and a half hours of exercise per week to maintain a healthy fitness level. This improves our bodies in many ways, but it primarily increases your heart health. Of course, keeping our hearts healthy is comprised of much more than just exercise, so for more information on how to take care of your heart, check out Dr. Ruscio’s guide. Of course, other than keeping our hearts healthy, exercise is a very good way to keep us feeling happy too. There are strong links between exercise and positive mental health, especially if you’re exercising outdoors or with others. It can give you a moment to contemplate life and mentally digest any issues you’re having while also improving your physical appearance, and ultimately boosting your self-confidence.
Reduce Alcohol Intake
It’s important to remember that alcohol itself is a form of neurotoxin. Luckily, our bodies are equipped to process this and filter certain harmful chemicals like alcohol out of our systems, allowing us to unwind with a drink at the bar and socialize with friends, without feeling too guilty. However, our liver and kidneys, which predominantly serve to clean our blood and remove these harmful toxins, are limited in how much they can handle. You don’t necessarily have to give up alcohol here, although it’s definitely beneficial to do so. However, it’s worthwhile thinking of ways to cut down on the amount you drink. For example, if you were to drink 2 to 3 alcoholic beverages per day, you could end up causing damage to your liver which can lead to serious complications. Binge drinking can also harm your liver. This generally means drinking to get drunk, by consuming a lot of alcohol within a short space of time. Of course, everyone has different alcohol tolerances, so the limits are varied, but it’s generally stated that binge drinking is when men drink five our more drinks or women drink four or more drinks in a space of around two hours.
Talk About Your Mental Health
Speaking about our feelings and being open with those we care about is incredibly healthy and can help us to deal with mental health problems or lead us to seek more professional assistance. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 20.6% of US adults experienced some form of mental illness in the year of 2019. This accounts for about 51.5 million people. If you are struggling to cope with stress, anxiety, depression, or some other serious mental health disorder, it’s important to remember that you’re not alone in those struggles and there are also many ways to find help for these problems. After speaking to those you care about for support, it can feel a whole lot easier seeking out further assistance from your doctor or a therapist. Ultimately, remember not to suffer in silence, and admit when you need help.