Five Steps to Being Happier and Healthier Than Ever Before

Five Steps to Being Happier and Healthier Than Ever Before

Being healthy is a priority, yet it's more than our physical well-being. Our overall outlook also needs us to focus on stability and emotional health, so it's important to invest in every aspect of ourselves. There's plenty that you can do to reach those goals, but here are a few simple things that you can incorporate into your day-to-day.

Know Your Home

Understanding how our environment influences our health can help us to transform it, but we must know the signs. It's natural to see our homes as safe places where we can relax after a long day. Yet, the home can be full of things that may impact our wellness, from mold and radon to poor water quality and pest infestations. Some of these issues can be caused or worsened by inadequate ventilation, and if your home has such problems, you must address them; otherwise, you could develop respiratory issues or become prone to getting sick. Given this, don't hesitate to bring in professional help, as the health gains can outweigh any initial expense.

Go Exploring

When many think of getting active, they may look to intensive workouts at the gym. While that has its own advantages, walking daily for 15 minutes can benefit your whole health, too. Best of all, by walking, you have the perfect excuse to get exploring. For instance, you could tour your own hometown as if it were somewhere abroad or find a gentle hiking trail. In fact, you may even discover this is an opportunity to socialize with people you might never have met. Cars are certainly convenient, but the benefits of walking can boost both your body and mind.

Eat Well

A central part of a balanced life is eating healthfully. If we have a diet full of sugar and processed foods, we can see the negative effects hit us physically and emotionally. Thankfully, you can make easy adjustments by choosing whole grains, fish, vegetables, and fruits. As an added measure, have nutritious snacks on hand to avoid relying on unhealthy ones. These could be mixed nuts and seeds like chia or yogurt and fruits; just make sure they are the only snacks available. With the right approach, you can see improvements in your health and energy.

Indulge Yourself

This can be a tricky form of self-care, as indulging ourselves can make us feel guilty. We may have to challenge long-held beliefs about what it means to be "self-centered," but it's vital to your emotional well-being. Each day, try to do something that you love or is at least beneficial to you. For instance, have spa days and invite loved ones along. Yes, everyone has a budget, but it doesn’t hurt to sometimes eat at an ice cream parlor or book a night at a fancy hotel. By keeping to moderation, you can uplift your days without adding any financial stress.

Invest in Sleep

Lastly, if you want to be physically active and enjoy yourself, you need to have enough energy. Unfortunately, if you aren't well-rested, improving your overall well-being will be increasingly difficult. After all, poor sleep can cause us to be constantly hungry, leave us sick, and make physical recovery that much harder to accomplish. So, where possible, transform your bedroom into a relaxing sleep paradise, and avoid long nights or sleeping in. As a start, cut out caffeine and switch off tech each night before bed. If you can, add a white noise machine and decorate your room in soothing colors to promote calm. You may have to experiment to create a bedroom that meets your needs, but it can be worthwhile.

How we achieve wellness is a personal journey, but there are good places to begin. By getting enough rest, eating well, nurturing a safe home, and staying active, you can develop the building blocks for a positive future. These are the first steps along a new, healthy path.

Image courtesy of Pixabay

Guest Blog Post by:

Brad Krause graduated from college in 2010 and went straight to the corporate world at the headquarters of a popular retail company. But what started as a dream job soured quickly. After four years of working 15-hour days and neglecting his health, he decided enough was enough. Through aiding a friend during a tough time, Brad discovered his real calling-helping people implement self-care practices that improve their overall wellbeing. He created SelfCaring.info to share his own knowledge and the many great resources he finds on his self-care journey.