Have you been finding yourself reaching for a second or third cup of coffee in the morning? Maybe you have been having some difficulties falling asleep at night. Binge eating out of boredom? Watching too much television or endlessly scrolling through social media? In other words, have you been feeling fatigued and unmotivated and find yourself being unusually unproductive and slow? In today´s blog I will be sharing 5 tips for better physical and mental health based on key components of a healthy lifestyle.
#1. Get Enough High Quality Sleep
Sleep needs to be prioritized more. I know I personally feel a lot better when I get a full 10 hours of sleep. My thoughts are clearer and I can even go as far as to say that I feel more peaceful. I would advice anyone to stop drinking caffeine after 12.00 pm. A cup of Joe should be okay occasionally during a rainy afternoon but I would stick to decaf and would rather drink tea without caffeine. Something as easy as squeezing a lime into a cup of boiled water and adding honey to taste should do. Also, adding a cinnamon stick to a cup of boiled water and adding stevia to taste. Anything to avoid sleep deprivation. That brings us to...
#2. Limit Screen Time
Limiting mindless online scrolling can do wonders for your mental health. Appearances can be deceiving on social media and comparing yourself to what appears to be unachievable perfection can have a negative impact on your thoughts leading to low mood and that in turn that can have a negative impact on sleep. The light from the screen close to your face in a dark room is probably not a good idea either. We all do it, I admit it and that is why I say limit not eliminate. Now let us move on to something you should add...
#3. Exercise
Do not want to pay a monthly subscription fee for the gym when you know you might only go once and quit or possibly twice if you are up for it? Totally fine, don´t want to lift heavy weights or run on a treadmill for an hour. Completely okay, when I say exercise a lot of people roll their eyes. It´s a no brainer even a preschooler can tell you that. Having said that, allow me to go more in depth about what I mean when I say exercise. They key to beneficial exercise is discipline and in my honest opinion they key to discipline is moderation. Do you like to dance? Look up a 20 minute dance work out video. You can switch up the dance video to your liking. Try a different genre of music or learn a new move. Do you enjoy being outdoors? Go out for a 30 minute walk at a moderate pace and switch up your routine every other day. There´s so much information and so many workout videos and images you can find online there really is no excuse to not exercise. Try to exercise at least three to four times a week and eat a balanced diet. Were not going to go from a fat lard to a VS angel diet and exercise regimen overnight either. These changes take time and it´s normal to go through a period of trial and error. Bottom line is exercise combined with a balanced diet will help you maintain a healthy weight and much like sleep can clear your thoughts and improve your mood. (Keep in mind, I am not a licensed nutritionist or medical professional in any way, shape or form. This is based on my opinion.)
#4. Don´t Do Harmful Substances
Want to grab a drink with the girlies or the bros? It´s your life, go ahead do what you want on your own terms. I must warn you though don´t binge drink, the anxiety hangover is not worth it. Social drinking has become more and more popular. It always has been but alcohol has become the epicenter of socializing for a good while now. Some people are more prone to the anxious hangover than others but those that do get them know that they are not fun. They tend to happen more often when a higher amount of alcohol is consumed so my advice is think twice. Are you sure you even want to drink or are you just under peer pressure? If you are don´t be afraid to say no and definitely don´t drink beyond your limits, for the first time or at all just to impress someone. That can end very badly... puke everywhere and possibly urine and worse. If that does not happen good for you but if that´s the way someone is going to be impressed by you it´s time to reevaluate who you are surrounding yourself with. Adding on, everyone and their mom knows crack is wack. I mean it, some people can be high functioning drug addicts but I would not recommend that lifestyle to anyone. Waking and baking with cocaine and mimosas on the side are definitely not key components of a healthy lifestyle. All sarcasm put aside, alcohol and drugs can have disabling side effects when abused. In some cases leading to very unfortunate events and even death. Homelessness, mental health problems and overdose to name a few. So stay clean cool beans.
#5. Seek Spiritual Growth
I personally believe Jesus Christ is God and believe in the Rapture and The Holy Bible but I don´t discriminate against anyone with opposing views. If you don´t believe the same thing that´s okay. Although, I do strongly recommend you reflect on why you choose not to believe and inform yourself on the actual belief itself and not on common misconceptions and misinformation. Also, as a fellow Christian I must say there are many out there who make us all look bad but all I can do is hope that I´m not one of them. Moving on, if were on different pages seeking spiritual growth can be different for everyone as a Christian it can mean singing along to your favorite worship song, saying a prayer or reading The Scriptures. For someone else it might be something more like volunteering, a relaxing day of self care or simply practicing mindfulness.
In conclusion, with these 5 tips combined and put to use I hope at least one person notices an improvement in their physical and mental health. If not combined all at once, you can try starting small and using one at a time and taking it from there. I desire the best of health for everyone and may everyone be blessed.
Best Regards
-Elena
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