1. Exercising
Exercise is defined as any action or movement that makes your muscles work and requires your body to burn calories to use as energy. According to NHS England, exercising can reduce the risk of major illnesses such as heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, cancer by up to 50%, and lower your risk of early death by up to 30%. On top of the physical health benefits that you get, exercising has been proven to improve your mood and decrease feelings of depression, anxiety and stress. During exercise, your brain produces the hormones serotonin and norepinephrine which relieve feelings of depression, and gives you a feeling of euphoria instead, making you happier.
2. Drinking Water
Water makes up a large part of the human body's joint cartilages, that help absorb shock and make bone against bone movement smoother. Water can also keep gout or a painful joint condition at bay and also helps flush toxins from your body that can cause inflammation. From a medical point of view, water is important in preventing kidney damage as a decrease in hydration can lead to kidney stone formation and acute kidney injury. Constantly hydrating yourself can also make you feel fuller most of the time, taking away any cravings for unhealthy food.
3. Eating Vegetables
Vegetables are a good source of vitamins and minerals, including Folate, Vitamin C and Potassium. They can also be an excellent source of dietary fibre which helps in keeping your gut healthy, preventing constipation and other digestion problems. According to the latest research in nutrition, a diet high in fibre can reduce your risk of bowel cancer by 20%. It is not common knowledge, but vegetables also contain phytochemicals that have as yet untold cancer prevention properties.
4. Reading
According to research, regular reading improves brain connectivity, increases vocabulary and comprehension, and aids in sleep readiness. From a medical perspective, reading also lowers blood pressure and heart rate, and reduces stress in general. Reading regularly prevents cognitive decline as you age, as the habit itself encourages imagination and brain stimulation. Studies have shown that staying mentally stimulated can slow the progress or can even decrease the chances of getting Alzheimer's and Dementia, since keeping your brain active and engaged, prevents it from losing power.
5. Meditation
Meditation is the habitual process of training your mind to focus and redirect your thoughts. You can use this practice to increase awareness of yourself and your surroundings. Meditation also helps strengthen our focus and gives us more awareness about living in the present, and appreciating everything that is happening at the moment. A study in 47 people with chronic pain found that completing an 8-week meditation program led to noticeable improvements in depression, anxiety and pain over the course of a year.
6. Journaling
One of the ways to deal with any overwhelming emotion, is to find a healthy way to express yourself through writing. Journaling can help you manage anxiety, reduce stress, cope with depression, and improve mood by expressing your thoughts and feelings. It also helps you track any negative feelings that you encounter everyday so that you can recognise triggers and learn ways to better control them in the future. In general, journaling helps you document your day-to-day life, so when you look back at them a few years later, you'll have a more detailed memory of what kind of day it was that happened, and what emotions were involved at that time.
7. Waking up early
Waking up early is a well-known habit of successful people such as Richard Branson who wakes up at 5 am, and former first lady Michelle Obama who starts her days at 4:30 am. According to research, an early start does wonders for concentration. When you get to work or school on time, and you've had sufficient time to acclimatize yourself to the day properly, this means that you'll also be organised as the day goes on. Also, getting up early can increase your productivity in several ways as your brain actually tends to be more alert in the morning, so you tend to make better decisions. Setting your goals first thing is a great help on your way to achieving the essential tasks before being interrupted.
8. Quitting Social Media
In recent studies, scientists have discovered that the more time you spend on social media, the more likely you are to develop depression. Additionally, the amount of time you spend on these sites is directly related to whether or not you feel stressed out or happy. Sadly, people who spend a lot of time on social media sites report feeling lonely and isolated in real life. By limiting social media usage, you can enjoy real and more physically interactive things such as traveling, exercising and spending time with friends and family.
9. Decluttering
Decluttering, or removing non-essential or unwanted items from your house or office, is not a new concept, but its physical and mental health benefits have become increasingly recognized. According to Darcey Rojas, a wellness advocate and healthy home designer, a clutter-free environment allows you to perform tasks of daily living more efficiently, because everything you need is readily available and within reach. Decluttering also helps you feel more in control of your environment. A clutter-free life gives you peace of mind, and optimizes your access to the only essential stuff, rather than the unnecessary ones.
10. Daily Routines
Having a routine can help us develop positive daily habits and prioritise self-care. Planning our days gives us the opportunity to build blocks of time for things that are important to us. This could be things that we do after waking up, or before going to bed. The main advantage of incorporating habits into routines, is that if these are healthy habits, they become unforgettable and give us some sort of a compounding benefit through the years.
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