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Guest Blog by Gabriel Patel of HealthWellWise.com
9 Little Health Habits That Will Have A Big Impact
You don’t have to overhaul your life all at once to make it a healthier one. You can enact small changes that add up over time. Eventually, these healthy habits will lead to better choices all the time. Here are nine nice things you can do for yourself starting today that will help lay the foundation for a wealth of wellness.
Stay active.
Physical fitness should be a priority in your life. Exercise every day, and make sure to work up a sweat. If you are not certain about safe exercise practices, you can use a Personal Fitness Trainer Directory to find a qualified fitness instructor near you.
Eat well.
Next to exercise, food is the most important thing you can put into your daily schedule. It is not enough simply to eat to satisfy hunger, you must eat to fuel your body the way it needs to be fueled. Find a freelance professional dietitian – you can use an online job board if there are none locally – to help you come up with a meal plan that works for your body and lifestyle.
Look for motivation.
When you are trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle, you have to find motivation. This might be something as simple as watching your children play in the yard when you don’t have the energy to join them. You can also look online for motivational videos, join a fitness class, hire a yoga instructor, or buy an outfit that you would like to wear in six months to one year.
Sleep with a purpose.
Sleep is crucial to our health. And while we typically each sleep every day, there is a good chance you are not getting enough. The overnight hours offer your body an opportunity to heal from the trauma of the day, and your mind will also benefit from some crucial downtime. Give yourself ample time to sleep, and, as the American Sleep Association recommends, avoid caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, and stress in the hours before bedtime.
Smile more.
Smile. It’s as easy as that. Improve your health with a quick grin. How? Smiling releases endorphins that can reduce pain, dampen the effects of stress, boost your immune system, and reduce your blood pressure, as Henry Ford Health System describes. Further, these hormones may also improve endurance, meaning that you will be able to exercise longer without feeling unnecessarily fatigued.
Call your bestie.
Just like smiling, talking to or spending time with your friends and family triggers the release of a whole host of feel-good chemicals. Socializing is crucial to a healthy lifestyle, so call your best friend, make plans, and enjoy an afternoon of camaraderie.
Clean your house.
Clutter can significantly inhibit your ability to maintain focus. Further, an extremely cluttered and disorganized home is a haven for dust and debris that can exacerbate allergies. When every nook and cranny of your interior is filled to the brim, it is also a great hiding spot for spiders, mice, and other creepy qualities that can have a negative impact on your home’s air quality.
Meditate.
Meditating gives your brain an opportunity to purge. Reaching a state of heightened awareness about yourself is also a great way to notice ways you feel good and recognize areas where you can improve your overall health.
Drink more water.
As the Nutritional Therapy Association explains, there are many reasons to stay hydrated. When you drink enough water, you breathe easier, your body temperature regulates, and you flush toxins from your blood and organs. Furthermore, replacing alcohol, juices, and sodas with water might even help you lose weight while reducing your sugar intake.
Many people mistakenly believe that their entire life has to change to start down the road to wellness. The truth is that little changes snowball into bigger changes, and you have to start somewhere. Small steps, like hiring a trainer or nutritionist or keeping your home clean may be just what you need to start your own journey to whole health.