7 Best Daily Health Habits to Have
It’s important to remember that being healthy isn’t just about eating clean and exercising. Rather, health is comprised of sustaining the well-being of both the body and mind! To cultivate wellness, the best course of action to take is to develop daily habits that continuously preserve it.
These are the seven best daily habits to have:
1. Make conscious eating decisions
Contrary to popular belief, eating healthy can be both easy and inexpensive. We don’t need to buy the latest and organic food or cook complex recipes. Stick to buying the produce and raw meats on the outskirts of the grocery store. Everything in the middle is the majority of time processed-food with no nutritional value anyway! Furthermore, mindful eating is especially important. We should take time to savor our food, plate the correct portion sizes, and commit to focusing our attention solely on the meal we are eating.
2. Prioritize emotional and mental well-being
Emotional and mental well-being is equally as important as physical health. In fact, both equally coincide with one another! The number one method to maintain emotional and mental well-being is learning how to cope with stress in an appropriate and healthy manner, and not choose to use a harmful strategy such as drinking or smoking a cigarette. Fact: 3 out of 5 people who try smoking cigarettes become daily smokers. Unhealthy coping mechanisms have the potential to become bad habits that will ultimately damage both our mental and physical health and cause long-term consequences.
3. Constantly hydrate
The human body is comprised of roughly 60% water. Without water, our organs would not function optimally, cells and tissues would not repair themselves efficiently, and our joints would not be appropriately lubricated. Subsequently, we will be more susceptible to suffering fatigue, sickness, kidney stone development, mood swings, and constipation. Furthermore, water helps flush the toxins out of the kidney and liver. But hydration doesn’t just need to be limited to water. Some foods actually have a high water content that can also keep us hydrated, such as watermelon or berries.
4. Get up and move
Exercising is full of numerous benefits: it helps us maintain a healthy weight, acts a preventative measure against developing diseases such as obesity, chronic illness, and cardiovascular conditions, and helps us maintain bone density, muscle tone, and strength. Mentally, exercise promotes the production of dopamine and endorphins, the body’s chemicals that act as natural painkillers to reduce stress and boost mood. Additionally, exercise combats the symptoms of depression and anxiety!
5. Set aside moments for self-reflection
In addition to improving one’s mental and emotional well-being, engaging in daily self-reflection contributes to personal growth. Daily self-reflection can be done in a multitude of ways, the most popular being journaling or meditation. But attending professional therapy can be an incredible outlet for it as well. Self-reflection also strengthens our self-awareness and ability to be introspective. In the chaos and stress of everyday life, it’s easy to get lost in our daily actions and mind. But through our preferred method of self-reflection, we can take a step back from it all, take a deep breath, bring ourselves to the present moment, and analyze the current state of our thoughts and emotions. Furthermore, we can use self-reflection as a catalyst for accomplishing our goals. A powerful technique to implement is visualization, which is where we make an effort to consider the choices that must be made in order to succeed and figure out the necessary steps that need to be taken in order to do so.
6. Establish a morning and night routine
No one enjoys feeling rushed in the morning or stressed out before going to bed. This is where a morning and night routine can significantly change the quality of our daily life. Routines keep us efficient and productive. A morning routine can help us prepare for the day, stay on top of our to-do list, and stay on the momentum of productivity. In conjunction, a nightly routine helps us unwind from the busy day and prepare ourselves for tomorrow. Humans are creatures of habit, and if we make the most out of our morning and night routines, we always stay on track with accomplishing our goals, cross everything off our to-do list, finish what needs to be done and do it all over again the next day.
7. Maintain a positive but rational attitude
Regardless of the circumstances of life, we should do our best to maintain a positive but rational attitude. Looking to see the good in things reminds us to always think of the bigger picture rather than have tunnel vision on one single situation. For example, we can wake up being grateful and take a moment to appreciate three things or people in our lives. Alternatively, we should focus on what can be improved from a mistake rather than the mistake or failure itself. Besides, bad attitudes are draining and exhausting to preserve, and they do nothing but provoke negativity and put us in a constant bad mood.
Wrap Up
At the end of the day, healthy habits always contribute to improving the overall quality of life. While the good habits cannot be accomplished within a day, they are worth being patient in developing since doing so will enhance not just our emotional and physical well-being, but promote happiness, contentment, and fulfillment.
