The ultimate guide to improving your physical and mental well-being
Living a healthy lifestyle is all about choosing to make healthy choices each day. Adding more nutritious foods to your diet, making an effort to exercise throughout the week, and prioritizing your mental health are just a few of the things you can do to begin living a healthier and happier life. We’ve compiled an extensive list of tips and advice from professionals about what you can do to improve your physical, mental, and emotional health. By the end of this article, you’ll be ready to start changing your life for the better.
[Edit]Steps
[Edit]Create specific health goals.
- Come up with specific, actionable goals to improve your health. When you have specific goals you want to achieve, you’ll be more motivated to implement healthy changes in your life. Identify what parts of your lifestyle you want to improve (physical fitness, food, mental health, etc.) and set SMART goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound to better guarantee your success. An example of a SMART goal is:[1]
- Specific: I’m going to be more physically active by walking every day.
- Measurable: I’ll walk for 30 minutes to 1 hour each day for a month.
- Attainable: I have plenty of time before and after work to fit in walking. My neighborhood is also extremely walkable.
- Relevant: I spend most of my day sitting and need to consciously make an effort to get more physical activity in.
- Time-bound: I’ll maintain this routine for 1 month then reassess my needs and adjust my goals.
- Ask friends, family members, or co-workers to join you on certain goals. Having people there to support you will make working toward your goals much more fun.
[Edit]Eat well.
- Choose nutritious foods and create a well-balanced diet. It’s no secret that eating healthy is one of the keys to achieving a healthy lifestyle. When you follow a healthy diet, you reduce your risk for obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and certain types of cancers. Not only that, but healthy eating can also improve your mood and make you happier. Here are some tips to follow:[2]
- Eat whole fruits such as apples, oranges, berries, and mangos.
- Include lots of colorful vegetables in your diet like sweet potatoes, beets, spinach, and peppers.
- Choose whole grain options when you eat things like pasta, crackers, cereal, and bread.
- Eat a variety of proteins including lean meats, chicken, tofu, eggs, seafood, and beans.
- Go for low-fat or fat-free dairy products like milk, cheese, and yogurt.
- Include healthy oils in your food such as vegetable oil, olive oil, and oils from foods like avocados, seafood, and nuts.
[Edit]Practice mindful eating.
- Pay attention to your portion sizes and enjoy your meals. Eating mindfully means being aware of and paying attention to what you’re eating without any distractions. Solely focusing on the act of eating when you sit down for a meal helps promote better digestion, leaves you feeling full with less food, and make you more conscientious of your food choices. Here are some tips on how to practice mindful eating.[3]
- Avoid eating while doing other activities, such as watching TV or reading.
- Take smaller bites and chew each one thoroughly before swallowing.
- Create a meal plan that includes plenty of nutritious ingredients.
- Make an effort to cook your meals yourself instead of ordering fast food.
[Edit]Drink plenty of water.
- Make a conscious effort to stay hydrated throughout the day. Just like nutritious food, water is essential to keeping your body healthy. Water helps you digest food, keeps you hydrated, and flushes out toxins from your body. For adults, drink around 13 cups (3.1 L) of water a day to stay properly hydrated, though this amount can vary depending on your age, weight, environment, and physical activity level.[4]
- Other things that count toward your daily water intake include things like flavored waters, decaffeinated coffees and teas, and even some fruits and vegetables with high water content.
- Avoid drinking sugary drinks like sodas, juices, and sports drinks.
- Signs of dehydration in adults include less frequent urination, dark-colored urine, fatigue, dizziness, and confusion.[5]
[Edit]Take supplements as needed.
- Ask your doctor about taking supplements to get more nutrients. Taking dietary supplements is a good option when your diet isn’t giving you enough of the vitamins and nutrients you need to stay healthy. It’s definitely possible to get all the nutrients you need purely from the food you eat, but supplements are there to fill in the gaps. If you think you might benefit from taking supplements, consult with your doctor about which ones you should take.[6]
- The most common supplements people take are calcium (bone health), vitamin D (calcium absorption), and Vitamins C and E (antioxidants).
- Vitamin B12, which comes from meat, fish, and dairy products, keeps your nerves and blood cells healthy.
- Research suggests that fish oil supplements can promote heart health.
[Edit]Exercise regularly.
- Find a type of physical activity that’s enjoyable for you. The benefits of physical activity are endless. Being active lowers your risk of things like stroke and high blood pressure, helps you lose weight, improves your cognitive function, and can improve your overall mental health.[7] Experts recommend that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity each week.[8]
- Moderate-intensity aerobic activity includes things like brisk walking, bike riding, water aerobics, dancing, and rollerblading.
- Vigorous-intensity aerobic activity includes exercises like jogging, running, swimming laps, and playing basketball or soccer.
- Along with doing aerobic workouts, do muscle-strengthening activities 2 days out of the week that work the major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms).
- Find yourself a workout buddy who can help keep you motivated and make exercising more fun.
[Edit]Get enough (good) sleep.
- Aim for at least 7 hours of quality sleep each night. A good night’s sleep can help you avoid getting sick, focus better during the day, maintain a healthy weight, and improve your overall mood. Most adults need at least 7 hours of quality sleep each night, and children need anywhere from 8 to 13 hours depending on how old they are. Some tips to help you sleep better include:[9]
- Sticking to a sleep schedule so that you get consistent sleep each night
- Going to sleep in a dark, quiet room that’s set at a comfortable temperature
- Avoiding large meals, caffeine, or alcohol before bed
- Exercising during the day
- Avoiding using electronics before sleeping
[Edit]Allow yourself to relax.
- Do relaxing activities to combat stress. Another very important part of leading a healthy lifestyle is keeping stress at a minimum. Stress can cause physical symptoms such as headaches, chest pain, and fatigue, and it can make you restless and irritable. Exercising, getting good sleep, and eating healthy can all help fight stress, but it’s also good to set aside time each day to do activities that you find relaxing. This might be things like:[10]
- Setting aside time for your hobbies, such as writing or listening to music
- Reading a book
- Spending time with friends, family, or a significant other
- Going outside and spending some time in nature
- Caring for and playing with a pet
[Edit]Practice mindfulness.
- Focus on the positives and get in touch with your emotions. Practicing mindfulness can help create healthy changes in both your physical and mental well-being. Physically, mindful exercises help reduce stress and can possibly reduce blood pressure and improve sleep. Mentally, practicing mindfulness can help reduce anxiety and depression as well as simply help you live in the moment and form a more positive outlook on life.[11]
- Do meditation or practice yoga to help clear your mind and focus on the present moment.
- Another idea is to spend some time each day doing breathing exercises to keep yourself calm and present.
- Journaling is an activity that allows you to write down your honest thoughts and feelings and reflect on them later on.
[Edit]Take a break from the news.
- Too much negative news can affect your mental health. As important as it is to keep up to date on current events, being bombarded with too much negative news can take a toll on your mental and emotional well-being. If you’re feeling overwhelmed or stressed by what’s happening in the world, skip watching the news for a day or more. Even just a single day of rest can leave you feeling calmer and more content.[12]
- If you still want to read some of the news, avoid potentially stressful topics, such as politics or world news.
- If the news tends to pop up on your social media timeline, curate your feed to get rid of any sources of negative information. For example, unfollow or block political accounts or controversial figures.
[Edit]Limit your screen time.
- Constantly being on your phone can affect your emotional health. Research suggests that excessive cellphone use has been linked to physical symptoms like headaches, fatigue, memory disturbances, and impaired concentration. Along with that, people who are constantly on their phones actually tend to be more stressed and anxious.[13] To improve both your physical and mental health, limit your cellphone use to around 1 hour a day and spend your time doing other things that make you happy.
- Constant exposure to social media can potentially cause depression, loneliness, and self-esteem issues as well.
[Edit]Nurture your relationships.
- Make an effort to maintain your social connections. When you have stable, healthy relationships with the people around you, you’re more likely to make healthy choices and have better physical and mental health. Take time out of your week to spend quality time with your friends, family, significant other, and the people in your community. Meet up for a meal, spend your holidays together, go on a trip, or just catch up at the end of the week to maintain those close connections.[14]
- If you can’t meet up in person, still work to maintain communication by texting, calling, video chatting, or interacting over social media.
- Getting involved in your community is also a great way to form new, meaningful connections.
- For example, volunteer with a local non-profit, participate in community events, or practice your faith at a place like a local church, mosque, or synagogue to meet new people.
[Edit]Practice self-love.
- Be kind and compassionate toward yourself. Loving yourself is all about viewing yourself and your life through a positive lens. When you show yourself kindness and compassion, you’re much more likely to feel happy, confident, and content with your life, which can all work to improve your mental health.[15]
- Use positive affirmations to raise your self-esteem and confidence. Tell yourself things like, “I am strong,” “I am capable,” and “I am loved by many” every single day.
- Forgiving yourself for past mistakes is also an important part of loving yourself. Forgiveness can help get rid of feelings of anxiety, stress, anger, and hurt.
[Edit]Limit your alcohol intake.
- Cut out alcohol or limit yourself to 1 or 2 drinks a day. Consuming too much alcohol or making a habit of drinking every day can lead to some serious health concerns. The risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, liver disease, stroke, and certain cancers increases dramatically with excessive alcohol use. To keep yourself healthy, quit drinking altogether or limit yourself to 1 or 2 drinks a day.[16]
[Edit]Quit smoking.
- Stop smoking to prevent diseases and cancers. Smoking can have a negative effect on nearly every organ in your body, and it puts you at risk for things like cancer, heart disease, stroke, lung diseases, diabetes, and immune system problems. Quit smoking to improve your health and protect yourself from various health issues and diseases.[19]
- Quitting smoking can certainly be difficult, and many people need more than one attempt to completely stop this habit. However, completely stopping is the quickest way to start getting your body back to a healthy state.
- If you’re having trouble quitting, talk to your doctor. They might be able to prescribe you a medication or refer you to a smoking cessation program.[20]
- Research has shown that vaping also puts people at risk for certain health complications, such as lung disease and cardiovascular disease.
[Edit]Visit your doctor often.
- Schedule regular check-ups to monitor your health. An important part of improving and maintaining your health is scheduling regular visits to the doctor. Your healthcare professional will be able to give you recommendations about how you can improve your health, as well as point out any unhealthy habits you may need to stop.[21]
- If you take medication for chronic conditions, schedule an appointment with your primary care physician at least once a year.
- Come prepared with any questions or concerns you may have about your health to help potentially cut down on follow-up appointments.
- Also visit your dentist. It's typically recommended to go twice a year for routine cleanings.[22]
- Book appointments with other medical professionals if you have any specific health concerns, such as an OB/GYN, allergist, dermatologist, or endocrinologist.
[Edit]Talk to a therapist.
- Consult a therapist if you need help to manage stress. If you ever feel like you need extra support in forming healthy habits to improve your mental or physical health and fight stress, talking to a therapist might really help you take steps in the right direction. Talking to a licensed professional will give you a safe space to discuss what’s on your mind, and your therapist will likely be able to give you advice and exercises to help improve your physical, mental, and emotional well-being.[23]
[Edit]Related wikiHows
[Edit]References
[Edit]Quick Summary
- ↑ https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/setting-smart-goals
- ↑ https://health.gov/myhealthfinder/health-conditions/diabetes/eat-healthy
- ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5556586/
- ↑ https://extension.psu.edu/water-water-everywhere
- ↑ https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dehydration/symptoms-causes/syc-20354086
- ↑ https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2013/08/should-you-take-dietary-supplements
- ↑ https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/about-physical-activity/why-it-matters.html
- ↑ https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/adults/index.htm
- ↑ https://health.gov/myhealthfinder/healthy-living/mental-health-and-relationships/get-enough-sleep
- ↑ https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress-symptoms/art-20050987
- ↑ https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2021/06/mindfulness-your-health
- ↑ https://hbr.org/2015/09/consuming-negative-news-can-make-you-less-effective-at-work
- ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9368281/
- ↑ https://www.cdc.gov/emotional-wellbeing/social-connectedness/affect-health.htm
- ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/click-here-happiness/202111/how-love-yourself-more
- ↑ https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/alcohol-use.htm
- ↑ http://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/faqs.htm
- ↑ http://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/faqs.htm
- ↑ https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/health_effects/index.htm
- ↑ https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/cessation/smoking-cessation-fast-facts/index.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Ftobacco%2Fdata_statistics%2Ffact_sheets%2Fcessation%2Fquitting%2Findex.htm
- ↑ https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-2019/how-often-you-should-visit-doctor.html
- ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/11187-dental-check-up
- ↑ https://www.mhanational.org/therapy
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