The key to living a healthier lifestyle is not making drastic changes, rather it involves taking meaningful steps and staying consistent in your actions to form good habits. In this article by Med Sports Vantage, we’ll explore three healthy habits you can implement in your routine starting today and the positive impact they will have on your wellbeing.
Get Ample Sleep
Do you often feel lethargic after waking up? This points to the fact that you aren’t getting enough sleep. According to research, on average, adults require 7 hours of sleep each night. Our sleep follows a pattern of two cycles – rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. It takes roughly 90 minutes to complete both these cycles, hence each night our brain completes multiple sleep cycles.
Sleeping for a limited amount of time or at varying times each night can disturb these cycles, resulting in us feeling tired, sad, and lethargic. To help you get the beauty sleep you deserve, follow these steps:
- Go to bed at the same time each night and try to sleep the same amount of hours.
- Avoid drinking coffee, tea, sodas, or other food items which include caffeine in the hours leading up to bed.
- Develop the habit of having light dinners. Eating foods rich in carbohydrates can cause indigestion and delay sleep.
- Stop using your phone, television, or other electronics at least an hour before bed. Blue light emitted from screens makes the mind feel awake, preventing us from feeling sleepy.
- Create a good environment for sleeping by buying thick curtains to block external lights, setting a comfortable temperature, requesting members of your family to keep noise to a minimum, and having the right kind of mattress.
Exercise Daily
According to the CDC, an average adult requires at least 150 minutes of exercise per week. This translates into 30 minutes of exercise per day, which regardless of your schedule should be easy to undertake. Depending on your preference choose any of these activities:
- Jogging
- Taking long walks
- Cycling
- Weight Training
- Swimming
There is a common misconception that exercise will lead you to feel tired, which can then affect your ability to work. In reality, exercise will increase your energy levels, making you feel active and alert. Here’s how:
We all know that mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell. As we exercise, the oxygen circulation in our body increases, which fuels the mitochondria in cells to produce more energy resulting in us feeling active.
Additionally, exercise releases hormones such as oxytocin, dopamine, serotonin, which act as natural mood boosters resulting in happier moods and better confidence.
Set Goals
If you consistently feel demotivated, it can point to the need of setting some goals. Whether big or small, goals will provide you with a target to work towards. Additionally, as goals will be something you set yourself rather than others doing it for you, it makes you feel naturally motivated to pursue them.
For instance, if your current job brings you no satisfaction, look to find other opportunities which provide you a sense of fulfillment. This could include starting a business, making the switch from corporate to the nonprofit sector, taking time off to volunteer, etc.
Similarly, you can set self-improvement goals which can involve:
- Learning how to cook and take control of your diet and nutrition
- Starting a fitness routine
- Pursuing a master’s degree to learn new skills and improve knowledge in the field of your choosing
- Dedicating time towards meeting new people and expanding your professional network
The key to achieving your goals will be to create a plan. Within your plan, break down your goals into small achievable tasks to be completed within a set timeline. Including timelines will help hold yourself accountable and stay on top of progress.
Implementing these habits as a regular part of your routine will take time and consistency. But, as days go by you’ll experience an improvement in your mental and physical well-being, allowing you to enjoy a better quality of life.
Author Credit: Julie Morris
