You have always known that your health should be a priority. However, sometimes living your life has gotten in the way of doing what you were supposed to do. From pursuing your career goals to caring for your children and parents, there was very little time left for your own needs, and now you are beginning to feel and see the effects of those choices. When you add the noise from social media telling you all the things, processes, and steps you must do to be healthier, it can all become too much very quickly. Luckily, there are some practical tips below that will help reset your approach to staying healthy. When you are ready, start here.
Focus on Proper Hydration
Staying hydrated is essential for your entire body, inside and out. Your cells and joints rely on fluids to move well and do their jobs. Water helps move things through your body and staves off cognitive fog. Drink high-quality, eco-friendly spring water that you can easily stock in your fridge at home, at work, or carry on the go.
Aim for 11.5 cups to 15.5 cups of water each day. Spread your water intake out throughout the day instead of trying to consume it all at once. Too much water is not good for you and can be detrimental. If you have difficulty remembering to take a sip, set an alarm on your phone for reasonable intervals throughout the day. Once you begin focusing on your water intake, you can easily make it a positive habit and ritual in your life.
Schedule Healthcare Appointments
Your health requires outside assessments and interventions from time to time. You know this, of course. And yet, those essential activities can easily be pushed aside in favor of everything else that seems to take priority in your life.
Do your current and future self a favor by setting up your online health portal with your provider, if you have not already done so. Next, schedule your annual wellness exam. From there, make appointments to see your dentist, audiologist, mental health provider, and ophthalmologist or optometrist.
Pro tip: At the end of your appointment, before you leave the office, go ahead and schedule your next appointment. That way, you will have one less thing to do later, and you will not forget.
Look Beyond the Message
It can be extremely difficult to discern fact from fiction and falsehoods in this day and age. If you live even a little bit of your life online, then you have seen influencers peddling products and ways of life, doctors telling you what you should and should not do, and everyone else reposting these messages to infinity.
When something lands in your inbox or social stream, look at it with skeptical eyes. You do not need to fall prey to cynicism, but having a healthy attention to detail and deciding to question what you see, hear, and read is a good idea. Pay attention to who is pushing a product or disseminating a message. If they are speaking with urgency and trying to make you feel guilty, a sense of shame, or incite a feeling of fear, they may not be the right people to listen to.
Good doctors and purveyors of information are in their respective businesses to help people and educate them toward making good decisions for their bodies. They should not be in business to push sponsored products that they never actually use themselves. Unfortunately, with the world as it is today, you need to stay informed, research people’s credentials, and learn more about a particular topic or way of life before you adopt it for yourself.
Make Physical Activity a Way of Life
When January 1st of any year rolls around, you are filled with good intentions. You sign up for the gym or go back to the one you have not set foot in for 11 months. You know how it goes. Life is busy. Instead of waiting for that magical first day of the year or warmer weather, take action in how you live your life and move your body starting today.
If routine exercise is not part of your life, it is okay to take it slow. Start by parking at the far end of every parking lot so you have to walk further to and from the door. Only take the stairs when they are an option. If you watch TV with commercials, use those minutes to get up and do things around the house, or do jumping jacks, sit-ups, and push-ups. Finding small ways to start moving more is as easy as making the decision to do it.
From there, begin exercising. You can go for a morning walk before work or breakfast. Take a walk after dinner and listen to a great podcast. Sign up for a spin class with your friends and encourage one another to keep going. Try some free workout videos on YouTube so you can exercise in the comfort of your own home, regardless of the weather outside.
Find Ways to Relieve Stress
Stress is a part of life. While not all of it is bad, too much of it can wreak havoc on your body and mind. Experiencing extreme or prolonged stress can lead to frustrations, forgetfulness, illnesses, and unwanted changes in your behavior.
When life gets to be too much, it is helpful to know how to counter those stressful feelings. Having a general list of things to do can help you in the moment when you are too stressed to problem-solve.
Try some of these ideas:
- Journaling
- Exercise
- Therapy
- Baths
- Massage
- Spa Day
- Napping
- Reading
- Petting your dog
Focusing on your health takes intention. It is easy to finish that last project or watch another show when it comes on automatically after you have just finished one. Take charge of your life by paying attention to what your body and mind need.
