Collaborative Post
If you have a busy life it can be heard to establish an effective routine. However making some simple changes to your lifestyle can have a positive impact on your health and wellbeing, reducing anxiousness and stress.
Exercise regularly
Exercise will obviously improve your physical health, helping you loose weight and stay fit but it can also help to improve your mood and reduce the risk of health problems. You don’t need to start running marathons, even adding desk exercise equipment into your working day will make a huge difference and reduce long periods of inactivity, particularly if you have an office job.
A recent study found that one in three adults are not getting enough exercise, the main excuses for failing to exercise regularly included, being too busy to exercise, being too tired to exercise or being anxious about joining a gym.
Get enough sleep
It’s easy enough to say, but ensuring you get enough sleep can be difficult especially if you have young children. Try bringing your bedtime forward at least 30 minutes and creating a more relaxing bedtime experience which may help you fall asleep quicker. I’ve found that turning off the TV and putting down my phone well before bedtime means I find it easier to switch off.
Eat and drink well
The World Health Organisation recommends that we eat a minimum of five portions of fruits and vegetables every day. They recommend that this amount will reduce the likelihood of serious health conditions like strokes and heart disease. To ensure you get 5 portions a day, you can add vegetables to sauces or drink a refreshing fruit smoothie or try swapping your sweet snacks for a piece of fruit.
Try to cook from scratch where you can. Processed foods like ready meals often contain a number of ingredients that can make you feel sluggish. Using fresh ingredients can be more beneficial and learning new recipes can be fun.
Stay hydrated
Staying hydrated is vital for good health. It’s very easy to become dehydrated which can cause headaches, fatigue and sometimes much more serious health conditions. Drinking your first glass of water as soon as you wake up will help hydrate your body as well as assisting with digestion and potentially speeding up you metabolism.
De-stress and make time for self care
Try to do things that make you feel relaxed, regularly. Whether that is going for a long walk, relaxing in the bath or just reading a book in a quiet room, talking time out for yourself can help with your own well being.
When you’re emotionally or physically exhausted it had make it harder to handle stress and reduces your resilience, taking time out for yourself can make you feel revitalized and ready to take on the world.
Another way to reduce stress is to say “no” to others. You don’t have to say yes to every social gathering or help request. Rather than automatically saying “yes” to everything, consider changing your default response to, “I’ll let you know” or “I’ll get back to you”, it will give you a chance to consider how it will impact your life and free time.
