Maintaining your health isn’t easy at the best of times, considering it takes a lot of commitment and time that you might not think you have. However, there are times when it gets even harder like when we are facing a pandemic, or if you have kids, or if you’re ill, etc. There are so many reasons why it isn’t easy, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be doing it anyway. Staying healthy is important for everyone, and even if hitting the gym 5 or 6 times a week doesn’t sound like your thing, that’s fine because it doesn’t have to. There are plenty of ways to maintain your health, and we are going to be looking at some of them in this article.
As such, if you want to know more about maintaining your health even when it’s not easy, and things feel like they are going wrong, keep reading down below to find the information you’re looking for.
Balance Your Diet
The first thing that we suggest you do is to balance your diet. We know that comfort eating feels good at the time, especially if you’re eating foods that are high in fat and sugar, but that doesn’t mean that they are good for you. Of course, indulging every now and then is fine, and it’s actually good for your mental health to do this, but don’t be doing it every day. You don’t want to be eating processed foods for dinner every day, and not getting all the vitamins and minerals that your body needs. Your body completes a number of vital processes every day, and if you don’t have the right stuff in your body, you are hindering its ability to complete these successfully.
So, if you want to balance your diet, you need to start meal planning. Make sure that you know what you’re having for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and your snacks so that you can defrost anything you need and ensure your cupboards and fridge are stocked. You can even start by making healthier swaps. Instead of fries, have carrot sticks or something like this. It’s so simple and yet so effective for your body.
Make Time For Exercise
You’ve got to be making time for exercise because your body needs it. Now, when we say exercise, we bet that your mind went straight to running or lifting weights, but that’s not all it is. This kind of thing isn’t for everyone, but there are some more gentle workouts that you can do that will provide you with what you are looking for. If you think about it, even going on a half an hour walk every day will count as your exercise. You’re going to be moving, getting your muscles warm, and keeping your body active, so this is going to be enough.
Or, you can look up some videos on YouTube or somewhere like this and start looking at simple workouts you can do from home. Stretching and doing things like yoga have been proved to be very beneficial to your body, so it might be something worth giving a try if you have space somewhere in your home.
Try To Relax
Whether you realise it or not, your physical health will mirror how you are feeling mentally. The problem with this is that a lot of people suffer from stress, and it is dangerous for your health. You don’t want to get to the point where you are having physical symptoms because of the amount of stress that you are carrying around every single day. That’s why you need to try and relax. We know that this isn’t easy, and the stress isn’t just going to go away because you took a nap, but it’s definitely a start.
Think about things that you like to do and things that make you happy, and then do them. Stress comes when there are heavy things weighing down on you, but anything that you can’t fix right now can go on the shelf for a little while as you learn to unwind. If you like sports, grab your friends and have a game. If you just want to sit in front of the TV or read a book, do this! It’s whatever is going to help you.
If you’re still struggling to relax, then you might need some help. There are a number of things you could try, such as meditation, cbd oil, anti-anxiety meds, certain teas, and so on. None of these are guaranteed to work though, it’s just a case of trial and error until you find the right one.
Get Enough Sleep
Think about your nighttime routine and how much sleep you are getting. Sleep is important for your health because it gives your body the time that it needs to complete the processes it can’t do while you are awake. The body is an incredible thing, and it will prioritise what needs to be done based on whether you are awake or asleep, what you are doing, and so on. It is recommended that you get about seven hours of sleep per night, so we suggest that you set a time for yourself to be in bed by, and a time to wake up.
The reason for this is that your brain will then start falling into a pattern, and you will find that going to sleep and waking up at this time becomes a habit. You know that you’re getting enough sleep, you can feel relaxed, and your health is no longer going to suffer because you are staying up all night and getting two hours of sleep in the day.
How Much Water Do You Drink?
How much water do you drink in a day? Studies show that you’re supposed to drink around two litres, but when we say it like that, it sounds really difficult. It’s strange how that sounds difficult, but 5 cups of coffee in the space of a couple of hours sometimes sound so easy that it hurts. You’ve got to make sure that you’re getting enough water, though, because your body depends on it. We are made up of a large percentage of water, so we can’t really afford to lose more than we are putting in.
If you are noticing that you’re sweating throughout the day or losing fluids through other means, then you’re going to have to ensure that you’re replacing them. Take a bottle around with you wherever you go, and if you track how many times you drain it and then have to fill it up, you can keep count on how much you are drinking in a day. You can even set yourself a target to have to drink 4 500ml bottles per day, at least.
Consider Your Alcohol Intake
Finally, we suggest that if you want to maintain your health, then you need to consider your alcohol intake. Drinking alcohol with your friends can be fun, and having something to drink with your meals is fine, but you shouldn’t be drinking to excess constantly. It is dangerous to your body, and if you don’t get it under control, then you could be facing damage that you don’t want to face. Just keep an eye on how much alcohol you are consuming, and ensure that it isn’t excessive or over what is recommended.
We hope that you have found this article helpful, and now see some of the things that you can do to ensure you maintain your health, even when it isn’t easy. Good luck.