Two of the most important things in life are staying healthy and happy. While some people believe it’s impossible to achieve both, happiness and health are actually more closely related than you think.
Leading a healthy lifestyle can help boost your mood, helping you to avoid unhealthy habits. If you start by switching up your mindset to become more optimistic, living a healthy and active lifestyle will consequently follow. Your habits, diet and social activity can also affect both your mental and physical health, but how do you ensure you’re always leading a happy and healthy lifestyle?
Here are five of the best ways:
Exercise More
It’s been proven that as well as having multiple health benefits, exercising for at least 30 minutes 5 times a week can really boost your mood. Whether you stick to a routine every single day or make time to work out when you can, incorporating exercise into your daily life is really important. Don’t worry if you’re not used to exercising, even a 10-20 minute walk each day can make a difference to how you feel.
Eat Well
Not only will a healthy and fulfilled diet ensure you’re leading a healthy lifestyle, but it will also leave you feeling much happier. Make sure you are getting your 5 portions of fruit and vegetables each day as they contain important vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that will keep you healthy and happy. A diet that is high in fresh produce forms the basis of a healthy diet, but don’t forget to allow yourself a treat every now and again. After all, what is life without a little bit of chocolate?
Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness suggests that your mind is fully aware of what’s happening, what you’re doing and space you’re moving through. Often our mind wanders, we lose touch with our body and soon enough we are engrossed in obsessive thoughts and worrying about things we may not be able to control. Practising mindfulness by taking part in activities such as yoga and meditation gives you an opportunity to make that much-needed connection to yourself.
Help Others
There’s no better feeling than helping others and doing so regularly can help you lead a happy and healthy lifestyle – whether it’s through helping someone in need or taking the steps to start a career that is devoted to helping others. This could include becoming a teacher, doctor, nurse or midwife. For information on nurse midwifery programs you can visit the Online Nursing website.
Spend Time Outside
Spending time in the fresh air and sunshine (even if it’s cold outside) can help you to connect with both nature and yourself – the key to anyone’s health & happiness. Having a deficiency in Vitamin D is known to cause depression as well as many other health issues, so spending time outside can be vital when it comes to body and mind.
What are your best tips for staying healthy and happy? Let us know your best ones in the comments below.
