All of us wish that we could make our lives a little healthier. Each day, we are bombarded with different tips from weight loss to self-help psychology that will supposedly help us to improve our lives and make us healthier on the whole.
The truth is that most of these ads and articles are just meant to sell us individual products. In reality, all-over health cannot be obtained via a single pill or self-help book. Rather, obtaining great mind, body and spirit health comes from gradually introducing new routines into your day-to-day life. Here are five daily routines that will help you to achieve overall improved health.
Think More Positively
Cynical types have a tendency to roll their eyes at those "kooky" positive thinking types. However, even if you're typically quicker to take a negative outlook, changing your mentality to a more positive one can do wonders for your overall health. One of the simplest ways to adapt to a positive outlook is by beginning each day by wordlessly expressing gratitude for everything that happened yesterday and everything that you have to look forward to today. It's an easy, short little addition to your morning routine that can make a huge difference.
Keep Your Mind Active
Once we reach adulthood and leave school, it can be difficult to keep our minds active. We might feel somewhat engaged at work, but usually our work involves a lot of the same old and doesn't really engage us on an intellectual level. Taking thirty minutes of your day to devote to an intellectual hobby can really improve your mental health. This hobby can be as simple as reading a challenging non-fiction book or studying a second language.
Don't Fear Change
Getting into the same old routine can be toxic to us, especially if we are unhappy with our daily lives but feel powerless to change the status quo. If your routine feels like it's crushing your spirit, then it's time to change your outlook and embrace change. For many people, this is as simple as incorporating new activities into their daily life. For others, it might involve something as daring as going back to school and pursuing a new career. No matter what you choose, make "I will not fear change or the unexpected" one of your daily mantras. Just repeating it can really have some amazing effects on your overall attitude, outlook and mood.
Pamper Yourself Without Shame
Not only can pampering yourself reduce stress, but it can really improve your appearance. Pampering yourself doesn't need to entail hours spent at a spa or soaking in the bath; for many of us with a career and a family, this would be utterly impossible. Instead, give yourself a daily skincare routine. In the morning, cleanse your face and apply a moisturizer with a high amount of SPF. In the evening, cleanse again and use a serum or cream with anti-aging ingredients. These quick rituals will not only improve your appearance, but they will give you a moment to de-stress in both the AM and PM.
Make Tiny Diet and Wellness Changes
One of the reasons that many of us fail when we try to fix our diets and fitness plans is that these new routines sold to us by the wellness industry can seem overwhelming and intimidating. According to doctors and experts from Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions, if you want to improve your body and health without going crazy, then implement small changes instead of big ones. Make a point to park further away from work every day for thirty days to fit in more walking. Add a fruit or vegetable to every single meal you consume. Making healthy changes in small increments will result in big changes. Furthermore, these changes are so minor that you will essentially guarantee that you can stick to them.
Improving our overall health can be stressful. However, if you add these five routines to your daily life, you will begin to see some truly positive changes to your mind, body and soul.
Meghan Belnap is a freelance writer who enjoys spending time with her family. She also enjoys being in the outdoors and exploring new opportunities whenever they arise. Meghan also enjoys researching new topics that help to expand her horizons. You can often find her buried in a good book or out looking for an adventure.