In theory, living a happy and healthy lifestyle sounds relatively easy – right? But, in real life there are so many things going on that sometimes it can be hard to stay happy and find the time to keep ourselves healthy.
Of course, if we just slow down for a minute, there are plenty of ways we can make sure we keep ourselves in good shape, both mentally and physically.
For our easy-to-follow guide to staying happy and healthy, have a read below:
- Manage your stress
You may not realise it, but stress is the cause of many health problems. It also causes you to age more quickly, messes with your hormones and can make you feel anxious, worried and unhappy. To keep yourself happy and healthy, it is crucial that you learn to recognize the signs of stress and find ways to deal with it.
If you find yourself feeling stressed out, take ten deep breaths – in through your nose and out through your mouth. You may be surprised at how much more relaxed you feel are a few minutes of deep breathing.
To keep stress at bay, exercise regularly, take part in regular meditational activities, like yoga, and make sure to keep positive.
- Get enough sleep
If you don’t get enough sleep, your mind and body will suffer. If you are sleep deprived you will feel exhausted, irritable, shaky and unwell. If you don’t get enough sleep you are also more likely to gain weight, be less productive and more likely to get ill, as a lack of sleep can affect your immune system.
To function properly, you need to make sure that you are getting at least eight hours of sleep each night. Otherwise, your body will not run properly.
- Have fun
Take the time out of your schedule to have a break. Set aside time each week to go for coffee with friends, go on a date with your significant other or to just relax at home with a glass of wine and a movie.
Spend time getting out and about – don’t spend all your free time indoors. Any free time you have, make sure you use it to go out and have fun. Go for a family bike ride with the kids, try out a new sport with the girls, or do whatever it is that makes you feel good.
- Work in a nice environment
Whether you work from home or in a big corporate office, try not to take a job working in an environment that isn’t friendly and comfortable. Work is stressful enough, working in a bad environment will only increase your stress and make your unhappy.
Make sure to work for a company with a boss who is caring and generous. Ideally, you want to work for a business that offers health benefits, such as medical care, dental care, and health insurance. As well as offering employee assistance from Health Assured or other specialist health services. That way, you know that if anything happens and affects your ability to work – either physically or mentally, help is on hand.
- Eat healthily and exercise
While you may think this one goes without saying, many people forget just how important it is.
By eating healthily and staying active, not only will you improve your physical health and fitness, you will also improve your mental health. The happiest people tend to be the ones who active, fit and healthy.
