5 Ways To Live A Happier, Healthier Life

What type of image do we see promoting a healthy life? Someone who eats salads and goes for a morning run every day? Although exercise and diet are an important part of healthy living, it goes beyond our physical health.

In fact, it is just as important to keep your mind healthy. A healthy lifestyle is about a positive attitude, self care, taking care of your mental health and promoting a healthy self image. There is a number of ways to do that, but it takes dedication. Here are just a few of the ways to begin living a happier, healthier life:

More Water, Less Problems

You might have heard somewhere in the ether that we are “supposed” to drink eight glasses of water a day. While this might seem like a disproportionate number, it is much more than that. It entirely depends on how active a lifestyle you lead.

When beginning your day, you should always try to drink at least one to two cups, especially before your morning cup of coffee (which is dehydrating). Actually, a glass of cold water will wake you up even better than a caffeinated beverage, and it gets your body in motion. Water starts your metabolism and lubricates all of your organs which have been resting during your sleep.

It is highly likely that you, or someone you know, is not drinking enough water. We can become dehydrated by urination, perspiration, breathing, weather elements, the foods we eat, and from simply just not drinking enough water. Therefore, we need to continuously replenish the water in our bodies constantly

A good rule of thumb to make sure you are drinking enough water is the color of your urine! It should never be a dark yellow, but a pale yellow.

Don’t Wait To Sleep Until Your Dead

The age old saying “I’ll sleep when I’m dead,” should be banished from your vocabulary! Another great way to dehydrate your body is to pull an all-nighter, or to get very little sleep. When our lives are busier and busier, one of the first things we sacrifice is sleep. In order to get more hours in our day, the only way to do it is to stay up or get up earlier. However, we don’t often realize how counterproductive this bad habit is for our production levels.

On average, an adult person needs at least seven to eight hours of sleep a night. However, every 1 in 3 American adults actually gets the daily recommended amount of sleep. Running off of little sleep can have serious health risks, like low motivation, energy, mood swings, irritability, bad digestion, weight gain and potential heart health risks.

Prioritizing sleep is genuinely one of the best things you can for yourself to live a happy, healthier life.

Taste The Rainbow

You have probably heard it from your family, on television, or in school: “Eat your vegetables!” However, there should be a variety of foods you eat along with your vegetables. The key to a happy stomach is a well-balanced diet, which doesn’t mean eating only vegetables and nothing else. In fact, that could actually make you cramped, bloated or give you stomach aches.

For a healthier life you should instead aim to have a colorful plate with all the food groups. A diet high in fruits and vegetables, lean protein, and whole grains will help you in ways you can never imagine. When we consume a variety of food together, we are giving our bodies the nutrients, minerals and vitamins that we need to feel energized and ready to take on the day.

If you are one of those people who have trouble eating, consider some low-calorie protein shakes from the shake that weight diet. Always carry some sort of food source on you, whether it is nuts, a whole grain protein bar or some sliced fruit. Your body will thank you if you continuously eat well-balanced foods throughout the day, because it will keep your metabolism and your digestive track continuously moving.

Say Goodbye To Those Negative Influences

Do you have trouble saying goodbye? You aren’t alone. However, there are certain influences in all of our lives that are worth reducing or cutting out completely. The happier you become, the more negative people in your life might want to bring you down. Instead, you want to consider your value and maximize the amount of time with people who you enjoy being around, who support you and who make you feel good. This will have a tremendously positive impact on your life, making you enjoy your life more.

Think of the people around you who radiate negativity, complain often or make poor choices—they might be friends, coworkers, or your own family members. It might hurt immensely, but this is the type of company you want to avoid as you are cultivating your healthier lifestyle.

Two femasle friends sat side by side with their backs to the camera. they ahve their arms around one another to help support and show their friendship. They are in what looks like a garage or work room.

Go See The World—Less Screen Time

With the rise of social media, news outlets and instant information everywhere at all times, it is easy to get wrapped up in our devices. However, have you thought about how this constant screen time makes you feel? Have you felt lethargic or rundown after spending too much time on your computer? Or have you felt out of it after being pulled from the vortex of your cellphone screen?

These crappy feelings might be a sign that it is time to step out of the virtual world, and into the real world. Go outside and take a walk through your local park. Play frisbee or tennis with your friend. Go to the grocery store or strengthen your muscles at the gym. It is important now more than ever, with the COVID-19 lockdowns in place, to try to spend some time in the sunshine. The more you move, the more your body and mind will thank you and a happier, healthier life will be yours!

*collaborative post

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