So many of us are guilty of pushing our health and wellness to the back of our priority list, yet this is your sign to change that and to start making it a priority from now on! Your health and wellness means everything, and without it, so many elements of your life will be affected. So, if you’ve let your focus on it slip, we’re here to help. None of the things we’re going to suggest involve major changes to your routine or cost loads of money, but are small and manageable changes that you can easily incorporate. They’re all also very flexible, helping you to tailor them to your lifestyle. Let’s get into it and help you learn how to start prioritising your health with these easy steps that can really make a big difference!
Get Your Body Moving
First up is a really simple one, which is to get your body moving. This can mean anything, and no matter where you’re starting, your goal should simply be to move more. There are so many different ways to do this which is why it’s so great!
Perhaps at the minute you do an average of 2,000 steps a day, you might get off public transport a stop earlier or go for a lunchtime walk and increase that to 4,000. You might do a 20 minute guided yoga class on the internet each morning, try a new gym class, preparing for a hike, or increase your gym routine from 2 sessions to 3. If you have access to a swimming pool you could go more often, or if you have a bike, get out in the morning for a nice walk.
This is so easy to tailor to your routine, so do what you can and get moving. When you are moving more, you will be reducing your chance of suffering from chronic illnesses, you’ll be maintaining more of a healthy weight and you will be helping your mental health, too. Get yourself a great new womens gymwear outfit and get ready to feel incredible.
Prioritise Your Sleep As Much As Possible
Another thing you can be doing is to prioritise your sleep as much as possible. When you are sleeping well, it has such a huge impact on the rest of your life, including your productivity, focus and energy. It also gives your body the all-important time that it needs to heal from the day.
We understand that some people do struggle to sleep, whether it’s a result of insomnia or children waking in the night. So, simply do your best to find ways to incorporate more sleep, whether it’s going to bed an hour earlier after the kids are in bed, or waking up an hour later in the morning. If you do struggle to sleep, don’t suffer in silence and make sure that you ask your doctor if there is anything they can do to help, as it is so incredibly important for your health.
Eat More Fruits and Vegetables
Next up, when people talk about health and wellness, it’s often in relation to a diet overhaul which is much easier said than done. Rather than cutting everything you love out of your diet suddenly, it’s better to gradually change your habits so you won’t notice as much of an impact.
A great way to do this is to eat more fruit and vegetables. So, when you go out to your food shop, choose a variety of fruit and vegetables and put them in your basket. Incorporate your veg into different meals (pre-planning helps here) and then eat more fruit as snacks, or in the form of a smoothie in the morning. This will really fuel your body and all of your important bodily functions with a wide range of vitamins, plus it will make you feel more full. You will soon begin to find this is a completely normal part of your routine and naturally will eat less unhealthy food.
Start A New Hobby
Next up, you should consider starting a new hobby! If you have been wanting to start something new that is for you and just for you, or you want to meet new people, then you should take this as your sign to do it. This could be something arty like pottery or art classes, perhaps you want to start a cooking class, you could start volunteering or you could try something new that is fitness related, perhaps pole fitness, aerial fitness, dance classes or yoga. This is all about taking time out of your busy schedule to do something that is for you and your wellbeing.
Take Care of Your Mental Health
It’s so easy for life to get in the way, but something that you must be taking care of is your mental health. Even if you are in a good place, it’s never too early to make it a priority. Moving your body is an important part of this, along with eating healthier, getting more sleep and starting a hobby. However, you should also be actively doing activities that directly help you to unwind. One good way to do this is to start meditation. This can take just 5 or 10 minutes out of your day but can make all of the difference in the world.
There are so many benefits to meditation, from helping you to gain a new perspective in difficult situations to increasing your self-awareness, reducing negative emotions and increasing your patience. All of these things help to improve your mental health and when you are struggling, to manage those emotions.
Some people prefer to meditate in the morning to help set them up for the day, whilst others prefer it in the evening to help them unwind after a busy day when their mind might feel overwhelmed. There are endless amounts of guided meditation videos out there, which are so easy to follow. You can start completely from scratch and eventually might gain the confidence to do your own meditation. People are often overwhelmed by the term “meditation”, thinking it has to be really complex, when really it can be as simple as taking some deep breaths in and out and thinking about your breathing.
There are many different ways to care for your mental health, but this is a great place to start if you are feeling overwhelmed and want to make a positive improvement. Make the effort to mediate for even 5 minutes today, you might not get the full benefit out of it the very first time, but stick with it and you will be really glad that you did.