Following a healthy lifestyle may seem like a bit of a task and it is. But I can’t stress enough how rewarding it feels. Leading a healthy life can start with changing the smallest of habits that you and I in today’s day may not even realise we indulge in. Speaking in “today’s” language, when you Instagram how to switch your lifestyle, you may not always get what suits you or your needs. Most of the times, it’ll leave you overwhelmed and confused. That’s precisely what happened to me. So I took another course of action. I started to observe my daily routine, right from the time I wake up to the time I hit snooze and decided to note things that I do wrong. The next step was to eliminate them.
It’s been a couple of months since then and I can safely say, healthy life is addictive and it’s an addiction I’m not scared of. To help you get on this happy path as well, I’ve listed 8 small lifestyle changes you can make on this World Health Day to be happy and healthy.
1. Start your day as early as you can
Back in December, I got diagnosed with thyroid problems so I consulted my gynaecologist and amongst the many things she advised me about, one thing was this—starting your day as early as possible and ending it as early as possible. 7 AM is the best time to wake up, eat and go about your day. For a night owl like me, this was one of the hardest things to do but hey, 61 days later here I am telling you about it. It’s energy-boosting, a motivational push to have a productive day and the most obvious—gives you more time to do more things.
2. Do not hit the snooze button
The temptation to squeeze in those extra 5 minutes of sleep that gradually turn into 10, 20 and 30 may feel heavenly for those few minutes but will leave you feeling drowsy AF. I used to set my alarm for 6 AM so I could snooze almost an hour’s worth of sleep and it did not sit well with me. I felt supremely lethargic and less productive. My eyes were heavy throughout the day. Sound all too familiar? Yep, thought as much. It’s what hitting snooze does. The best thing to avoid this is to wake up the very instance your alarm rings or your natural body time wakes you up at. This will also help you regulate your sleep.
3. Don’t check your phone the first thing when you wake up
You’d be lying if you said it’s not the first thing you do. We’re so madly addicted to checking those notifications the minute we get them, we often forget that time is slipping away. Yes, I’m talking about myself but if the shoe fits, you know what you need to do. By not checking your phone first thing in the morning, you’re letting your own thoughts take over your mind, you’re thinking just about yourself and your day ahead and most importantly, saving time. The moment you spiral into scrolling through those endless number of stories and posts, you let the external world take over your mind before you’ve got the time to think about your own self.
4. Drink at least 2 glasses of water after waking up
Start with one glass if you’re new to this practice and then go to two. I’m definitely not going to give you a lowdown on why you should hydrate because that’s something we’re all well-aware of. But I will tell you that drinking at least two glasses of water in the morning, before brushing, will leave you feeling hella fresh. Try it. But throughout the day, don’t forget to drink 8 glasses of water.
5. Get that 7 AM – 9 AM sunlight
Something about basking in the early morning sun that makes me feel like I am one with nature. But most importantly, it’s your direct source of Vitamin D which strengthens your immune system and helps you get your nice and long beauty sleep.
6. Don’t skip your breakfast
Funny thing is, I used to do this and then actually had the audacity to complain about indigestion problems and acidity. Don’t do it, kids. Why wouldn’t you want to feed yourself first thing in the morning? If you don’t, it’s going to slow down your metabolism and that’s going to cause weight gain and weight gain will lead to a host of other problems, hair loss, headaches and more. So eat your first meal of the day without fail at the right time and eat well. Pro tip: include soaked dry fruits and fruits for more energy in the day and improved health in the long run.
7. Have your meals at appropriate hours
We dump most of the blame on our work for not eating on time but we really need to rethink our priorities. Not eating on time not only has its fair share of physical harms, but it also slows down your productivity rate, makes you foggy and cranky. It’s a no-go in any situation. I agree, for some of us, having a lunch leisurely is an unaffordable luxury but that’s really something to be fixed. Otherwise, it’s not going to benefit you in any way.
8. Never miss a workout
Not going to bore you with what you already know. But I will tell you that if you work out on a daily, it is going to boost your mood, productivity and happy hormones like never before. More than physical, the mental effects of exercising is what got me to make it a part of my daily routine.
What are some habits you practice on a daily that helps you lead a healthy life? Share with us in the comments below.
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