These days, we are more aware than we ever have been about how important it is to strive to live the healthiest lifestyle possible. Optimal wellness encompasses all manners of health – physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. While there are almost infinite ways to get to your optimal level of health, there are still some basic blocks of the universal foundation. Let’s take a look at what they are and how to get on the road to health as quickly and safely as possible.
Start With Your Mental State
Having a positive mental attitude about your life and health will get you further than anything in this life. When you’re guarding your mental health, you’re in control of everything else. Ways to do this are through self-awareness and discovery. Setting boundaries and making sure you take time to enjoy the hobbies you love. Taking care of your mental health can also mean incorporating things like breathwork and meditation to get to a state of mindfulness where the everyday stresses of life don’t affect your physical health.
Sometimes, even doing things on our own isn’t enough. Thankfully, the stigma around seeking professional help for your mental health issues is gone, unlike generations before us. There is no shame in seeking out a therapist or psychiatrist to help give you the appropriate tools for your tool kit of dealing with your mental and emotional issues. If your doctor should decide that medication is a good fit for you, follow their advice. However, you need to make
Work On Your Physical Fitness
Physical fitness isn’t a one-size-fits-all thing, and as simple as that sounds, not everyone seems to understand it. Stop comparing yourself and the way you work out to other people. The important thing isn’t about hitting the gym every day doing high-intensity training. For a lot of people, it’s a more gentler approach like yoga and pilates. Simple stretching at home is a great place to start if you’re not active at all.
The important thing about workouts for your physical fitness is that you find a form of exercise that you genuinely enjoy. When you enjoy the type of exercise you do, you’re much more likely to not only do it often but to keep it up. If you can commit to getting in at least thirty minutes of physical movement every day, you’ll see quick improvements in your overall physical fitness as well as mental. It’s a proven fact that exercise helps with mental health.
Rethink Your Diet
We’re not talking about “diet” in the sense of restricting or joining a program or hopping on a fad. When you rethink your diet, you want to review what you consume through food and drink every day. Is what you consume truly nourishing your health, or is it taking away from it? Maybe you’re consuming too much meat and dairy and need to try eating plant-based for a while. Perhaps you’re overconsuming sugars and need to cut back or explore sweetening substitutes.
You want to make sure you’re eating the food in its purest, most natural state. So, if you’re having a steak or a hamburger, try sourcing local meat that isn’t treated with hormones or antibiotics. The same goes for your dairy. Go organic on your fruits and vegetables where you can. Understanding how much the type of food we eat impacts our overall health can be a hard pill to swallow. It may take some convincing for some people, but if you’re looking to avoid medications or surgeries in the future, starting with your diet is a great and easy way to stave those off.
Spiritual Wellness
Now, this last bit may not be for everyone, and that’s alright. But, this could mean connecting with nature. Not everyone is religious, but we all can recognize that the Universe is an excellent prominent place full of energy bouncing off everything. Choosing to harness positive energy is a step in the right direction. We’ve all heard of the law of attraction, right? So, put out positivity and see it come back to you in abundance.
If you are a religious person, focus on that and live according to your faith. Feeling guilt and shame doesn’t do anyone any good health-wise, so make your spiritual wellness a part of your routine however it may look for you.
This list is just a small set of stepping stones to overall health and wellness. But, if implemented, you should see benefits quickly, and small victories lead to bigger ones. Remember, slow and steady wins the race, so take your journey at whatever pace feels suitable for you – the most important part is to keep up with it for the rest of your long, abundant life.