A Healthier Daily Routine
Most of us understand the importance of eating healthily, getting plenty of sleep, drinking lots of water, and all those other myriad concerns that affect our physical and mental wellbeing.
However, what it all boils down to is creating a healthier daily routine. We are all creatures of habit, and the vast majority of us respond to routines, which is why the key to creating a healthy lifestyle is in the activity of shaping a healthy routine, which you can live by. Here are six easy steps to doing just that:
Plan your Meals
Eating healthily may just be the number one factor in leading a healthy life, but eating in the right way becomes impossible if all you ever do is eat on demand.
“It takes a little bit of planning (having an idea of what you are going to eat for the week when you do your weekly shop is crucial, for example), and you may need to cook up a few meals on the weekend to get you through the week, but this little bit of effort will make the world of difference. Otherwise, spontaneous eating will eventually lead to junk food, it always does,” argues Kate Jagielka, a health writer at BritStudent and WritemyX.
Include (and Plan for) Exercise
Add exercise to your daily routine. This may mean walking to the station or bus stop, cycling to work, or even going for a walk on your lunch break, However, if you don’t build it in, watch how quickly the amount of exercise you do starts to slip, and the health implications of that are serious.
Set a Bedtime
How many of us are suffering because we don’t get enough sleep? One of the easiest ways to combat this is to simply go to bed a little earlier, especially if we are only staying up to watch a little more TV (more of which later). Getting a minimum of seven hours is central to our health, and although we may be able to cope with a little less for short periods, the long-term impact will be felt eventually.
Limit Your Screen Time, Especially Before Sleeping
Screen time has a detrimental effect on sleep due to the light that is used. Doing it just before you close your eyes is a really bad idea, especially. However, too much screen time throughout the day will also have a detrimental effect on your health.
Of course, it may be that your job involves spending a lot of time in front of a screen, so what can you do?
“First and foremost, don’t spend your break times on your smartphone, because then you are simply moving from screen to screen. Also, make sure you take regular breaks from the screen throughout the day. And finally, just don’t watch too much TV, and certainly don’t use TV as your wind-down activity all the time, because again you are simply swapping one screen for another,” warns Geoff Singer, a blogger at 1day2write and NextCoursework.
Take Water With You
The benefits of water have been espoused for a long, long time, and we all know that we should take on enough water, but how many of us are actually doing it? Many people will see the water cooler and remember that they should be drinking more water, and will then take that opportunity to do it, but it shouldn’t just be something you do when you are reminded of it. Having a water bottle with you at all times will give that constant reminder, and very soon it becomes a natural habit that you don’t need reminding to do. Water really is the elixir of life, so make sure you are getting your fair share.
Do Something for Yourself
It’s really important that every day you factor in a little bit of time that is just for you. Yes, exercise is crucial, and that may be your thing, but this is an aside from exercise. A healthier routine may be reading a book, or even the newspaper (not something on a screen, as we have seen). It may be that you like to spend a little bit of time cooking or relaxing with a glass of wine while listening to music (please note that alcohol consumption should not form a part of your routine every day, but is okay in moderation).
It could be spending time with friends, which really is something that you should try to do at least once a week.
Children
And if you have children, having time with them is really important too, although as a parent it is also important that you do also have a little bit of time that is also your own, or alone with your partner. Don’t just grab these moments when you can, make them part of a healthier daily routine.
