There are simple steps you can take today to begin living a healthier life.
1.Breathe deeply. Want to do something in the next five minutes that will change your life? Breathe deeply. Clinical health psychologist Amanda Withrow, Ph.D said that unconsciously “we breathe into our chest.”
The way we should be breathing, however, is diaphragmatically. “Diaphragmatic breathing is slow, deep breathing into our bellies.” It is an important stress management tool and great because it’s free, can be done anywhere and at any time. “What’s really cool these days is that there are smartphone applications that can guide you through deep breathing and help you to practice properly.” In fact, one of our World of Psychology bloggers, Summer Beretsky, covered three of them here.
2.Be mindful. Forget about that mounting to-do list, the fight you had with your best pal, or your Facebook update or Twitter account. Take time out to get back to the present moment. Withrow uses this exercise to help patients be more mindful. She asks them to list five things they see, hear, feel, smell or taste. Doing this helps pause worrying and refocuses attention on the present moment.Another way Withrow suggests we be more mindful is by paying attention to our inner dialogue. A lot of our thoughts are like the acronym for FEAR: false evidence appearing real. If you can learn to be mindful of your thoughts and think more objectively, it can have a positive impact on your behavior and your life.
3.Love yourself and then love your neighbor. In their pre-flight instructions, flight attendants demonstrate how to use the oxygen mask if needed, and tell passengers to put on their own mask first before helping others with theirs. The same applies to self-care.“It’s a distortion to think that self-care is selfish,” Lyon said. Realistically, you will not be able to help anyone else unless you first take care of yourself.
4.Take care of your physical health. This may be a shocker, but Lyon said that the optimum recommendation for physical activity (including aerobic exercise and strength training) is 90 minutes a day. That might seem overwhelming for most. But the good news is that 20 minutes three times a week or ten thousand steps a day is enough to help you increase longevity.
5.Make sleep and healthy eating priorities.Getting enough sleep is vital to your mental health and physical wellbeing. A healthy average is seven to nine hours a night. How many hours do you get on a regular basis?
6. Enjoy Ginger - The volatile oils in ginger have long made it a useful herbal remedy for nasal and chest congestion. Pour 2 cups of boiling water over a 1-inch piece of peeled, grated ginger; steep for 10 minutes; and strain. Add a pinch or two of cayenne pepper to the water and drink as needed.
7. Go Fish - If you suffer from dry eyes, up your seafood intake. Salmon, sardines, and mackerel contain omega-3 fatty acids, which the body uses to produce tears, among other things. Research suggests that people who consume higher amounts of these fats are less likely to have dry eyes.
8. Eat Bananas - People whose diets are rich in potassium may be less prone to high blood pressure. Besides reducing sodium and taking other heart-healthy steps, eat potassium-packed picks such as bananas, cantaloupe, and oranges.
9. Lyon said that making sure to eat regular, nutritious meals is also important. With summer around the corner, people are getting anxious about bathing suit season and often go on diets. However, she believes that diets and restricting your food intake can sometimes trigger eating disorders in individuals. Stick with eating at the same time of day every day so that your body is less likely to enter starvation mode and you’re not restricting yourself and your body.
10. Find someone you can confide in. You don’t need millions of Facebook friends or even hundreds of in-person ones. According to research, you just need one trustworthy friend you can confide in to live longer and recover faster from illness. Lyon said that part of the recovery program in some countries includes having someone to talk to about it. Social support is that important.
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