Physical and mental health go hand in hand. Just remember the times when you caught a fever. You probably weren’t too pleased with yourself and the world around you and vice versa. When you are feeling stressed, anxious or angry your body responds to those feelings.
If you want to look and feel physically and mentally healthy there are a few things you can do for yourself. When we are able to give ourselves a little love and remember that we should be kind to our bodies and minds we will not only be happy but we will be healthy and in peace.
Many people don’t have a habit of taking care of themselves properly. Even though doctors continually advise, for example, to eat a nutritious breakfast in the morning, how many of us actually do this? More often than not people are in a hurry, especially in the morning. They grab their cup of joe and take off to work. This immediately puts stress on our bodies and on our minds.
If you want to adopt some new habits that will make you both physically and mentally healthy and happy, we have gathered together a list of things you can start doing today so that you can feel happier and healthier tomorrow.
Find a Physical Activity You Enjoy
More often than not when people come home from their long and often stressful day at work, the first thing they do is either eat, sleep or watch television/streaming services. It’s absolutely known that people need a certain time to rest and that is ok. But if this is your daily routine, well, that’s not very good for your physical nor mental health.
Instead of lounging in front of the television the whole afternoon you could be having fun with new people and enjoying a physical activity you always thought would be fun to do. If you are worried about knees, ankles or other potential and common injuries you can always invest in a good ankle support socks that will keep your ankles in place and supported through any activity.
If you are afraid that you are too old, clumsy, fat or something similar all the more reason to get your body moving. This is only a mental barrier that has been created by the society that certain people can’t do this or that. And frankly, that’s not true. Physical activity will only make you feel younger, will help you to coordinate better and will make you fit!
Think about sports you enjoy watching or that you loved as a kid. Find a recreational group and join them. You choose anything from swimming and jogging to tennis and football.
Spend Time in Nature With the People You Love
Although there are many benefits to living in a big city such as constant access to virtually anything you might need, there are also certain downsides. Air pollution, constant crowds, money spending, and many other time-wasters can be found in the city.
Not only that but being surrounded by the same scenery every day can become exhausting and plain boring. That’s why many modern psychologists and medical doctors recommend plugging out and spending a day in nature.
Spending time in nature is extremely healing for your mental and physical health. Many research suggests that people who regularly spend their time in nature have a lower heart rate, better lungs and are overall happier with their life.
When you spend time in nature you disconnect from all of your daily problems and worries and learn to enjoy the moment you are having observing trees, flowers, birds or other small animals. There is a certain stillness that nature offers and we should always try to spend our time there as much as we can.
Start Waking up Early and Meditate
If you have a regular 9 to 5 job, this is going to be very easy for you to achieve. The only tricky part is getting you to sleep on time. Some medical doctors suggest in order to reset your time clock you should start doing that by waking up at least half an hour before you usually do.
This will make you more tired in the evening and naturally, you will go to bed earlier. This kind of lifestyle also demands certain sacrifices which include going out late, regular partying and so on. Although you can still enjoy some of these activities you should always ask yourself is it worth your time and will it bring any value to you?
It’s been proven numerous times that meditation can do wonders for your soul. This a time you can take exclusively for yourself. No distractions, no phones, e-mails, children, pets or anything else in the world. Just you and your thoughts. When you start observing them you’ll see that there are many things that you can and should be proud of. You’ll start to appreciate yourself more and will realize just how much you are worth.
Also, mediation helps people to feel grounded, focused and mindful during the day.
Find a Hobby
We know that it’s easier just to watch YouTube, scroll through Instagram, Facebook or any other social media than it is to actually do something with your time. Social media can be so distracting that many people don’t even realize just how much time they have spent scrolling or watching other people do stuff. This is absolutely damaging to our creativity and is a complete time waster.
Think about when you were a kid. What was the thing you liked doing? Or is there something that you always wanted to try but was too afraid because of what others might say or think of? If you name at least three things that you didn’t do because of any number of reasons those are exactly the things that you should do.
If you always liked painting but was never really good at it doesn’t matter. Paint! Buy yourself some quality paints, an easel and paint. Just think about Bob Ross and his encouraging words or even better find his videos on YouTube and start painting with him.
It doesn’t matter if it looks bad. Not everything you do must be perfect or made into a business. Some things we must do just because we like them and because it makes us happy.
Final Words
We shall conclude this article with a beautiful quote by the Greek philosopher Epicurus: “The ultimate goal of the blessed life is physical health and mental serenity.”