Easy and practical habits to adopt for a healthy life
A healthy lifestyle is a worthy life goal for everyone. If the rat race and material excesses have prevented the pursuit of health thus far, now is the time to begin. With social distancing and work from home norms set to remain in place for a while, it is now easier than ever to adopt healthy habits. Further, studies show that coronavirus is more likely to attack people suffering from lifestyle diseases such as heart problems and diabetes. Hence, a healthy lifestyle helps boost immunity against the disease. Adopt the following five easy and practical habits to achieve a healthy lifestyle:
FOLLOW ASTRICT ROUTINE
It is said that people working in offices stay happier and more focused, because they follow a routine. Even if physical office spaces are currently closed and work hours are askew, it is possible to enforce a routine and stick with it. This can be done by resisting the urge to stay up late watching TV, and waking in time for normal work days. Online meetings can be arranged and work goals pursued in specified hours of the day, along with requisite breaks for lunch, tea and general stretching and relaxation. When the body recognises patterns, it performs optimally, allowing one to feel happier and healthier in the process.
BECOME A MORNING PERSON
It may be tough for night owls to make the switch when there is no pressing reason to wake early. However, getting a fresh and early start every morning leads to greater productivity and oodles of extra energy. It also allows one to relax unhindered when the day ends. Early mornings are the best time to connect with nature and reflect on one’s life goals and challenges. Additionally, waking before the household affords much-needed time to oneself before the day begins.
POSITIVE AFFIRMATIONS
Positive affirmations are the beliefs and goals that people repeat to themselves as a mantra, in order to achieve their life’s purpose. They have been proven to infuse confidence and the determination to succeed, in those who follow the practice regularly. Affirmations further help keep stress and anxiety at bay, in uncertain times. Repetitions of positive thoughts aim to speak to the subconscious directly, which ultimately dictates the behaviour of a person. Begin by penning five positive self-beliefs along with five easily achievable goals. Repeat these affirmations every morning while enjoying a cup of tea or coffee. A recording playing in the background while going about your day may also help.
EAT LIGHTER MEALS
Watching the intake of food is essential to a healthy lifestyle. Fad diets are hard to sustain and prove unhealthy in the long run; however, simple habits can be incorporated into a daily routine to promote weight loss and good health. Eat small portions at every meal. Reduce the quantities in a staggered manner so that the body does not face the shock suddenly, forcing it to enter starvation mode. Eat everything but avoid obviously unhealthy foods that are fried, full of sugar or excess salt. Dinner should be the lightest meal to aid digestion at night.
PRACTICE LIGHT EXERCISES
The human body works on a simple mathematical principle. The consumption of a set number of calories help the body survive, but if the calories consumed are not burned off, they are stored in the body as reserve fat. Unfortunately, stored fat is hard to dislodge, and can lead to numerous serious lifestyle diseases. In pre-historic times, humans burned the calories through intense physical practices like hunting and agriculture. In the present day, sedentary lifestyles don’t allow humans to move as much as they need to. Choose any mode of exercise including walks, dance or yoga and ensure it becomes a lifelong practice.
Use the time gifted by the virus wisely, and focus on a steady pursuit of physical and mental health. Remember, the first step is the hardest one to take.
The writer is a lawyer who pens lifestyle articles on her successful blog www.nooranandchawla.com. She can be found on Instagram @nooranandchawla.