2020 might well have been one of the most personally difficult periods of people’s lives, but it’s important to stay positive. And in anxious times such as these, taking care of your personal health and well-being is increasingly vital as you navigate today’s fast-paced and changing world. Health and happiness go hand-in-hand, which all comes down to maintaining a healthy and balanced lifestyle.
But what does a healthy and balanced lifestyle actually mean, and how do you go about maintaining one? We live in world of varying beliefs and cultures, so one person’s answer to that is likely to be different to another’s, however there are key components of a balanced lifestyle that each individual can adapt to themselves and reap the benefits of living well.
THE IMPORTANCE OF LIVING A BALANCED LIFE
There are many positives of ensuring you have a balanced lifestyle, from improving your personal and work relationships, to boosting your energy levels and mental state of mind. Life tends to throw the unexpected at us constantly, so a positive mindset works wonders for being able to confidently deal with the world in front of us.
Your physical, mental and spiritual states are the markers of happiness. They work together to create an overall sense of well-being and self-worth. Unmanaged, these markers can lead to serious physical and mental issues developing over time.
YOUR BODY IS YOUR TEMPLE
Look after your body. In order to achieve a balanced lifestyle, you first must make sure you are living healthy. Regularly checking in with things like body mass index (BMI) and eating a healthy diet will get you looking and feeling healthy.
Your body requires plenty of exercise and healthy food, but that’s not to say it’s not also equally important to take time out from a busy day to enjoy activities and unwind. Reading and meditation are great ways to balance out stresses and anxieties.
TIPS FOR A BALANCED LIFESTYLE
You should aim to be physically active every day – any exercise is better than none, so do whatever exercise you feel is of benefit to you. There is a lot of contradictory information on every type of exercise out there, so simply put – do something that you enjoy. Setting personal targets is a good way to keep tabs on your progress.
Being organized can help reduce stress and improve your life balance. It’s important to keep a clear mind plan in advance, and allow time for your tasks, while also making room for activities you enjoy.
Setting goals will help assist with attaining a positive mindset. Your goals can cover anything from your job, your finances or your fitness goals.
Eat healthy foods and nutrients to create new cells, clean toxins and function properly. Making sure you get your 5 fruit and veg each day will help you improve your diet.
THE IMPORTANCE OF ENOUGH REST
Getting enough rest is vital for improving your mental state, as it directly relates to brain functions such as cognition, concentration, performance and productivity. Those without enough sleep tend to have higher stress and anxiety levels, and poorer physical health.
Poor sleep is linked to both weight gain and an unhealthy diet. Studies show that sleep-deprived people have a tendency to eat more calories. Not getting enough rest also disrupts the daily fluctuations of appetite hormones and is a leading cause of poor appetite regulation. Other studies have likened short sleep’s negative impacts on the brain to similar degrees of alcohol intoxication.
In both men and women, it is found that minimal sleep is directly linked to slower walking, lower grip strength and difficulty in performing activities. There is also a greater of heart disease and stroke in people that have poor sleeping patterns.
In contrast, good sleep has been shown to improve one’s problem-solving skills and memory performance in both children and adults. It helps with maintaining a proper appetite and improves your immune function, and can help fight off common sicknesses such as colds. You simply cannot achieve a well-balanced lifestyle without taking care of how you sleep.
LAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE
It might come as a joke – or it might not – that laughter can have great positive short and long-term effects. Positive short-term effects of having a good laugh include enhancing your intake of oxygen-rich air, which stimulates the organs and increases the endorphins released by the brain. It’s also a great stress-reliever, aiding in muscle relaxation.
Long-term effects of laughing and generally having a good sense of humour are known to help bolster your immune system. Negative thoughts can manifest into chemical reactions in the body and bring more stress into your system, therefore decreasing your immunity. In contrast, positive thoughts that turn into laughter release neuropeptides that help fight stress.
Laughter is also known to ease pain by releasing the body’s natural painkillers, increase overall personal satisfaction, and help you cope with situations. Have you ever “laughed off” a difficult task or social interaction before? The proof is in the pudding.
HOW TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE TIES IT ALL TOGETHER
If you start to view your health holistically and pay attention to your mind and body’s facets – sleep, diet, activity, social connections and mental health, you will find it a lot easier to find purpose and joy in life. Using Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) daily can help you unlock your internal energy by promoting healthy blood flow for your mind and body for a healthy, well-balanced lifestyle.
Head over to ThisHerb’s self-evaluation test to see if there are parts of your life you wish to strengthen, and if you can potentially benefit through ThisHerb’s range of natural therapeutic remedies that will help you restore balance to your life.
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