Your well-being is a measure of your overall happiness, comfort levels, health – both mental and physical, and contentment in life. Therefore it is just about the most important thing in our lives – in real terms. If you are someone who suffers from pervading negative thoughts, then you are going to score low on the well-being gauges, as is someone who cannot do all the things they want due to some illness. The thing is, no matter who you are, there are many ways to raise your level of well-being to a point where you have a much better quality of life. Sometimes it’s a lot more simple than you think. The first thing you need is an attitude that allows you to change. Then everything else will fall into place more easily. Below are a few ways you can increase your health and well-being and enjoy a much higher quality of life:
Mindfulness
If you struggle with negative thoughts and intrusive thoughts, then practicing mindfulness is a great one for you. Mindfulness is a way of quieting your mind and focusing on the things around you in the present moment. It can prevent people from worrying about the future – anxiety and regretting the past as much.
In effect, it is a form of controlling your thoughts and becoming happier and healthier in the process. What you think about is closely linked to your health. Negative thinking is clearly linked to depression, but this can also affect your physical health in many ways too. Negative thinking can lead to negative habits, and these a detrimental to health. So, to start practicing mindfulness, you have a few options.
You can start taking walks on your own in a natural place like a park with trees and grass, or the countryside. When you are out, focus on the sounds, sights, and smells about you. You could start a hobby, as when you are in the act of creating, this is akin to a mindfulness technique. The most obvious choice for mindfulness is meditation. This is great for people who don’t have much time.
All you need is ten minutes of alone time where you can close your eyes can practice letting everything go, all those thoughts. Concentrate on your breathing, and don’t fight anything that pops into your mind. Instead, don’t attach to it; let it go. Mindfulness is a fantastic way to reduce stress and anxiety, as well as depression and other pervasive detrimental thinking habits. It is about breaking those habits and becoming more aware of what you are thinking about in an attempt to control them.
Practice Gratitude
This is another great one for anyone out there who suffers from negative thinking. Remember, if you can control your thoughts better, it has the power to improve your entire health and well-being. Practicing gratitude is, in theory, a pretty simple technique, perhaps even easier than mindfulness. All you have to do is think about three things in your life that fill you with a sense of gratitude, things that you are truly grateful for that exist in your life. These can be absolutely anything at all; it doesn’t matter.
All you need is the feeling of happiness that they generate to pervade your thoughts. The best time to do this is in the morning, so you set yourself up for the day on the right foot. Try and increase the time you do this every day until you are up to half an hour, ten minutes for each item. These can be three different things every day or the same things. You can say them out loud, write them down or just visualize them. The better you can visualize a happy thing, the better. It means that when you are out and about and negative thoughts start to penetrate your mind, you can conjure up this happy feeling by thinking about one of the items you are grateful for.
Declutter Your Living Spaces
Did you know that your environment has a massive impact on your health and well-being? If you have a cluttered home, car, shed, desk at work, and so on, this is going to be affecting your mental health. Clutter can cause stress, anxiety, and depression, and it can even have the effect of preventing some people from moving on in their life. This is because clutter is a name for items that hold memory. Some people become so attached to the clutter that they can’t part with it, and they are constantly reminded of things from the past. They are no longer living in the present; they are living in their own history or museum. This is not healthy.
Clutter also can become a problem for health. It can cause trip hazards, and it prevents the home and other areas from being cleaned properly. They can allow dust to mount, along with creating a great environment for rodents, insects, and other pests. Eventually, this can begin to contaminate the air and cause respiratory issues, along with other health concerns. Decluttering is essential for your health and well-being – and the health and well-being of your family or the people living with you.
Seek Medical Help
Something that seems to be a pretty obvious way to look after your health and well-being – seeking medical help – is actually not so simple for some people. In fact, many people can live in denial about a mental or physical health concern for many months or even years. All the time, this affects you in many ways. The best thing you can do is seek medical help as soon as possible.
If you have some niggling issue that has been bothering you for more than three weeks, it may be time to contact your healthcare professional for advice. It doesn’t matter how minimal the problem is; if it is bothering you, you need to get it sorted, as this will be reducing your quality of life. If it is serious, you have nipped it in the bud; if it is minor, you can stop worrying, so win-win. Perhaps, you need something for treating itchy skin, or maybe you are concerned that you have a lump.
Eating Healthy
The phrase ‘You are what you eat’ isn’t just a catchy saying, it really does carry some truth. The foods we consume directly impact our physical health, energy levels, mood, and overall well-being. Eating a balanced, nutrient-rich diet can drastically improve your quality of life.
To begin, focus on incorporating more whole foods into your meals. Whole foods include fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, and legumes. These foods are packed with essential nutrients our bodies need to function at their best. Also, aim to consume a variety of foods in order to ensure you’re getting a range of different vitamins and minerals.
Avoid processed foods whenever possible as they often contain high amounts of sodium, sugar, unhealthy fats, and artificial additives which can negatively impact your health. These types of foods may also lead to various health problems including obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. Here, you can find vegan meat substitutes.
Practicing portion control is another essential aspect of maintaining a healthy diet. Even when consuming healthy foods, eating in large quantities can lead to weight gain and other health problems. Find the right balance for your body, taking into account your activity level, body size, age, and overall health.
Remember, a healthy eating regimen is not about depriving yourself of your favorite foods, but rather, it’s about finding the right balance. You can still enjoy the foods you love in moderation while primarily fueling your body with the nutritious foods it needs to thrive.
The journey to health is a marathon, not a sprint, so take your time to adopt new habits and adjust to a healthier lifestyle.
Exercise
If you want a health and well-being technique that will improve pretty much every aspect of your health, then exercise is the thing for you. It is clearly a very good thing for your physical health. It can help you lose weight, help prevent you from developing other illnesses, and even aid your recovery from some illnesses. Exercise is also a way of increasing your mental well-being. It helps the brain create more dopamine and serotonin, which are chemicals involved in regulating your mood and reward centers. It is a way of reducing cortisol, the stress hormone; it can even reduce the amount of pain you feel. Exercise is definitely something you need to be getting into your weekly routine.
If more strenuous exercise is not on the cards at the moment, you can do more moderate exercise. One pretty simple one to get in is more walking. Walking up the stairs rather than taking the elevator, parking a larger distance away from the shops or work. Going for walks on the weekend with your family. Perhaps you could do some yoga or Pilates exercise at home, start with the easy stuff and get better. Maybe you could buy some weights and lift those every day. Regular exercise can be combined with red light right therapy for added benefits, you can see some examples here. If you have any health issues, remember to talk to a doctor before you start doing new things, but if you can start moving more and working up a sweat every couple of days, it won’t be long until you start to see and feel the benefits.
Treat Yourself
A great way to improve your well-being is to practice a little self-care and treat yourself. No one should be working and attending to their responsibilities all the time. This is a great way to burn out, and then you are not going to be of any use to anyone. Not you, not your partner, and definitely not your children. In order to make the best life choices, you need to be in the right mental state, and that means less stress and some time to devote to yourself. So, that means you need a little treat and relaxation every now and again.
This is different for everyone, but maybe some new clothes, a new hair-do, a spray tan, a day at the spa, or a long hot bath, maybe a cake once everyone has gone to bed; it’s up to you. Maybe what you really want is a romantic meal with your partner, maybe it is what they need too. So, lean on your support network if you have children and get a babysitter and go for it. It doesn’t really matter what the act is to treat yourself; what you need to say to yourself is that it is all worth it and that you are important, and that you should not take yourself for granted.
Additionally, you can discover a wide range of natural and plant-based solutions for enhancing your overall wellness at Alternaleaf. They provide the resources to support your well-being journey.
We are not doctors and this is in no way intended to be used as medical advice and we cannot be held responsible for your results. As with any product, service or supplement, use at your own risk. Always do your own research before using.
Meg is an author at Cinnamon Hollow. She writes on a variety of topics sharing tips and ideas for daily life.