Want to know the secrets of a happy life? All it takes is the unity of a healthy body, healthy mind, and spiritual stability. Through the years, there are multiple attempts to find the connection within the great divide of our physical, mental, and inner well-being. With the pandemic coming in, it is a great challenge to keep up with our daily activities. Failing to sustain the right balance between these elements can significantly affect our overall outlook in life.
If you are looking for ways to maintain a positive lifestyle, here are some approaches that you can do to sustain harmony towards your mental health and physical health.
1. Find the proper exercise by doing something that you love
Keep your mind fit during lockdown, with a home gym that suits your physical needs. Not being able to go outside can be a huge factor in why you have been feeling a little down lately. If you cannot go to the gym, perhaps bringing the gym into your house would do the trick.
Having a home gym will allow you to get your body moving every once in a while. Aside from that, you can do it all in the comfort of your home. Several studies show that exercising will help in reducing stress and elevates your mood. However, it is also essential to choose an activity that you enjoy. By doing so, it will be much easier to make a habit of performing your routines, leading to a healthy body and healthy mind. Soon enough, you will see yourself looking forward to this part of your day.
2. Talk with your mind, body, and soul by meditation
One common misconception about meditation is that it takes hours to complete. However, many studies prove the great benefits of serenity and relaxation in as quick as five to ten minutes.
There are lots of traditional meditation techniques that you can choose from. If you are not into this idea, there are several alternative methods that you can perform. Luckily, today’s innovation has paved the way towards new and exciting practices such as virtual interaction and mindful meditation. Among these choices, find the one that works best for you to take pleasure with connecting to your inner being.
3. Take mindful walking to tune in with your body
Mindful walking can also be a form of meditation. However, this practice requires physical movements. When you walk mindfully, you pay great attention to what’s going on around you as you take your steps.
Catching deep breaths while you walk can help you feel more concentrated and take notice of what is often left unseen. This exercise will improve your mind and body’s connection, making it more convenient to check in on both aspects as you go about your daily routines.
4. Wake up early to keep an optimal state of mind
Some people may find late-night hours to be a more productive time of their day. However, there are numerous debates on how night-time creativity deteriorates your mental health.
Besides getting a better sleep quality, adopting a morning routine allows your mind to be in its most ideal state. Waking up early in the morning prepares your body and mind to start with a positive mood in making decisions and tackle any challenges that may come ahead.
If you are used to having a night routine, it would be best if you could try adjusting your body clock little by little. Doing this will avoid any subtle changes in your health.
5. Adopt a bedtime routine before sleeping for better mental health
Your body will feel better in the morning after a good night’s sleep. Since your physical health directly affects your mental state, maximizing your sleep quality will help you function better the next day.
Adopting a simple yet effective routine will encourage your mind to prepare for its resting state before going to bed. If possible, make sure to follow a sleep schedule that will allow you to complete eight hours of sleep.
6. Develop a good diet and improve your eating habits
When it comes to diet, we often think about restricting our total intake per day. However, this technique is not a good diet plan and could cause harm to your mental health. Instead of listening to the numerous eating and nutrition advice, it only takes two mantras to maximize any particular diet benefits.
Minimizing sugar intake
When you reduce sugar in your diet, you also reduce the risk of having a health condition. It is better to replace sugar and other sugary food with healthy alternatives as much as possible. Besides, cutting down on sugar can also help you lose weight.
Drinking more water
Replace carbonated drinks, sugary juices, and other chemically-processed drinks with water, and you’ll see results instantly. Water does not only make your skin glow, but it will also decrease the likelihood of getting problems affecting your mental health. An increase in carbonated drink consumption can directly influence one’s state of mind and can cause interruptions when thinking. Switching your fluid intake with water will help cleanse your system.
7. Encourage positive social interaction with the right people
As the famous saying goes, “No man is an island” and by virtue, we tend to be healthier the more we socialize. However, a crucial aspect of socializing is identifying which ones we should choose to communicate with. Some people are more than willing to listen and sympathize through our challenges, and those people are worth keeping. When we have someone that can understand what we are going through, our mental health shifts to the positive side, and we tend to have a sense of encouragement to move forward.
8. Have a creative outlet or a passion project
Pursuing something that you love will make you feel better through the days. Some turn the lockdown period into an avenue to start a passion project and do what they find enjoyable. The positivity that we get when going after our passions becomes limitless energy that improves our mental health. As a result, our body feels livelier than ever.
The Bottomline
To enjoy life’s greatest gift, you must keep a healthy body and a healthy mind. Many people often overlook the connection between these aspects and are not aware of how it affects our overall well-being. By incorporating some of these habits, you can create a positive change in your life.