Maintaining a healthy lifestyle can feel like a difficult balancing act. Some weeks it's easy to eat well and exercise, whilst others you're drawn to junk food and late nights. However, we all deserve to get off the roller coaster of healthy vs unhealthy lifestyle choices and instead maintain our balance.
Ultimately, it comes down to prioritising healthy habits and noticing the value of a wholesome lifestyle. Start with these top ways to maintain a healthy life:
1. Make sleep a priority
Getting enough quality sleep promotes good health and it assists in supporting healthy brain function and maintaining your physical health. You should aim to sleep between 7 and 8 hours per night, whilst also practising good sleep hygiene. Sleep hygiene is the habits and practices that are conducive to sleeping well, for example, keeping distracting technology, like mobile phones out of your bed, and avoid heavy meals before sleeping. Sleep hygiene is the key to sweet dreams, and a good night’s sleep will help you maintain a healthy lifestyle.
2. Aim for balance
Whether it’s your diet, exercise or daily habits, balance is crucial to a healthy lifestyle. Opting for a wholesome diet, moderate exercise and positive, productive habits are important, however, every-so-often indulgences are also a key part of life. Having a cheat day and a day or two off working out helps you maintain your motivation, and it will ensure that you don’t bored with your healthy routine. A healthy lifestyle is all about balance, so don’t be afraid to indulge.
3. Prioritise self-care
Self-care can come in many forms and its underlying purpose is to help you maintain your energy levels and feel your best. It could mean carving out some ‘you’ time, soothing your inner critic, connecting to your purpose, investing in yourself, or choosing kindness and allowing relaxation to be part of your lifestyle.
4. Get over being busy
In order to maintain a healthy lifestyle, you need to get over being busy and aim to be productive. As, there is a huge difference between being busy and being productive, and it often involves a sense of accomplishment. Ask yourself: do you feel busy all day and still feel like you’re behind on your goals? Do you feel the need to be plug in and available all the time?
If you answered yes to either of these questions, there is a high chance that you’re being busy. So instead of causing yourself unnecessary stress and pressure, start to plan your time efficiently, looking at your overall objectives and goals, as well as the detailed, day-to-day activities. Learn to start with the end in mind, and to map out a clear path for yourself. Of course, you’ll experience set-backs and roadblocks along the way, however if you know where you want to go being productive in your approach will be far easier, and ultimately, healthier for you.
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle doesn’t have to be difficult, or boring, in fact, it’s about making minor changes to your routine to support your overall wellbeing. By aiming to balance your diet and exercise regime, making sleep and self-care a priority and moving from busy to productive, you will be able to reap the benefits of a healthy lifestyle and have fun doing it.
What are some of your healthy lifestyle practices? Share them with us in the comments below.
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