All You Need for a High-Quality Life – 5 Easy Habits for Physical & Mental Health
Sometimes, improving overall health seems out of reach and confusing, especially due to all the contradicting information out there. Like one day teas are amazing for health, but the next, teas are the worst thing to drink for health. A high-quality life is achievable with the right information and healthy habits.
By doing all of these habits, you will improve your mental and physical health guaranteed. Truly, it is impossible to not benefit or improve health-wise with these tips. Keep reading to find out the only health habits you need.
5 Healthy Habits for a High-Quality Life
Small overlooked habits can make a huge regarding overall health. Try out all of these habits to see how your quality of life improves drastically.
1. Sleep Enough
Sleep is important to health. Sleeping enough helps you stay at a healthy weight by regulating the metabolism and allows the immune system to function properly, which prevents you from getting sick. It has been shown that sleep deprivation causes bad mood, mental fog, memory problems, and lack of concentration, so sleeping enough is important to mental and emotional health as well. Lack of sleep is also associated with high blood pressure, inflammation, increased stress, insulin resistance, and weight gain.
Some theorize that REM sleep, or deep sleep, is responsible for making memories, processing information, and learning as this stage is when brain waves and eye movement increase.
Make sure you get 6 to 8 hours of sleep every night as an adult. Children and teenagers should sleep as much as they want. It is a period of growth and development, one which sleep is vital for.
2. Exercise Frequently
While many use exercise as a way to gain a certain aesthetic, the truth is, everyone can benefit from working out, regardless of whether or not you want to change your appearance.
No matter who you are, there is a benefit in increasing the heart rate during exercise and movement. Exercise improves brain health, strengthens the bones, increases muscle strength, and improves heart health drastically.
Blood pressure is also lowered, and your quality of sleep can improve with regular exercise. Ideally, you should work out 3-5 times a week, though this will vary depending on the type of workout you do. Recent recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control are about 150 minutes of moderate to intense cardio and 2 days of muscle-building strength exercise.
3. Take in Sunlight Daily
Sunlight has many overlooked benefits as we tend to focus on the dangers of UV exposure due to the sun.
However, sunlight is essential in the production of vitamin D, a component that acts as a hormone and nutrient. Vitamin D helps our body absorb other nutrients, such as calcium and phosphorous which are very important to bone health. It also regulates the production of dopamine, and adrenaline, and protects against serotonin depletion. Both dopamine and serotonin are known as happiness chemicals, as they regulate mood and improve mental health.
Sunlight also regulates our internal clock, which can help the body know when to produce melatonin, a vital sleep hormone. Regular exposure to sunlight in the morning is associated with better rest at night and improved mental clarity during the day.
Here is a guide to take in the sun daily, but an easy hack would be to go outside as soon as you wake up. Even a cloud-covered sky offers enough light to make a difference.
4. Consume Nutrition Dense Meals
It is very important to consume nutrient-dense meals full of healthy fats, good carbohydrates, high-quality protein, and essential micronutrients. What you eat can affect mood and physical health, so looking at ingredients, and choosing whole foods instead of processed foods are critical habits. Nutrition becomes the building blocks the body uses to repair and maintain health.
Certain food choices can even help you live longer, as observed with Blue Zone dietary habits. Blue Zones are populations where that have a low prevalence of disease and a high amount of individuals living over 100. Hydrating well, drinking water, and getting enough electrolytes are also highly important.
Now, this doesn’t mean you have to cut out indulgent meals, takeout, and chips entirely. Try to get about 70% to 80% of your food from a non-processed source. Processed food is full of preservatives, additives, and chemicals that are harmful to the body, so be on the lookout for which to avoid.
5. Build Genuine Connections with Others
Interact with people in a healthy, joyful way. This can be online with friends, in person with a family, or over the phone. Human interaction and social connections matter for health. You can be extroverted or introverted, but social interaction is valuable.
Even knowing you have a support system in troubled times can reduce stress and help you overcome challenges. Some habits to build connections are respecting boundaries, being a good listener, being true to yourself, and having deeper conversations. Other habits can include eye contact, smiling, and making sure to schedule a time to be with others and share.
The Takeaway
Healthy habits are vital for a high-quality life. These are the only 5 simple habits you need to feel good both physically and mentally. Eat well, hydrate, and work out when you can. Share your time with other people and take in the sun, safely.
Health comes from the inside out. Sleep well to ensure the body can repair and reset, physically and mentally, eat well-balanced meals the majority of the time, and move daily to ensure wellbeing improves. What we eat and do are competent of fitness that influences emotional, mental, and physical wellness.
Provide the body with good building blocks to allow it to repair, grow, and thrive.
Never forget to take care of gut health as well! With a balanced gut microbiome, you can improve muscle growth, mental health, immune system response, digestion, metabolism, and much more. Learn everything you need to know about gut microbiota today for free here!
