Six Simple Ways to Improve Your Wellbeing

We all want to enjoy a life that is comfortable, healthy, and happy.

However, to achieve this goal we need to make lifestyle choices that maintain our physical and mental well-being.

To help you make the right choices, this guide will share six simple ways to improve your well being.

These techniques can easily be added to your daily routine to deliver extraordinary results.

1) Improve the quality and duration of your sleep

When you are sleeping, your body remains hard at work performing tasks that are essential for mental and physical wellbeing.

These tasks include:

Removal of waste

As you sleep, the will remove toxins from the brain and muscles, helping your body prepare for the next day.

If you don’t get enough sleep, you may find yourself waking with a groggy mind, tired muscles, impaired cognition, and lower productivity.

Production of hormones

The body will produce hormones and ensure your hormonal levels are balanced.

This process is important for maintaining healthy emotions and a healthy body.

One of the worst consequences of hormonal imbalances that can occur due to a lack of sleep is weight gain due to poor appetite regulation.

Hormonal imbalance can also increase the risk of certain illnesses.

Restoring energy

As you sleep, your muscles and central nervous system recovers from any strenuous the physical activities that you have been performing.

Failure to get enough sleep will leave you feeling lethargic and unmotivated.

Alarmingly, there is also scientific evidence that indicates insufficient sleep can increase your risk of chronic illnesses like heart disease, diabetes, and depression.

Fortunately, there are some very effective techniques available which will help you get a better night’s sleep:

Make your bedroom a sleep-friendly environment

Do your best to make your bedroom a calm, comfortable, and relaxing space.

Take steps to reduce noise and light levels, buy a high-quality bed, and make your room a comfortable temperature.

Have a regular sleep schedule

Having a routine that you follow before bed can help to regulate your body’s internal clock.

If you always go to bed at 10pm, your body will eventually become accustomed to this routine, making it easier to get to sleep.

Exercise more often

It is much easier to get to sleep if you are physically exhausted.

Try to get at least 30 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise each if you want to get to sleep easily.

Reduce intake of substances that inhibit sleep

Avoid having too much caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine each day, as they are stimulants which can make it harder to get to sleep.

Avoid staring at screens before bed

The use of electronic devices before going to bed has been linked with poor sleep quality.

Make a rule to not use electronic devices within an hour of bed time.

2. Stop putting toxic things into your body

Making an effort to reduce the amount of toxic substances that you consume can lead to a dramatic improvement in your well-being.

Start by reducing or eliminating your consumption of tobacco, alcohol, and drugs.

These substances can have very nasty side effects and may increase your risk of chronic diseases if consumed in large quantities for a long time.

Next, look at the toxic substances that may be present in your diet.

You might be surprised to discover that some of the foods you consume every day contain additives which are bad for your health.

Avoid substances that have been proven to have a negative impact on physical health, including:

•   Artificial sweeteners
•   High fructose corn syrup
•   Monosodium Glutamate (MSG / E621)
•   Food dyes
•   Sulphur Dioxide (E220)
•   Trans fat
•   Sodium nitrate/sodium nitrite, Sodium Sulfphite (E221)
•   Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT)
•   Potassium Bromate

The simplest way to reduce your intake of these toxic additives is to reduce your consumption of processed foods.

Instead, eat meals that contain natural ingredients like fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, whole grains, and lean protein.

3. Take active steps to look after your mental health

Most people spend hours focusing on their physical health each week.

They go to the gym, try to eat well, avoid junk food, and see their doctor regularly for check ups.

However, they rarely take steps to protect their mental health.

This can lead to unexpected feelings of sadness, insecurity, loneliness, depression, and anxiety.

Fortunately, looking after your mental health is actually quite easy.

Here are a few ways you can do so:

•   Keep in touch with friends and family
•   Talk to the people you trust about how you are feeling
•   Ask for help when you are feeling isolated, sad, or anxious
•   Make time for yourself
•   Meditate
•   Be less critical of yourself
•   Care for others
•   Look for ways to laugh more often
•   Spend time improving yourself
•   Exercise and eat well
•   Avoid consuming an excessive amount of alcohol

4. Use your muscles

In the past few years, multiple studies have highlighted the importance of incorporating weight lifting into physical exercise routines.

Researchers have discovered that lifting weights will:

• Reduce the risk of chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s disease.
• Strengthen the musculoskeletal system
• Increase the level of growth hormones which will improve your health
• Improve your mental health by reducing the risk of depression and anxiety
• Help you maintain a healthy weight

You can also use body weight exercises like pushups and crunches to achieve these excellent health benefits.

For more info be sure to check out a more in-depth fitness or bodybuilding blog.

5. Meditate

Meditation can dramatically improve your wellbeing.

Regular meditation will reduce stress and anxiety, enhance self-awareness, improve your attention span, improve self-control, and promote emotional health.

It also provides many benefits to your physical health.

It’s very easy to incorporate meditation into your daily schedule and even 10 minutes of meditation each day can have a positive effect on your life.

To learn more about meditation, read this great guide on mindfulness meditation.

6. Accept and process your emotions

Physical and mental problems often stem from our inability to process emotions.

Many people bottle up emotions like anger, jealously, and anxiety until they manifest as excessive consumption of alcohol, binge eating, or other unhealthy behaviours.

To avoid these unhealthy behaviours, it is important to recognise and process your emotions.

Be kind to yourself as you examine the reasons why you are feeling a particular emotion.

Give yourself unconditional permission to process these emotions — regardless of what they are.

It often helps to find healthy outlets for expressing and resolving emotions, like talking to a friend, exercising, or writing your thoughts out in a journal.

If you express your emotions, you will be a more honest, balanced, stable, and happy person.

Thanks for reading Six Simple Ways to Improve Your Wellbeing.

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