10 best ways to enhance your Health and Wellbeing in 2020
The previous year has passed by and the new year has arrived. This is the time of the year when new year resolutions are made, especially the ones related to Health and Wellbeing.
The lifestyle demands of this millennium and its aftereffects have forced all of us to look at our physical health and mental wellbeing with a new perspective and with topmost priority. So, the question is, where do we start with this considering every individual has different health issues. However, there are simple yet highly effective ways of enhancing your Health and Wellbeing suitable and affordable to everyone. All we need is the intent and determination to implement these strategies.
Wake up early:
You guessed it right. Yes, starting the day early gives you enough time to plan your daily tasks without rushing and feeling exhausted or overworked. It allows you to plan things and execute them daily making you more productive and utilizing your energy when it is at its peak. The catch to waking up early is to go to bed early to ensure your mind and body get the much-deserved rest it needs in the form of good, sound sleep.
Otherwise, you would be left yawning throughout the day with no zeal, energy, and enthusiasm. If you have this habit od snoozing your alarm and going back to sleep again, then it is advised you keep the alarm clock or your smartphone at some distance. This will ensure you get out of your bed when the alarm goes off in the morning.
Waking up early is difficult, however, once you get habitual you would experience the blissfulness of the early morning. Experience the silence, the solitude, the quietness of nature and the sunrise. It will clear your mind from the memories of your previous day and give you a fresh new perspective towards situations and life in general. Don’t miss out on this. You deserve to experience this calm and peacefulness.
2. Breathe consciously
Breathing is the first thing you do when you are born and the last thing when you leave your body. In between life happens to you. And in all this chaos we forget the very reason why we are still alive is because of this breath we take in and leave out every second.
What if we start doing it more consciously?
Imagine the awareness you would have about yourself. Hence, the first thing to do once you wake up is to breathe consciously. You might sit in a relaxed way yet ensuring your spine is erect or lay down on your bed. Just observe your breath coming in and going out. The morning quietness will give you the required privacy and without any external disturbance, you will be able to concentrate.
Observing your breath consistently will make you more self-aware and give you the power to strengthen your mind. You will be amazingly aware, alive and conscious from within. There are many ways to do this simple yet profound and effective exercise.
You may just breathe without any sound or chants or you may chant ‘Om’. You may also try learning the ‘Sudarshan Kriya’, which is a powerful breathing technique taught at the Art of living centers across the world. There is a very powerful message about life when we inhale and exhale. Inhaling means accept what is good for you and exhaling means let it go, whatever, is not meant for you or does not serve you any purpose.
3. Exercise
The most common resolution for every new year is to exercise, however, a lot of us fail to implement it. Major reasons, we look for tangible results in our physique right from day one and we end enrolling ourselves in expensive gym memberships.
The fact is that any improvement in health happens subconsciously over a period through small yet consistent exercise. Expecting a quick transformation will always end up in disappointment.
Remember, exercise is as important for your mental wellbeing as it is for your physical health. And the success lies in how you feel mentally and physically rather than how lean or muscular you look.
Start with small but definite steps. Think of the activity which you enjoy the most rather than tire you out. It could be anything such as brisk walks, jogging, small treks, Suryanamaskar, Yoga, Zumba, pushups, planks, etc. whatever works for you.
Start with one activity on a small level and increase the number and volume gradually. Merely thinking and planning won’t transform your health. Get up and get going. Do it every day even if it is for a small duration. Rome wasn’t built in one day. Similarly, it is suicidal to expect results quickly. Make consistent efforts and enjoy the process of being healthy. The result will take care of itself.
4. Eat right
I am not talking about fancy diets here. These diets normally have a very short life span. Eat what you like, however, ensure you eat in moderation. Excess of anything is bad and hence moderation is the key. You also need to follow your regular meal times to ensure your body gets the energy and nutrition at regular intervals. Gradually you may start adding nutrition-specific food items to your diet based on your body type and requirement.
We all like junk food and it is okay to have it once in a while. The key here is ‘Once in a while’ and not every day. Your food sets your mood. You eat heavy, you feel heavy. You eat light, you feel light. Eat your home-made food and you don’t have to worry because the nutritional value required for a balanced diet is always maintained in it.
Ensure, you stay away from aerated and fizzy drinks. The only output from these drinks is a huge amount of sugar intake. Replace these with fresh fruit juices of your choice. Control your tea and coffee intake. Give more importance to field-grown products. A balance between what you need and what you desire is the key here.
5. Eliminate stress
Yes, I said, ‘Eliminate stress’ and not ‘Manage stress’. Why carry stress and manage it? Is it useful? Is it healthy? The answer is no. Then why carry that load which weighs more than 1000 pounds on your mind and adversely affects your mind and body and every aspect of your life.
Hence eliminate it.
To do this, you must identify what are the situations which put you under stress. Are there any emotional patterns that make you disoriented? Or is there any toxicity in your life in the form of people? Identify them and eliminate them.
A healthy mind requires you to let go of anything and anyone who does not serve your highest good. Acceptance of oneself is important to move ahead in life. Cut down your time on social media, news channels and newspapers. There is just too much hate and negativity being spread on these platforms. Meet people in person instead of connecting through social media.
Pursue a hobby or a sport that liberates you from within. Understand that we are the masters of our fate and you have the power within you to manifest your desires. Observe and introspect your behavior and emotions and you will be able to strike out things that are not required in your life. Moreover, you will be less affected by situations and learn to respond rather than react.
6. Laugh
When was the last time you laughed till your tummy ached? Hard to remember, eh! Or when was the last time you were standing at a bus stop or a café or anywhere all alone and you remember something, and you crack up? A lot of us have forgotten, what it means to laugh.
As simple as it sounds, humor is the best cure for all ailments. Laugh, smile and take responsibility to keep your mood upbeat. Try watching something funny instead of something depressing, cruel or anything which has shades of negativity. Your mind needs a break from the constant drama. Keep a tab on your laughter quotient and ensure you have that smile on your face.
Read funny stories or articles. Search for them and you will find them. It is said laughter is the best medicine and it is. Try it today.
7. Family time
Nothing beats the feeling of stepping in your home and see your house full of laughter and smiles. Our family is our biggest support system giving out their unconditional love and support at all times and yet we take them for granted. Spend more time with your family this year and see the change in your overall health and wellbeing.
Spending time with family will create a wonderful atmosphere for you and will take away your need of finding an escape route from a difficult situation. You will feel more empowered to handle situations and will do it successfully. Moreover, you would see positive improvements in your family’s health and wellbeing too.
Your family time is key to take care of your relations and keep them intact. Relations that have gone bad take a huge toll on a person’s mind and body. If you have not been able to devote time to your family last year then this is the year you need to prioritize it.
8. Read
When was the last time you picked up a book? If you are a regular reader, you are doing an excellent job. Keep doing it. If not, there is no better time to start reading than now. Reading not only improves your knowledge but also stimulates your mind.
It also empowers you with new information that can be utilized for your good. You will find many subjects to read on. Choose your genre and start reading. Blogs, articles, books, research papers, etc. You also have many different mediums to read through such as kindle app as well as online. Read and you will have lifelong knowledge with you.
Make a list of who are your favorite authors are and start looking for their books that you haven’t read yet. Or you may just randomly search for the latest best sellers and select the ones which appeal to you.
If you are social media savvy, some interesting posts are being posted on Facebook and Twitter. You may also subscribe to platforms like the ‘medium’ to read various articles written by different authors from around the globe.
9. Attitude of gratitude
Nothing works if you don’t have the right attitude. As human beings, we constantly fall into the trap of portraying ourselves as victims of situations and circumstances. The reality is that we always have a choice and our current situation is a result of the choices we made earlier.
However, we are still fortunate enough to live the life that we live in. Just look around at the less fortunate ones and you will realize how lucky you are. We must acknowledge this and thank the universe for all that we have. It is high time we count our blessings and appreciate what we have rather than crib about what we don’t have.
Develop this attitude of gratitude and you will always be in a high life state enhancing your overall health and wellbeing. Remember to do this every day and make it an integral part of your life.
10. Sleep well
One of the most important things to enjoy good health and enhance your overall wellbeing is good sleep. When I say good sleep, it must be qualitative and quantitative. Unfortunately, we either sleep less or sleep more.
Strike that balance, keep away your smartphone, avoid any heavy food, music, and high-intensity videos a couple of hours before going to bed. Sleep early and stick to your timings. A night of good sleep will wake you fresh and ready to take on the world.
Investing in your health and wellbeing is the best investment you will ever make in your life and what better way to start 2020. Take the first step today, start small and be consistent. The results will be visible if you are patient. Remember, it is the journey that creates experiences and lifelong lessons. Have a healthy and happy new year.
