With each new year, we all make a series of promises to ourselves. And of them all, commitments to our health are among the most common. But by the time January has ended, the new routines and diets we approached with so much enthusiasm at the start of the month have fallen by the wayside.
And this is totally normal, because we often try to completely transform our lives too quickly. The trick to getting, and staying, healthy is by making small, sustainable changes.
Making Sustainable Changes
The changes we make to our routine have to be able to stand the test of time if they’re going to have a chance at having a positive impact on our overall health and wellbeing. This means choosing to adopt new routines, habits and decisions that are realistic, and therefore sustainable. These are the ones that will actually stick and help you to stay healthy in 2024. So, let’s look at 7 different ways you can live life more healthily.
1. Eat Clean
Diet is a hugely important factor to consider when you think about health. What we put into our bodies has the potential to boost our energy and protect us from illness, but at the same time can be the reason for health issues. So, the foods that we eat need to do good for our bodies.
When you think about healthy eating, you might first think about diets. But fad diets only work to produce short term weight loss, and losing weight doesn’t always mean that your body is healthy.
Eating clean is a more sustainable choice because it involves replacing processed, fatty foods with natural and healthy ones, and means you can still enjoy some of your favorite treats, but in moderation.
2. Take Supplements
Another key part of keeping our bodies healthy is through ingesting a variety of minerals and vitamins. These support bodily functions like brain development, bone health and the nervous system among other things. Although we would ideally get all the minerals and vitamins our bodies need through the food we eat, that sadly isn’t always the case for everyone. Taking supplements can help to top up our body’s levels of vitamins and minerals and give it the best chance of staying healthy and strong.
You can find a number of different supplements, from capsules to oils, and even naturally-occurring ones like sea moss. Sea moss has many benefits for men and women alike, because it contains 92 of the 102 minerals that our bodies need to optimally function, including iodine and zinc. Other supplements like CBD are also becoming more and more popular with those wanting to boost their health the natural way. Check enjoyseamoss.com and find all those benefits.
3. Stay Active
Another classic health tip is to stay active, and it’s for good reason! Physical activity can do wonders for your physical, mental and emotional health, and being active doesn’t mean you have to be in the gym 24/7. Choosing to move your body, whether it’s in the form of a run, fitness class or yoga session, gets your blood pumping and improves balance, stamina and strength.
In fact, your exercise doesn’t have to feel like a workout at all if you don’t want it to. Activities like walking and team sports aren’t done for the sole purpose of working out, but are still a great way to stay active and have fun! Plus, you can make active choices, like walking or cycling to work or taking the stairs that help you to stay active even when doing everyday activities.
4. Elevate Your Routines
So far, our tips have mainly focused on how you can be physically healthy, but the truth is that health encompasses more than just the physical form. Taking care of your mental and emotional health is just as important in 2024, and one key way to do this is to change your routines. Everyone is an individual and prefers to live their lives differently, but we can easily get trapped in bad routines. Things like spending excessive amounts of time on social media, negative thinking patterns, poor personal hygiene habits and procrastination can have a significant effect on your wellbeing.
So a way to look after your health in 2024 is to establish healthy routines that center your mental, physical and emotional health. This can be done in a variety of ways, but some examples are practicing mindfulness, staying organized and creating healthy sleeping patterns.
5. Look After Your Mental Health
Mental health is one of the most prominent issues in our society today, and a large part of staying healthy in 2024. No longer a taboo issue, mental health is being taken very seriously nowadays, which means that there are a lot of resources and support out there now. Accessing these resources is a key part of looking after your mental health, whether it’s therapy, community support or medical help.
6. Let Go of Bad Habits
While getting healthy involves taking on new routines and habits, it’s also about letting go of negative ones. Whether it’s a dependence on alcohol, substances or food, or erratic sleeping patterns, bad habits can really hinder your health. So as much as you focus on making healthy choices, it’s worth also reviewing your current habits and deciding to take action to let go of the routines and habits that hold you back.
7. Prioritize Sleep
Sleep is heavily linked to health, be it mental or physical. And this fact is why it’s so important to prioritize your sleeping habits if you want to lead a healthy life. Our bodies get a chance to fully rest and heal while we sleep, and our minds get an opportunity to process thoughts, emotions and memories too. When we don’t get enough sleep, our bodies can’t recover as quickly, leaving us vulnerable to illness. So getting your 6 – 8 hours of sleep each night is absolutely vital to maintain your health.
It can be hard to lead a healthy lifestyle, but choosing to make small, sustainable changes to your routine over time is how you’ll give yourself the best chance of getting, and staying, healthy in 2024.
