We’ve heard from our childhood that health is wealth. However, how many of us find adhering tohealthy lifestyle habits an effortless task. Not many because each of us has unique priorities and ways of leading our life. For some, the work output at the office may be the primary concern. For others, it can be the money we earn. Most of us prioritize family too, but there’s seldom somebody who prioritizes health over anything else. It’s bizarre how we know health is the biggest asset we own yet conveniently forget to take care of it.
In today’s high-paced world, it isn’t easy to take time for our health. It’s the core reason for rising lifestyle disorders and a generation grappling with health. The good news about lifestyle changes is that you can stay healthy and avoid lifestyle diseases with a few changes in your schedule. Read on to know how to help your health-
What are Lifestyle Changes?
Lifestyle changes is one of the most hyped words in the urban dictionary. However, some people are not yet accustomed to this buzzing terminology.
Lifestyle, in simple words, means the way you lead your life. It is a broad term that encompasses almost every aspect of living. How you eat, what you eat, how much you eat, when do you eat, when do your sleep, when and how do you work, how is your friend circle, and what’s the typical conversation you carry out with your family can all be subject tomajor lifestyle changes. It can mean every single domain of life. Examples of lifestyle changes are:
- Changing eating habits and tendencies
- Changing sleeping patterns
- Changing exercise patterns and schedules
- Changing the hydration habits
Lifestyle changes refer to any change you bring about in your way of living. It can be the change in your getting in – going to bed schedule. It can also be your exercise regime and everything else. Any choice of action that you make for a better, happier, healthier life is a lifestyle change.
How Can Lifestyle Changes Affect Your Health?
Lifestyle changes have a profound and long-term impact on our life. Positive lifestyle changes positively impact our health and also enhance our well-being. The outcomes of healthy lifestyle changes are reflected in our health.
For example, if you can control the intake of white sugar in your diet, it will positively impact your body. You will be able to manage your weight better and stay away from diabetes and other hormonal turmoils.
If you can help yourself with good sleeping patterns, those dark circles and puffy eyes will disappear. The melatonin secretion pattern of your body will be stabilized. These will lead to higher energy levels, less frustration, and improved physiological status.
There are generally three categories of lifestyle changes. These are:
- Behavioral Changes: This includes changing habits, for example, setting fixed times for sleeping, eating at a healthy time and not skipping meals, and spending some time daily exercising.
- Dietary Changes: This is a broad category. As the name suggests, the dietary changes is all about the tweaks you make in your eating habits. It can include portion controlling, curbing excess carbohydrate intake, and avoiding junk food.
- Psychological Changes: Though we often ignore psychological changes, it’s the most potential category of lifestyle changes. The will to make a change in lifestyle, the communication patterns, and the daily habits we practice are all a part of this category.
We shall discuss in detail the various impactful lifestyle changes we can make for a better life.
What are the Major Lifestyle Changes to Improve Health?
Every ocean is built with minuscule water droplets. The statement implies that significant changes often result from several small changes aggregated together. The same applies when talking about major lifestyle changes to improve health.
If you want to avoid deadly lifestyle disorders such as PCOS, Diabetes, Cardiac malfunctioning, Obesity, and Hormonal imbalance, lifestyle changes, and healthy habits should be your core concern.
Here are some of the major lifestyle changes to improve health:
Adequate Sleep
Long work hours, stress, anxiety, studying late at night, partying, and clubbing with friends may seem to be immediate needs. But none of these will improve your health. One small healthy lifestyle habit – getting 8 hours of daily sleep can bring all the joy in your life.
Lack of sleep will not only negatively impact your hormonal balance but also affect your immunity. Poor sleeping schedules and not getting enough sleep can be major concerns in life. If you are facing sleeping issues, try changing the room, posture or consulting with a doctor.
But most importantly, take it seriously and try to make time for sleep. Also, abstain from surfing the phone just before sleeping. Diseases like Obstructive Sleep Apnea may lead to poor sleeping patterns. So, consult the physician in case of emergency.
Eat Properly
Changing your eating habits requires dedication, consistency, and strong willpower. Eating healthy encompasses multiple domains. Healthy eating is often indicative of a balanced diet. Our body needs all food components – carbohydrates, fat, proteins, vitamins, roughage, minerals, and all micronutrients.
However, when working actively to imbibing healthy lifestyle habits, here are some of the core points to keep in mind:
- Never skip meals. It is the worst mistake and a deadly sin you make for your health. Starving your body will not make you look skinnier or lose weight. It will disrupt your food hormone mechanisms and lead to fatal diseases.
- If you are following a particular diet pattern, such as the keto diet or intermittent fasting, make sure to adhere to the specific guidelines of the dietician. Don’t try to make up your own rules and principles.
- Micronutrients like minerals (zinc, potassium, folate, etc.) are crucial to maintaining our body functions. We often care less about these. Try to have food that is rich in micronutrients. For example, you can have leafy vegetables to obtain folate.
- Break the myths around food. There are plenty of unscientific food myths looming all around. Do not trust any information without scientific validation.
- Pay particular importance to timings. Having your first meal within an hour of waking up and not being very late with dinners are positive dietary changes you can bring about. Each is a major constituent of healthy lifestyle changes to lose weight.
- Reduce the amount of white sugar, carbonated drink, and caffeine intake. Minimize the alcohol intake and say not to tobacco.
Exercise
You need to move your body. It is as simple as that. If you don’t have the time to hit the gym every day, figure out some time at home for exercise. Yoga, free hand exercise, aerobics, Zumba, and even dance can be active exercises that will help you lose weight and stay healthy.
The easiest way to make healthy lifestyle habits regarding exercise is to get started. Whether or not you believe it, the first step is the most crucial step when it comes to exercise. You have to gather the enthusiasm and spirit to get started.
Once you start and try to make it a daily habit, there will be visible positive changes in the body that will influence you to continue the same. Also, exercise leads to the release of serotonin hormone- the one that makes us happy. So, exercise is undoubtedly one of the significant lifestyle changes to improve health.
Sufficient Water
Stay hydrated no matter what happens. Dehydration can cause a plethora of diseases and may drain every inch of energy from your body. From premature aging to chronic kidney diseases, sufficient water intake is the key to combating them. If you are somebody who tends to forget to drink water, try to install a tracker app on your smartphone that will keep on reminding you to drink water.
No Junk food
Bid farewell to any of those munchies that come in a packet. Eat homemade food. If you don’t have time to cook, learn some quick recipes from the internet. It will take just 10 minutes to cook some scrambled egg and a glass full of healthy juice. Carry a lunchbox with you to restrict your urge of going out to eat. Eating junk will threaten your life in the long run. Excess intake of junk food is the causative agent for numerous lifestyle disorders like diabetes, obesity, etc.
Getting Up Early
We shall all agree that getting up late messes our day. We struggle to complete tasks in time and get frustrated and cranky. It ruins our peace, stability, and mental health. Getting up one hour early in the morning will give you a headstart and help to organize and plan your day better.
Positive Thoughts and Meditation
Negative thoughts and unnecessary stress or anxiety can lead to worsening health situations. Excess cortisol production due to constant stress harms the body and is the biggest barrier during your weight loss journey, stay motivated and happy because that actually helps to keep you healthy.
Meditation helps to connect with the inner self. It keeps the mind calm and relaxed. Practice at least 10 minutes of daily meditation to concentrate better and regain focus in life
Venting Out Emotions
We talk very less about the psychological lifestyle changes we can bring in life to make it better. Venting out emotions is one such major lifestyle change to improve health. Begin by venting out your emotions. You can try to speak your heart out in front of people you trust. This is a great practice for stress relief and builds positive communication skills. Sharing your deepest thoughts with others will make you confident and help your physical and mental health.
Avoid Overworking
Overworking and professional burnout are the two major restraints in leading a healthy lifestyle. Working hard is good, but overworking should be avoided at all costs. Spend time with yourself and your family. Positive social relations are very much a part of a healthy lifestyle. Overworking can bring about many hormonal disbalances, ultimately leading to a gain in stress and weight.
Understand the Purpose of Lifestyle Changes
Building sustainable lifestyle changes isn’t as easy as clicking your salad and posting it on the gram. It’s much more than that. You require to bring a change within yourself and be consistent with that thought to achieve a healthy body. Lifestyle change is like an inner cleansing. Understand the true purpose of lifestyle change and adapt to a healthy lifestyle. It is not a single-day activity but instead a lifelong process.
A small lifestyle change can bring about long-lasting changes in your life, your outlook, and your complete well-being as a person. In recent times, most people are running after only healthy lifestyle changes to lose weight. Losing weight is crucial but shouldn’t be the sole objective of making lifestyle changes.
Conclusion
The urge to incorporate healthy lifestyle habits should be centered around making major lifestyle changes to improve health. Start with small steps and make your life better with gradual but steady footsteps. Attempting to overhaul your life with plenty of lifestyle changes at once may be difficult. But every attempt counts. Start by eating healthy, sleeping adequately, and exercising. Do not forget to take time from your busy schedule and appreciate yourself.
At the same time, make healthy psychological changes in your lifestyle. Surround yourself with positive people, pursue your hobbies and praise yourself even for the slightest achievements. Your life is precious, and every attempt to make it meaningful will surely make a positive change. It is only you who can make the change, so start working.