When you’re busy juggling lots of tasks and priorities, it can be difficult to look after yourself, and you might feel that you’re not in control. Whatever else is going on in your life, it’s helpful to focus on a few key things to help keep your mind and body happy. In this article, we’ve outlined four tips for achieving a healthy mind-body balance.
Exercise regularly
Regular exercise isn’t just important for your physical health. It’s also key to boosting your mental wellbeing.
Exercising can make a huge difference to your mood, especially when you’re feeling depressed, anxious, or stressed out. It increases your endorphin and serotonin levels, which makes you feel more positive and relieves negative emotions. Plus, it’s a good way to focus your thoughts elsewhere, away from work or anything that’s causing you stress.
While it can be hard to motivate yourself to exercise sometimes, once you’re in the habit and start to notice a positive difference, it’ll become easier. And you don’t have to do an intense workout or run for miles to feel the benefits of exercising. Even gentle activities like walking can improve your mood.
Exercise also boosts your energy levels and can help you to focus as well. So if you find that you struggle to stay alert throughout the day, then kicking your morning off with a short workout or walk could be a good idea.
You could try following a yoga workout using an online workout program like Daily Burn to keep you on track. If you’re feeling stressed, then yoga can improve your fitness and mind-body balance. Along with the other benefits, exercise also incorporates breathing exercises and meditation, which can help you feel more in control.
Stick to a balanced diet
If you’re short on time or stressed out, sticking to a healthy diet usually goes out the window. But eating well is essential to maintaining a good mind-body balance. When you fall into the habit of eating takeout, unhealthy snacks, and comfort food, it ends up making you feel more sluggish.
By eating a balanced diet, your body should get all the vitamins and minerals it needs to stay healthy. Plus, it’ll give you more energy and help you to stay positive and focused.
Make sure there’s plenty of fruit and vegetables, as well as protein, fat, and carbohydrates in your diet by planning out your meals a week at a time. Try to cook as many meals as you can from scratch, so you know exactly what goes into them. This can help you reduce your intake of sugar and salt, which are often high in processed foods.
One of the most important vitamins for supporting your immune system and general health is vitamin C. If you feel you’re not getting enough of certain vitamins from your diet, consider taking something like liposomal vitamin C. Getting the right amount of Vitamin C boosts immunity and reduces your risk of chronic diseases and high blood pressure.
Improve your sleeping habits
It’s easy to underestimate the importance of getting a good night’s rest. When you’re tired, it affects your concentration, memory, and judgment. Long-term sleep deprivation can seriously impact your health.
Make sure that your bedroom is a restful environment so that you can get enough sleep each night. You need a comfortable bed, with all light blocked out during the night and no clutter lying around.
Get into a good sleeping pattern by going to bed at the same time each night and allowing yourself at least seven hours of sleep. Set your alarm for the same time each morning, and try to wake up at that time on weekends, too. Establishing a good routine will help your body switch off and fall asleep when you go to bed.
If you struggle to fall asleep, avoid looking at screens for an hour or two before you go to bed. Try reading a book instead of watching television and resist the temptation to scroll through social media at night.
Meditation can also be a good way to help you unwind and fall asleep quicker. It’ll help you to take some control over your mind and clear your thoughts so that you’ll sleep better.
Balance your schedule
It’s easy to let a busy schedule pile up. Between working long hours, trying to exercise, eating well, and catching up with friends, it can all get pretty overwhelming.
Try to prioritize the things you need to do to stay healthy physically and mentally by creating a balanced schedule and accepting that you can’t do everything all the time. Find ways to use your time in the way that works best for you. For example, when you’ve got a busy week ahead, cook a few healthy meals in bulk, and don’t stress if you can’t stick to a strict exercise routine — adapt your workouts to fit in with what suits you.
Learn how to say no to people when you need to. If you’re not up for something or can’t fit it in, then be upfront about it. Focus on the things that are really important to you. And don’t forget to schedule some time out to relax — whether it’s a quiet evening reading a book or taking a vacation from work, self-care is essential. Everybody needs some time off to make sure they’re keeping their minds and bodies balanced.
Follow these four tips, and you’ll be able to look after your body and mind so that you can achieve mind-body balance.
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About the Author: Dr. Ben Lynch, author and naturopathic doctor, has a passion for researching and empowering others to take charge of their own health. This passion led him on the path of epigenetics, environmental medicine, and nutrigenomics. Today he researches, writes, and teaches on the topic of ‘dirty genes’ – which is based on his best-selling book, Dirty Genes and his popular podcast, Dirty Genes Podcast.
Dr. Lynch is also the President of Seeking Health. He formulates all their supplements and provides high-level education for both health professionals and the public.
Mental Health Month 2021
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May is Mental Health Month, a time to spread public awareness and education about mental health disorders and reflect on the impact of mental illness on individuals and their families.
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Great tips. These are simple and can be implemented in a daily routine, though it takes discipline. You can get more tips here:
https://www.therapyroute.com/article/tackle-stress-and-anxiety-with-these-quick-tips-by-d-allen