If you’re like most people, you’re likely to neglect your health from time to time. It’s one thing to know you should take better care of yourself and your body, but it’s quite another to put those ideas into action. It may help to consider these specific ways of prioritizing your health this year.
Get a good night’s sleep
Sleep is the foundation for both good physical and mental health. Getting sufficient rest helps improve mood, memory, productivity, and even the strength of your immune system. To improve your sleep, you might consider toxin-free organic bedding like an Essentia mattress, which also benefits your lungs.
You might also benefit from a between-the-knee pillow to ease back pain and related health problems. A full-body pillow could help you transition to a healthier side-sleeping position if you typically sleep on your stomach. If you tend to grind or clench your teeth at night, see your dentist in order to be fitted for a nightguard. These tools are well worth the investment if they can help you wake up feeling refreshed in the morning.
Use your time mindfully
Mindfulness has numerous health benefits, from a calmer mental state to a reduction of bodily aches and pains associated with stress. But mindfulness doesn’t necessarily mean meditation, as the common association dictates.
Using your time mindfully means cultivating an awareness of the present, intentionally passing the time the way you want to. Forbes recommends tips like setting reminders on your smartphone, thinking about your breathing, and paying attention to how your body feels as ways to practice a mindful attitude.
Make changes by focusing on small habits
Perhaps you’ve already identified an unhealthy pattern in your behavior that you’d like to change. Weight gain, for instance, you might decide you’d like to address your diet and exercise.
While there’s nothing wrong with setting goals, realistic change is most likely to happen in small increments. You might feel stronger after incorporating a 20-minute daily walk into your routine.
Lasting change does not happen overnight, and expecting anything unrealistic might lead you to abandon your health goals.
Set realistic goals for yourself
Your health goals should be doable but still significant. Maybe you want to improve your sleep by going to bed at the same time every night. If you head to bed at wildly different times, this might look like first restricting yourself to a certain three-hour window rather than a precise time.
Schedule time for self-care
Setting time aside to take care of your health is crucial to your successful follow-through. It is easy to forget about dental appointments or regular checkups, but you could be unknowingly ignoring important health concerns.
Your mental health equally deserves your scheduled attention. Planning for activities like a relaxing bath or a dinner without smartphones might be the ticket to resolving stress without resorting to numbing behaviors.
Change what’s not working
Never be afraid to problem-solve anything that’s bothering you. Your body tends to let you know when something is wrong, and it usually pays to listen to it. There’s no reason to suffer unnecessarily because you’re afraid to address a problem.
Before you go
Prioritizing your health is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself. Tending to your body is a lifelong job only you can perform, and you are sure to be grateful that you did.
