Contrary to popular belief, true well-being involves every aspect of your health, and that includes mental and emotional as well as physical. What you should aim for, in other words, is feeling fit, hopeful, and happy, rather than just looking good in a mirror. Here are some activities you can squeeze into any schedule, and they do wonders for your life overall.
Hit Up the Gym… at Home
It’s common knowledge that exercising is important to stay healthy. However, if going to a gym is too stressful for you, you can save time and money by investing in a home gym. You can work out at home at any time of the day, and you can stop paying the monthly fees for a gym membership. You can even customize your gym to fit your needs, such as choosing your own equipment and tuning to whatever TV program you wish.
Give yourself some extra motivation by investing in a fitness tracker or smartwatch. These gadgets include health-conscious features like monitoring your heart rate and tracking the number of steps you take, but the difference is a smartwatch is more high tech with its features, while the more basic fitness tracker has more battery power. Research the features of each device to help you choose which one will fit your needs better.
Learn Some Simple Recipes
Eating well goes hand in hand with all that exercise, yet it’s not always easy to pack in the nutrients a healthy body needs unless you can cook — and cook well, at that. EatingWell has got what you’re looking for, including exciting dishes like enchilada-stuffed spaghetti squash. If it’s one of those days when you’re really pressed for time, look into a meal delivery service rather than relying on fast food, as the former offers light and healthy options.
Get Together with Friends
Surely you can squeeze in one meetup with the gang this week. It’s almost essential you do that regularly considering how vital your social life is to your physical and mental well-being, as it reduces stress and even improves your cognitive functioning. All that can be yours, and all you have to do is invite those friends out for a cup of coffee or glass of wine. It needn’t be much.
Go for a Hike
Hiking is not exactly something you can do on your lunch break, but it would make an excellent weekend diversion. Nature has a healing power that a lot of city-dwellers don’t really grasp. Simply being among the trees helps ward off feelings of anxiety and calms your mind while filling in a gap in your rigorous exercise routine to boot.
Hit the Beach
The beach is a destination for the weekend after your hiking adventure. Think of it more as a day at the spa. Yes, it turns out that bathing in salt water does wonders for your joints and skin. If there’s no sea or ocean nearby, head to the nearest lake or river for a break from technology and a chance to refresh your mind while casting pebbles over the water.
Have a Massage
Massages may seem decadent, but sometimes it’s okay to treat yourself, especially if that brings the sort of health benefits as a good rub down. For one, it helps you shrug off some of that stress while also soothing aches and improving flexibility, according to Lifehack. Also, something to do for old Americans preferring the age in place model
Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness is about being in the present. It can be accomplished through meditation and yoga, or just daily activities that require you to concentrate on what you’re doing and forget what’s troubling you at work or home. It’s really that simple.
Take Up a Hobby
What else could give your creativity and confidence a boost while you unwind after work? What you choose to do as a hobby depends largely on your personal tastes. For many, it’s playing the guitar or piano, as music inspires almost everyone. There’s also knitting, skateboarding, painting — far too many to mention, in fact. If nothing strikes your fancy, try out a few.
Watch the Sunrise
Watching the sunrise is an uplifting experience, and you can enjoy it every day of the year if you get up early enough. That’s reason enough to do so, as the old adage goes, “The early bird gets the worm.” However, there’s more to it than that. The sunrise serves as a reminder that every morning brings new hope and a chance to make a difference.
What’ll you get from your efforts? Relief from stress, a better mood, and some peace of mind. That should make life a lot easier, no matter where you live and what you do.
Image via Pexels
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