10 Lifestyle Changes To Make For Healthy And Happy Living
Healthy and happy living can easily be achieved with the help of these 10 lifestyle changes. We all know that change isn’t easy, but these lifestyle changes are all super easy to make and won’t take any time at all. Continue reading to discover the 10 lifestyle changes you NEED to make for healthy and happy living!
1. Quit Smoking
Ditching a smoking habit is one of the best lifestyle changes to make to add years to your life, and improve your overall health. The irreversible health effects of smoking are all too real, and can change your life. Try to quit smoking and your body will thank you dearly in both the short-term, and the long-term.
2. Take A Break
When striving to make some lifestyle changes in order to achieve healthier and happy living, it’s important to remember to let both your mind, and body, relax and re-wind. Taking a break allows you to engage in a ‘mental reset’ which helps you make healthier decisions. They’re all too easy to neglect but taking a well-deserved break from work, or school, largely benefits both your mental and physical health.
3. Turn Your TV Off
Spending an additional hour in front of the TV can increase your risk of dying from heart disease. Try to engage yourself in different activities such as reading, going for a walk, spending some time with your family (or friends) or going to the gym, rather than binge-watching a series on Netflix. You don’t need to cut the TV out of your life entirely, just try to decrease how much time you spend in front of it.
4. Cut Down Your Sugar Intake
Cutting down your sugar intake is one of the best lifestyle changes you could make, in order to achieve healthier and happier living. With our hectic schedules and lifestyles, it can be all too easy to opt for a takeaway rather than a healthy, home-cooked meal.
Try to implement more whole grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and fish (and less red and processed meats and sugary beverages) to reduce the risk of adverse health outcomes and to improve your overall health and wellbeing. One of the simplest things you could do to cut down your sugar intake is by reducing the number of sugary drinks you consume. Remember, all things in moderation.
5. Stand Up Every 20 Minutes
When we’re at work or university, it can be all too easy to forget to implement some well-needed exercise in our lives. Those who sit for more than 6 hours a day are at an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease so, try to walk around your workspace or university halls during your break from revision to ensure the body is fit and at it’s best.
6. Decrease Your Calorie Intake
Cutting down just 300 – 500 calories a day from your diet could be the key to slowing the signs of aging and living longer. The simplest way to decrease your calorie intake is by asking yourself the following question: am I almost full? If you find yourself feeling almost full from a meal, simply stop eating to easily decrease your calorie intake.
7. Spend Time With Friends
Spending time with your closest friends is a great lifestyle change to make, and it’s one of the easiest ones to make. Make a habit of regularly meeting your friends for a catch-up. Text or call a friend to organise a time to spend time with one another. Not only will you feel great, but your friend will also feel good knowing you’re thinking of them.
8. Track Your Budget
In order to live a happy and healthy life, schedule 30 minutes every two weeks to go over your expenses and analyse your spending habits. Try to cut back spending on things that aren’t important to you. Try to save your money – you can do this by simply walking to work or school or riding a bike rather than paying commuter fees.
Additionally, you could make your own coffee rather than buying it on a daily basis. At the end of every month, review all of your budget, and praise yourself for saving money.
9. Declutter Your Home And Your Mind
This is one of the easiest lifestyle changes you could make. Find a way to do a little decluttering every day. There are plenty of places in your house or office that you can tidy up. Remember, the most difficult step is getting started but, you will be amazed at how great you’ll begin to feel as your life becomes less cluttered.
10. Get Some Sun
Go outside for at least 15 minutes; on a cold day, you can walk briskly and at least get some sun on your face. The sun helps your body produce vitamin D, which many people have a deficiency of.
