Habits are all those daily behaviors you get used to. There is nothing wrong with that. The problem is that for every good habit – such as putting on a seatbelt when getting in the car or brushing your teeth in the morning – there is another bad habit we have, probably without even realizing it.
Some examples of unhealthy habits are excessive smoking and/or drinking, a diet based on fast food, and not exercising or sleeping enough. So let’s face it: when was the last time you stopped to analyze your day-to-day habits and assess which ones are doing you good and which are not?
Healthy habits improve your health and well-being, so these are the ones you should prioritize. Let’s take a look at five habits you should adopt in your life to live better and longer.
1. Healthy Diet
Instead of eating fast food, adopt a healthy diet to keep your immune system running clockwork, lose weight, and have more energy for your everyday tasks. Changing eating habits can be a little scary for some people, but it’s not as challenging as it sounds. The secret is to eat the right amount of calories your body needs, no more and no less.
You can integrate this practice into your habits little by little if you follow these steps:
- Introduce more fruits and vegetables to your meals by challenging yourself to never start a meal that doesn’t have at least one vegetable or fruit on the same plate.
- Drink a lot of water throughout the day: just the consumption of liquid gives a feeling of satiety and prevents you from eating sweets or snacks.
- Replace carbs like bread and pasta with higher fiber or whole grain varieties, which help you feel full faster.
- Try to eat at least two portions of fish a week, including oily fish like salmon or sardines.
- Cut down foods with excess salt, sugar, and/or saturated fat.
- Replace sugary drinks, which don’t quench your thirst, with natural juices without sugar.
- Never skip any meal, let alone breakfast (which is, as we all know, the most important meal of the day).
2. Working Out
Make workouts your daily habits, because exercising regularly helps reduce the risk of serious illnesses associated with a sedentary lifestyle (including heart disease and diabetes). But being far below your ideal weight is not healthy either: as in the previous item, it is necessary to search for the ideal term.
Although “working out” is usually associated with spending hours sweating in a gym, the truth is that you can integrate healthy habits into your routine naturally. For example, if you study or work away from home, try walking to school or work a few times a week (or, if it’s really far away, get off the bus halfway and walk from that point).
Instead of using the elevator, go up and down stairs several times a day. And if you don’t have the money or time for a gym membership, take advantage of a local park for free.
3. Reading
Reading can be a good stress relief and in this way improves both your physical and mental health. Rather than spending time scrolling through social media (and getting angry in the process), try to spend at least an hour per day with a good book or magazine. If you have young children at home, you can make this a doubly healthy habit by reading to them in the afternoon or just before bed.
Although there are people who can read on a crowded bus or while listening to music, the ideal is to find a quiet corner of the house to concentrate better. Unlike other items on our list, reading is something that does not require a lot of effort or investment beyond the book itself. Just make sure you’re in a well-lit place and have a pair of glasses handy if necessary. If it’s past time to update your lens prescription, avoid commuting by buying your glasses online.
4. Sleep Schedule
According to the Sleep Foundation, different age groups have different sleep needs, ranging from seven to 17 hours a day. If you are sleeping less than you should for one reason or another (too much study, work, or parties), your body will not have enough energy to work the next day, and your productivity will drop considerably.
Adopting healthy sleeping habits can improve your life from an early age. Here are some tips to sleep better and avoid those dark circles around the eyes in the morning:
- Don’t try to force sleep: if you can’t fall asleep after 25-30 minutes of lying in bed, try reading a little or listening to music to relax while sleep doesn’t come.
- Decrease the time you look at screens such as cell phones or television before going to sleep, as the light emanating from these devices makes your brain more awake.
- Avoid eating or drinking heavily for at least three hours before going to bed.
- The more short naps you take during the day, the less sleep you’ll get at night.
5. Mindfulness
Mindfulness is a form of meditation that anyone can practice alone and in their own home. In addition to stress relief, relaxing your body and mind for a few minutes daily helps to reduce your anxiety and overthinking, especially before going to sleep.
Try to spend at least 5-10 minutes daily practicing mindfulness. Begin by assuming a comfortable meditation position, with your spine slightly straight and your eyes closed or slightly open. Try to empty your brain and focus on your breathing, forgetting about all the commitments you have the next day. If you’ve never done this before, follow this step-by-step guide to adopting meditation among your healthy habits.
The Change Depends on You
There will come a time in your life when the unhealthy habits you have cultivated for years will inevitably take their toll: you could end up overweight, stressed, with several health problems, etc. But old habits take time to die, no matter how bad they are.
Changing them and adopting healthier habits is a sometimes slow and challenging process involving several steps and requires a lot of work and patience. Think of it as an investment for the future. Adopting a healthy diet and regular physical activity, among the other items on the above list, will help you to age better and with more dignity. Your future self will surely thank you for that.
