A healthy lifestyle is based on a plant-based eating plan, exercise, weight control, quitting smoking, limiting alcohol consumption, and enough sleep. These lifestyle choices are linked to a lower risk of chronic diseases and a longer lifespan.
Other activities also contribute to good health. It’s easy for us to overlook some of these activities, particularly when we’re focused on our larger goals like exercising and eating healthy meals. This guide will help you to fit in more “little” things into your day.
Every half-hour
Set a 30-minute timer to take breaks every 30 minutes.
Get moving. Sitting too much is linked to obesity, diabetes and heart disease. Moving, even if it’s just a little bit, is associated with a reduced risk of chronic diseases. It doesn’t need to be extravagant. I-Min Lee is a Harvard Medical School professor and senior exercise researcher. She says that standing up can improve the way your body uses sugar.
She recommends that you try this routine every 30 minutes. Stand up, extend your arms towards the sky, and twist your trunk left and right. You can then walk to work your heart and lungs harder. You could do a quick chore around the house (unload the dishwasher, fold laundry), go up and down stairs, grab the mail or dance along to your favorite song. “Move your arms and legs. This is good for your muscles which become tight when you are seated too long. It’s also good for posture. People tend to hunch over a couch or slouch at their desks,” Lee says.
Drink some water. Staying well hydrated will keep your cells functioning properly. It takes effort to ensure you get enough fluids. These can be water, juices, or foods that are watery like berries and soup. Divide your weight in pounds by 3 to find out how many fluids your body requires. For example, a person weighing 144 pounds would require 48 ounces or six cups of fluids each day. You don’t have to drink a whole cup every hour. Just a few ounces. By the end of the workday, you will have met your daily hydration requirements.
Every Few Hours
Every few hours, it’s important to develop some habits. Schedule them when you can. For example, schedule them between two tasks.
Eat a snack. “Smaller and more frequent meals will help you maintain your energy levels, stabilize your blood sugar, and add variety to your diet,” Liz Moore, registered dietitian of the Harvard affiliated. She suggests having a snack between breakfast and lunch. Then, another small one between lunch and dinner.
Moore advises, “It must be nutritious.” Moore suggests combining carbohydrates and protein to make it balanced and filling. What is a good snack? Moore suggests a half-cup of Greek yogurt without fat with berries or a handful nuts, an Apple or Banana with a spoonful peanut butter, a half-cup of whole grain cereal with milk, or a hard-boiled eggs with whole-grain crackeders.
Be present. Being conscious is about being in the moment, and noticing the sounds, sights, smells and feelings that you are experiencing. Stop what you are doing and focus on your senses. When washing your hands, you can notice, for instance, the temperature of the soap, the way your hands move over each other and the smell. Also, pay attention to how it makes you feel.
You can also take a short mindful walk outdoors, where you will notice the colors and shapes of the leaves, the scent in the air, and the sounds of the birds. Notice how this makes you feel. The process of mindfulness is linked to reduced stress, anxiety, improved sleep, mood and concentration, as well as better pain management and chronic diseases.
Keep your eyes moist with eye drops. You only need to blink an eye in order to do so. Blinking increases the production of oils and tears that lubricate your eye surface. The aging process slows down tear production. When you spend a lot of time on electronic screens, such as a computer or smartphone, we tend to stare and blink less. Artificial tears can be used throughout the day. If you don’t use the drops more than six time per day, they do not need to be free of preservatives.
Every day
You can reap the rewards of some activities by performing them just once per day. Take time to do the following.
Learn a new skill. Learning helps to keep your memory and thinking sharp. You’ll be better off later if you have more synapses, because you lose them as you age. You can schedule a daily time to learn new things, such as watching a part of a documentary, listening to new music, reading a nonfiction or interesting lectures on YouTube. Write down everything you learn, and then share it with someone. This reinforces the recording in the brain and allows you to retain information better. He is a neurologist and Chief of Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology for the VA Boston Healthcare System.
Engage your brain in social interaction by chatting with someone from outside of your home. A positive social connection is a powerful way to boost mood. When you enjoy or have a meaningful interaction with someone it can increase brain cell connections. It also boosts mood and reduces loneliness and isolation. Schedule some form of social interaction at least once a day. You could have a simple phone call with a close friend or chat with your neighbor. “If it’s a person you don’t normally see, it’s even more beneficial. “Because it will create new connections within your brain rather than just strengthening the existing ones.”
Relax. Meditation activates the relaxation reaction, which is the antidote for the stress response. Stress triggers temporary physiological changes in the body that help us prepare for “fight or flee.” Stress can cause chronic inflammation, high sugar levels, high blood pressure and other problems. Meditating, for example, can help reduce stress by inducing the relaxation response. You can meditate in many ways, including by doing yoga, mindfulness or transcendental mediation for 10 to 15 minutes.
