Holistic Health Tips for Improved Mental and Physical Wellbeing- Guest Post
Check out this great guest post by Cheryl Conklin of Wellness Central, discussing some more important tips this week for improving your mental and physical wellbeing.
A healthy lifestyle can leave you feeling more energized and happier, improving your overall quality of life. That doesn't mean you have to down green smoothies and run marathons. It's all about small steps you take every day. A holistic approach to wellbeing encompassing mental and physical health is the key to success.
Read on for some easy-to-implement health tips you can incorporate into your daily life.
Change your diet to improve mental and physical health
A nutritious diet can help you maintain a healthy weight, ensuring you look and feel your best. Neuroscience News explains that what you eat can also impact your mental health. A poor diet is believed to exacerbate disorders like depression and anxiety. Conversely, a Mediterranean diet with choices rich in nutrition like lean proteins, olive oil, and vegetables can improve your mood.
If you have trouble sticking to a diet, Denver's Dancing Dietitian can help. Ricci-Lee Hotz, MS, RDN, provides personalized nutrition counseling and weight management programs. Ricci-Lee also works with special patients, including people with eating disorders, athletes, and individuals with gastrointestinal conditions.
Find ways to make your workouts more fun
Exercise is another important component of good mental and physical health. That said, it's not always easy to motivate yourself to get moving. Find ways to make your workouts more fun. Consider less traditional physical activities to inspire you, like hiking, horseback riding, and kayaking. Dancing is another great option.
You can also ramp up the fun factor of your workouts by having a friend join you. A workout buddy can help hold you accountable and keep you motivated. There are even duo workouts you can do together, like partner planks and partner rows. If you don't have a friend you can exercise with, join a group fitness class to connect with other people.
Rethink your approach to your work-life balance
Working too much can negatively impact you in a couple ways. First, if you spend too many hours at your desk every day, you're leading a largely sedentary lifestyle. Further, work tends to be stressful and can leave you feeling anxious and frazzled. Roche notes improving work-life balance often comes from being more organized, like planning your time and sticking to set work hours.
Sometimes, the problem isn't that you work too much, but that you simply dislike your job. Look for indicators that it's time for a career change, such as boredom at work or dreading Mondays. A new job can improve your mental health. Furthering your education can help you get the credentials you need to make a successful transition. Online programs like Western Governors University's MBA make it easy to study alongside work.
Get proactive about stress management
Even with a healthy eating lifestyle, plenty of exercise, and a better work-life balance, you will still face stress. It's simply a fact of everyday life. Chronic stress can cause lasting health issues, from high blood pressure to depression. That's why it's so important to develop healthy mechanisms to tackle the effects of daily stressors.
Learn some skills for coping with stress. It can be helpful to schedule intermittent rest periods throughout your work day, for example. Relaxation exercises like meditation, yoga, and progressive muscle relaxation can also be useful. When high-pressure situations arise, engaging in these activities can help you keep calm.
You don't need to make monumental life changes to enjoy a happier, healthier existence. Small steps like those described above will make a lasting difference.
For more tips on living a healthy lifestyle, check out Denver’s Dancing Dietitian with Ricci-Lee’s blog. You'll find all kinds of recipes for success, from how to ramp up your home workout routine to nutritious snack ideas. Check it out.
I hope you enjoyed this great guest post!
Wishing you a happy, healthy week ahead!
–Ricci-Lee Hotz, MS, RDN
Denver’s Dancing Dietitian
A Taste of Health, LLC
“Improving Quality of life one bite at a time”