Guest input by Jennifer Scott
5 of the Healthiest Habits Worth the Work to Enhance Your Life
It’s often said that the most difficult challenges in your life earn you the greatest rewards. And that’s true when it comes to incorporating big changes with equally large payoffs. From hitting the gym more often to skipping takeout, sacrifice is part of living a better life. These five habits are worth the work due to the ways they can improve your life.
Add Essential Nutrients to Your Diet
Although your primary focus should be on eating whole, unprocessed foods, there are benefits to taking a multivitamin, too. The right multivitamin can deliver crucial nutrients to your body, plus help enhance your mood and even give you more energy. Adding a multivitamin to your may take some practice at first. But vitamin deficiencies are no joke. Take B12, for example; symptoms of vitamin B deficiency include anemia, numbness and tingling, fatigue, and memory loss. Skip your morning fog and grab your vitamins for a boost that’s worth setting an alarm for.
Be Open to New Perspectives on Health
Mental health is just as vital as physical health — and they also affect one another — so one monumental change that can benefit your life is your perspective on the subject. Whether you decide to seek treatment to work through personal challenges or speak up about reducing the stigma surrounding mental health, that’s a step in the right direction.
You may even find that helping a loved one with a mental illness provides that new perspective. Illnesses like depression, anxiety, and substance abuse are legitimate health concerns for both you and your loved ones — and healing starts with acknowledgment.
Set a Bedtime for Yourself
As an adult, you might feel like you’re too old for curfews and bedtime routines. However, one study found that adults who schedule a regular bedtime — no matter what time it might be — were healthier than adults who slept odd hours.
A regular bedtime correlates with healthier body weight, lower blood sugar and blood pressure, and lower risks of heart attack and stroke. Consistency can be challenging to achieve, especially with the demands of work, family, and finding time for yourself. But sticking with a somewhat regular schedule is healthiest for your mind and body.
Catch Enough ZZZs
When you’re a busy and active adult with a lot on their plate, scheduling sleep almost feels silly. After all, you could be accomplishing so much more by staying up late and getting up early. But just like children, adults need adequate sleep to function properly and stay healthy.
And the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that one in three adults aren’t getting enough sleep. You should get at least seven hours of quality rest each night, the CDC says, for better overall health. Sacrificing time elsewhere can be a challenge, but the tradeoffs are worth it. Adults who sleep fewer than seven hours per night are at a higher risk of health problems such as obesity, diabetes, and heart problems. Get to bed on time — and get up on time, too — for the best odds at avoiding chronic health problems later.
I did use hyperlinks for citation purposes and to give credit where it is due. They're the words/phrases that are underlined and in blue font. I think these sources add more value to the piece. It also gives readers easy access to extra helpful info if needed.
I have listed them below for your quick reference:
https://www.precisionhydration.com/blogs/hydration_advice/why-you-should-eat-whole-foods-instead-of-processed-foods-whenever-possible
https://plexusworldwide.com/sunnyshare/ah-ha/reasons-to-take-a-multivitamin
https://examine.com/nutrition/do-you-need-a-multivitamin/
https://geneblueprint.com/blogs/blog/vitamin-b-response-are-you-at-risk-of-vitamin-b-deficiency
https://blog.bcbsnc.com/2019/05/mental-health-affects-physical-health/
https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentTypeID=1&ContentID=3047
https://www.studyfinds.org/regular-bedtime-benefits-adults-more-than-kids/
https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2016/p0215-enough-sleep.html
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/high-octane-women/201201/6-reasons-you-should-spend-more-time-alone
Schedule Time for Solitude
“Me time” has become a buzzworthy phrase in recent times, but it’s popular for a reason — spending time alone allows you to focus on yourself and your goals. Psychology Today says that being alone can help you concentrate and be more productive overall. Of course, that’s if you can get a moment’s peace during your busy day. But whether you take a sick day from work or say no to a social event to turn inward, it’s good for your health. It might be tough to carve out the time, but unwinding for a bit of time each day can do wonders for your mental and physical well-being.
Getting healthier doesn’t happen overnight, and it isn’t always easy. But these five life-changing habits are worth incorporating into your routine — even if it takes some time to make them work.