It’s fair to say most people feel like they could be living a little healthier in 2023. Long work hours, sedentary lifestyles, less-than-ideal diets, not enough sleep, too much time in front of screens all add up to less-than-ideal functioning. But sometimes making lifestyle changes just feels like one more thing to add to a to-do list that’s already overflowing, and – quite frankly – one more thing to fail at. It often feels easier to open another packet of biscuits and lose yourself in some Netflix or Social media scrolling.
So what can we do to improve our physical health without compromising our mental health? It all comes down to small, sustainable changes, really. There are so many tiny improvements we can make that will add up over time rather than adopting an all-or-nothing attitude that all too often ends in failure. Here are some suggestions.
Plan your water intake
Many of us are nowhere near hydrated enough but if you plan your daily water intake, it’s much easier to drink enough to keep your brain and body functioning optimally through the day. Try to schedule it in with something else that happens every day. One glass when you get up, one after you’ve brushed your teeth, a water bottle full while you’re sitting at your desk at work, one when you come home and one before bed will soon add up to a couple of litres (there are even apps that can help remind you!)
Adopt a something-is-better-than-nothing attitude to exercise
While in the ideal world, we would all work out every day, sometimes that’s just not possible. When work or life has taken over, always remember that something is better than nothing. Even a ten-minute walk around the block is better if the alternative was staying seated all day. And often the hardest thing is getting out the door. That ten-minute walk may easily turn into half an hour once you get out in the fresh air.
Increase your veggie intake
Nutrition advice varies so heavily – from veganism to paleo, to calorie counting to whatever the diet of the moment is. But one thing that is common to almost all health advice is to make sure you get enough veggies – and if the rest of it all feels too hard, maybe just try that. Chuck some spinach in a smoothie or wilted on the side of your eggs on toast, put some frozen veggies in fried rice for a quick lunch, even a carrot cake has more to offer than a straight chocolate or vanilla one. If you get time on a Sunday, make a veggie soup and freeze it in portions for the week.
Get your bloods done
Sometimes part of getting healthier can be assessing deficiencies and supplementing if needed. Getting a full round of blood tests and taking the vitamin D, B12, zinc, iron or whatever you’re lacking, might be an easy step to feeling better.
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