Make sleep a priority
It’s all too easy to let the amount and quality of sleep we get slip when we are busy or stressed. However, we sleep for a third of our lives for good reason – that both our bodies and minds need it to rest, repair and perform essential maintenance.
With that in mind, instituting a good sleep schedule is crucial. This means having a set time you go to bed each day, as well as a set time you get up. This will help train your brain to get sleepy and then awake at a regular time.
It can also be very helpful to use techniques such as switching off devices at least two hours before sleep, as this can give your mind and body enough time to properly relax. Similarly many people find using meditations such as Yoga Nidra, or progressive muscle relaxation helpful as their bedtime approaches because they reinforce the habit of going to sleep.
Walk every day
Whether it’s a walk to work, or just around the block, getting regular exercise is a must for both a healthy body and mind. Indeed, numerous experts suggest that 30 minutes of exercise, 5 days a week day is the minimum we need to keep our bodies healthy. Similarly, research has shown that even a short walk outside in the fresh air can boost our mental health! So what are you waiting for, go put your sneakers on and get out there.
You can even use it as a time to listen to your favorite podcast, meet with a friend and walk together, or walk instead of driving to work or school.
Eat at least one piece of fruit a day
Many people worry so much about getting the right balance of nutrients and minerals that they take complex supplements either in the form of tablets, powders or gels.
However, one of the best ways to get nutrients is to eat at least one piece of fruit a day. Indeed, there are many benefits to consuming fruits including all the wonderful vitamins and nutrients they contain. Most fruit when you eat it raw is also packed with fiber which can help keep your digestive system regular and fill you up. Be wary of cooked or pureed fruits though because without their fiber they can be very sugary.
Plate up your food in the right proportions
Unless you’re a professional chef you may not have given much consideration to how you plate your food. However, it’s far more important for your physical and mental health than you might think. This is because the plate for a standard meal should be split into three parts each containing one of the following food groups: vegetables, proteins and carbs. Indeed some experts believe that eating vegetables first can help your health because it makes managing blood glucose easier. This is because the fiber in the vegetables lines the digestive tract, and makes it harder to absorb as much glucose.
Don’t sit all-day
Sitting down at a desk all day is typical for most people when it comes to their work. However, sitting all day is both bad for the body and the mind. This is because it requires much less energy to sit and so predisposes people to obesity and the other diseases associated with it. Additionally sitting all day is bad for the mind because it prevents fresh oxygenated blood from being circulated in the body which helps us to stay focused and awake.
With that in mind, getting up and moving around at least once every hour is a good approach. Then you’ll be able to scratch your muscles, burn some energy and get plenty of blood flowing around your system.
Read every day
Comic books or literary fiction, it doesn’t matter as reading every day will help keep your mind sharp and focused. You’ll also allow yourself to learn new things, and see things from other people’s perspectives so pick up a book today!
Do a puzzle a day
Another way you can keep your mind agile, and take care of your brain health is to do puzzles daily. Puzzles like sudoku can be a lot of fun and will ensure your brain maintains its neuroplasticity (ability to continue to learn things). You can get special books filled with pages of sudoku at newsagents and supermarkets. However, it’s also perfectly possible to play for free online and benefit from the guidance that online games offer which will help you learn the game, and advance in your skills as fast as possible.
Start journaling
Starting a practice of daily journaling can also be wonderful for your mental health. Journalling is all about writing down your thoughts and experiences and many people find this very cathartic as it means they can let them go without having to constantly ruminate on them.
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Another mental health benefit of journaling is that when you have been doing it for some time, you will be able to pick out patterns of emotions and behavior. This will help you to identify any areas of mental health you may need to work on and you can even take it to your therapist.
Start meal planning
Both your body and your mind will thank you if you pick up the habit of planning your meals daily. This is because by planning what you will eat you can not only ensure that you get a varied and nutritious diet, but that you don’t eat too much junk as well.
An added mental bonus of meal planning is that it can help alleviate anxiety about money. This is because when you plan each day’s meal you will know precisely what to buy at the store and so make it easier to keep to your budget.