Wellness is defined as the pursuit of choices, activities, and lifestyle that leads to an overall state of healthy mind and body. Consciousness in choosing the foods we eat, our workout routines, the environment we live in, and the way we interact with people will improve our state of wellness. Wellness is more than just being healthy. It is a steady practice of change and growth that lasts a lifetime.
Here are some ways to boost your life’s wellness quotient:
Eating Healthy
There are numerous reasons to eat a healthy diet. These include maintaining a healthy weight and reducing the risk of lifestyle diseases. However, food wellness includes making choices based on nutritional benefits, the carbon footprint of your food — which means eating locally sourced foods — more natural, and less processed foods, and most importantly focusing on tasting your food while eating.
Outdoor Activities
Walking, jogging, trekking, and even gardening are some outdoor activities that not only ensure you breathe healthier outdoor air but also absorb natural vitamin D from the best source — the sun. Such activities elevate your heart rate and boost your metabolism, thus improving your immune system. Outdoor activities also calm your mind and distract you from your everyday anxieties and worries. Do them with a companion to achieve the best results.
Meditation and Yoga
Regular and experienced practitioners of yoga and meditation believe that mindfulness and breathing exercises are boons to the brain. Our brain relaxes, our response to stress improves, our neurobiological health improves, and our overall mental health receives a boost. These are all little gifts we give ourselves when we spend even as little as five minutes a day, every day, performing some breathing exercises or practising some yoga poses.
Rest and Sleep
Recently, there has been a lot of focus and emphasis on getting a minimum of seven hours of sleep every night. However, in our quest to accomplish our dreams and goals we are sleeping less and doing more. As a result, we suffer more frequent burnouts and breakdowns of physical and mental health. Sleep enables the body and mind to recover from the day’s exertions. Hence, it is vital to provide them adequate time to rest and recharge. Similarly, use the time on weekends to engage in non-work activities such as reading, listening to music, indulging in other hobbies, and spending quality time with family and friends.
Reducing Stress
We cannot reduce our problems but we can improve our response to stressors. The practice of mindfulness enables you to focus on the present and let go of the past. It also improves your mental health and thus enables you to maintain a positive attitude to life, situations, and people around you. A healthy diet, exercise, meditation, and adequate sleep enable you to combat stress and stay healthy.
To Conclude…
Wellness is a way of life that includes making conscious choices in what you eat and how you interact with people around you. It also includes getting adequate amounts of exercise, sleep, and natural air. Wellness is the overall health of mind, body, and spirit.
