You can give yourself a break when you occasionally make a bad decision- big bowl of fries for dinner and ice cream for dessert? Just wake up tomorrow and get back to your healthy routine. But if you keep making the same bad decisions every day, then you have embraced an unhealthy lifestyle and it's time to re-boot your life. Here's how:
Self-reflectionSelf-reflection is a crucial practice for self-improvement and general wellbeing. A
study conducted to determine the role of reflection in individual learning showed that people who choose to reflect their actions daily, learned more than people who did not reflect. This is because reflection allows us to acknowledge what went right and what went wrong in the execution of our plans and therefore gives us a chance to filter out the bad and persist with the good.
ExerciseExperts recommend 30 minutes of moderate physical activity every day to maintain a healthy lifestyle. However, if you would like to lose weight, maintain weight loss or meet certain fitness goals, you may need to exercise more. Additionally, reduce sitting time since the more time you spend sitting, the more likely you are to get metabolic problems even if you achieve the recommended daily physical activity.
Practice gratitudeStudies show that being grateful does make you considerably happier and optimistic about life and even reduces the number of times you visit the doctor. Additionally, Oprah recommends listing 5 things you are grateful for each night before going to bed to maintain positivity in your life. Focusing on the good aspects of your life will help you amplify them by making you act in positive ways that will benefit your wellbeing in the long term.
Reduce your vicesStress drinking and misusing substances go a long way in ruining your health. Individuals with drinking or substance abuse problems are more likely to suffer from mental illnesses and have health problems.
Recent studies have shown that there are no benefits in light alcohol consumption while others have proved that quitting smoking is correlated to reduced anxiety and better mood.
Disconnect from the internetAlthough technological advancements have gone a long way to making life easier, they have also brought about adverse effects on our physical and mental states. For instance, you may develop poor eyesight from continuously staring at screens or even depression from comparing yourself to strangers online. It is therefore important to take a break from searching for endless things online and scrolling on social media to interact with your immediate environment and connect with the people around you.
Every day is the first day of the rest of your life and a chance to start again fresh. Keep trying. We know it's not easy.