5 Remedies For a Better Mind & Body
The Greatest Wealth is Health.' - Virgil.
The term 'take good care of yourself' is arguably said more than it's practised. When we look at the way we treat and take care of our bodies, it's not uncommon to feel as though you could be doing more to look after yourself. Excellent health is about being committed to small and large healthy decisions every day and often putting your needs before others.
Healthy choices might include saying no to another gin and tonic, yes to making time to practice lifting weights every other day, and no to working late into the evening again. Instilling little choices will lead you to make more significant decisions that will begin to futureproof your health. Sometimes we forget, our bodies are finite, and often the way we treat them today will determine if they'll thrive tomorrow.
If you're keen to step up your health, and start doing more for your body and mind, below are five areas for you to consider implementing into your routine.
Nature
Picture by Free-Photos from Pixabay - CC0 Licence
It's no illusion that nature has significant benefits for your health. The BBC seconds the notion that being outdoors, in the wild, can boost your health and happiness. And also highlights 'feeling a part of nature has been shown to significantly correlate with life satisfaction, vitality, meaningfulness, happiness, mindfulness, and lower cognitive anxiety.' Some other significant benefits of being outdoors include;
Reduced stress hormones
Lower blood pressure
Strengthen the immune system
Reduce anxiety
Improve your mood
Restore mental fatigue
Ecopsychology: How Immersion in Nature Benefits Your Health by Jim Robbins states "Nature is not only nice to have, but it's a have-to-have for physical health and cognitive function."
Research proves how being outside can benefit your health. I wrote a thesis on it for my Masters dissertation. And so, If you're nestled in the city, make time to head to the local park. If you're living out in the sticks, the depths of countryside outside your door are an instant ailment for your health. If nature isn't yet a part of your routine, you could start with a stroll on a nature trail, move your usual run at the gym outdoors, or take a road trip to the beach. How you experience the outdoors is entirely up to you.
Ill Or In Pain? Take Action
Interestingly, according to 'fear of finding out' study, the authors revealed a large number of people, perhaps yourself included, avoid checking in with the doctor when they're unwell because they're worried what the doctor would find out about their health during a diagnosis. However, in doing so, you might be missing an opportunity to prevent an infection or illness from getting worse. Take cystitis; for instance, it begins as a burning sensation that makes it painful to urinate. The NHS states mild cases may clear up on their own. But in other instances, treatment for cystitis is necessary to prevent damage to the kidney. Fortunately, it's not compulsory to visit the doctor or nurse in person each time you're feeling unwell. With the assistance of technology, diagnosis can be made via telephone or video chat. Furthermore, ordering a prescription of antibiotics, such as those for cystitis is more straightforward and quicker to attain than it used to be. For example, some services online don't require a prescription; instead, a brief consultation with a medical provider online is sufficient.
There is no real excuse to get your body checked out when it's not feeling great. Whether it's backache, ringing in your ears, or a chesty cough, it's worth asking a doctor or nurse whether there's a remedy.
Practise Good Hygiene
Practising continuous good hygiene has a series of benefits for not just your health, but the health of others too. The choices you make about how you take care of your body has multiple effects that contribute to your mind, body and your social relationships with others. All of which are incredibly important factors to consider when your appearance has slipped to the wayside. Above all, the prime concern is preventing the spread of infections and illnesses on your body and others. In light of Covid-19, the need for people to commit to personal hygiene such as regular hand-washing could save lives!
Besides, nothing beats that squeaky clean, fresh feeling from a morning shower. Such as, pampering your hair with some luxury conditioner. Or trimming your nails, and applying some colourful polish. While you're out in public places such as shopping centres, you could even take an anti-bacterial gel with you in your pocket, to use while mooching around the shops.
Rest, Rest, And Rest Some More
Sleep - for most of us, it's easier said than done. Because however much you'd like it to be, four, five or six hours in bed is not enough, and it never will be. It's primarily recommended adults sleep for 8 to 10 hours a night, any less than that, and we instantly feel the effects in our daily lives. Such as fatigue and exhaustion, poor concentration, low mood, irritability and so forth. Not to mention, the health risks only increase with continuous sleep deprivation. However, a full night's sleep, every night, will;
-Strengthen your immune system
-Help you maintain a healthy heart
-Keep a healthy weight
-Boost your mental health
-Reduce inflammation in the body
-Give your body time to heal. Such as, recovering from illness, or exercise
Our bodies need to unwind and relax, and the only person that can make that choice is you! If you're struggling to fall asleep at night, you could try cutting out caffeine, particularly in the afternoon and evening, prevent exercising directly before bed and restrict the light in your room, to enable your body to produce melatonin. This hormone helps your body naturally drift to sleep.
Hydrate
Picture by Daria Shevtsova from Pexels - CC0 Licence
You're probably no stranger to the fact that our bodies are roughly 60% water. We're practically cucumbers! Okay, cucumbers are 95% water, so we're not quite there. But still, our bodies rely on whatever juices, smoothies, protein water, and water-filled fruits and vegetables fall its way to:
-Maintain the body's core temperature
-Replenish water lost during the day
-Keep our body lubricated and relieve pressure around the joints
-To flush out toxins and infections
-Increase alertness and concentration
Water is adequate for us to survive and flourish in our daily life, but we've not all achieved our average quota of 8 glasses a day just yet. To help you get there, consider carrying a large water bottle with you. It'll be difficult to ignore, and thus it shall act as a constant reminder to drink throughout the day.
Often, our bodies are subject to intense physical and mental pressure, that over time wears our immune system and wellbeing down. The above explains more about what most of us could be doing more to build the body's strength and resilience to the world around us.
And as a bonus tip, don't forget to laugh!
Take care of yourself. Lots of love,
-Keep our body lubricated and relieve pressure around the joints
-To flush out toxins and infections
-Increase alertness and concentration
Water is adequate for us to survive and flourish in our daily life, but we've not all achieved our average quota of 8 glasses a day just yet. To help you get there, consider carrying a large water bottle with you. It'll be difficult to ignore, and thus it shall act as a constant reminder to drink throughout the day.
'Thousands Have Lived Without Love, Not One Without Water.' – W.H.Auden
Often, our bodies are subject to intense physical and mental pressure, that over time wears our immune system and wellbeing down. The above explains more about what most of us could be doing more to build the body's strength and resilience to the world around us.
And as a bonus tip, don't forget to laugh!
Take care of yourself. Lots of love,
Jenna x
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