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We all know what the fundamentals of good health are. A healthy balanced diet, regular exercise, enough water and plenty of sleep and rest- all things which are good for both body and mind. But there’s more to health than just this, and achieving an overall state of wellbeing involves making lots of good choices all throughout your life. Here are just a few examples of things you can do to improve your overall health and wellbeing.
Clean and declutter your home
Your home is such an important place in your life, most of us spend a huge part of our spare time at home and so this environment can either be contributing or detracting from your overall wellbeing. A home that’s chaotic and cluttered can cause feelings of unease, whereas one that’s clean and organised can help you to feel relaxed and ‘on top’ of things in your life.
Spend time getting rid of clutter – throw away, donate or give away anything you no longer need. Organise everything you’ve decided to keep so that everything in your life has a place. It makes tidying easy, and when you come to look for anything you know exactly where it is. Consider decorating in calming colours which have a profound impact on mood, and invest in things like cosy throws and cushions to make spending time in the space really comfortable.
Giving your home a thorough clean each season helps you to keep dust and mould down which can each affect your health and especially your breathing. If you’re sensitive to dust or mould spores, have allergies or a weaker immune system then these can be really bothersome in the home. You might have already visited an ecig store to quit the tobacco but getting rid of toxins in your home is also important. Every few months, hire a carpet cleaner, vacuum behind large furniture, wash curtains and generally do all of the jobs that you wouldn’t normally do on a day of cleaning. You could get yourself an air purifier too, to catch any nasties that are in the air at home. These can be released from things like cooking, scented candles, pet dander, even fabrics and materials breaking down over time. Indoor air can be more dangerous than you might realise.
Work from home
Research has shown over and over than people that work from home are happier. And it’s obvious why, with cosy and comfortable surroundings, no commute, no annoying colleagues or boss breathing down your neck- it’s a nice way to work. Admittedly it doesn’t suit everyone, there are people that thrive in a high-pressure environment and enjoy the workplace community when working with others – but for many, working from home is the ideal scenario.
If you’re in a position to work from home then it’s something to consider, you could ask your current employer if your job could be moved to a home-based position (if you’re office-based this can often be done quite easily) or you could look online for a new position that employs remote workers. Other options would be to work for yourself – blogging, freelancing and home-based business all enable you to earn money from home and on your own terms. No more sitting in traffic breathing in pollution getting to and from the workplace. No stress of missing connecting buses or trains being late. No squashing onto public transport like sardines.
Working from home is more relaxing, people tend to take less sick days and generally report feeling happier. Stress is incredibly bad for both mental and physical health, and so anything that allows you to keep those levels down is going to be worth doing. We all need to work to earn money, but a standard workplace doesn’t suit everyone- so this is an option you could consider.
Buy organic
With much of our food being mass-produced, more chemicals than you might want to know about get used on or in our food which can have a detrimental affect on health. For certain fruits and vegetables (typically those where the skin is consumed) it’s worth buying organic to prevent these chemicals from entering your body.
The same is true when it comes to meat and dairy, organic produce is free of hormones used in animals. In some cases, it really is better to spend that little extra and get a product that’s not going to add toxic chemicals to your body. It’s easy to assume that eating any kinds of fruits and vegetables are good for you, but they’re not all created equal.
Connect with others
When we consider ‘health’ as a concept, many of us focus solely on the physical body. But mental health, and specifically, emotional health is incredibly important. As humans, we’re social creatures but live in a world that increasingly isolates us from others. We might constantly be in contact online and on social media, but it’s not quite the same as spending time with others in person.
If you get a chance to hang out with friends, always say yes. Arrange a special date night for your partner, or consider meeting new people with the same kinds of interests as you if you don’t feel like you have that many people close to you in your life. Spending time with others is good for the soul, you’ll laugh and smile, you’ll be encouraged to try new things and it generally makes you happy overall. Never underestimate how good this is.
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