How to Be Healthy and Happy

Health and happiness go hand-in-hand. People cannot be healthy if they are not happy and they cannot be happy if they are not healthy. But many people go about their lives without making this correlation. Someone can do all the things the doctor ordered to have good health like eating right, exercising regularly and getting sufficient sleep, but that same person isn’t completely healthy if he is working at a job she hates, living in a city he despises or in an unhappy relationship. Take these steps to ensure the most healthy and happy life possible.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Healthy diet
• Weights for strength training

1. Nourish the body with proper nutrition. Dieting can be eliminated if healthy eating habits are adopted. Make protein, whole grains, fruits and vegetables the main portion of the diet. Go easy on dairy and be sparing with sweets. Check out the link below for a customized food guide.
2. Make sure to exercise for a minimum of 30 minutes a day, five days a week. Because most people in Western society are stressed out, high-intensity cardio workouts are not ideal because they put added stress on the body. De-stressing exercises like walking, swimming, restorative yoga, Qi Chong and Tai Chi are best. Also, be sure to lift weights for at least 20 minutes a day three times a week. This will help maintain a healthy cardiovascular function.
3. Sufficient sleep is imperative to good health and mood. A lack of quality sleep can cause irritability, impatience, and the inability to concentrate. Sleep-deprived people also shouldn’t get behind the wheel. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that 1,500 people die in fatigue-related accidents each year. Sufficient sleep varies for each person, but the National Sleep Foundation stated that an average of seven to nine hours a night is sufficient for adults.
4. Living in a conducive environment is also important to good health and happiness. This includes everything from the city, house, furniture and especially, the people within the environment. Starting the day off in hated surroundings makes it nearly impossible to truly be happy. Remember, we all have free-will. Pick up and move.
5. Americans spend more than half their waking hours at work. So if someone despises going to work each day, it’s not likely that they’re very happy and healthy. A need for financial security scares many people into staying at a job they hate, but it only leaves them feeling irritated and angry when it’s finally time to go home. Or maybe you love your job but hate the company you work for. Spruce up the resume and send it out to other companies. If it’s a new field you’re craving, take a leap and go back to school. Or apply for an entry-level position in your desired field. Starting over might be scary at first, but living a healthy and happy life is the best reward you can get.