How to Get Healthy One Step at a Time
Good overall health starts with taking care of yourself and making sure that you get enough rest. In order to feel your best, you should be eating well, exercising and taking the necessary steps to feel good both inside and out. Although habits are hard to change, with time and effort you will make healthy living second nature to yourself and begin to feel the benefits.
Instructions
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Eat healthy, unprocessed foods, and drink at least eight cups of water each day. Choose whole grains over refined carbohydrates, and eat fresh fruits and vegetables instead of unhealthy junk food. Consume low-fat dairy products, such as skim milk and cottage cheese. Choose lean, low-fat meats, such as chicken breasts, over greasy options. If this is a big change to your diet, start by substituting one healthy meal for a less healthy one, and then slowly change to a healthier diet one meal at a time.
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Exercise at least 30 minutes a day. If you're currently inactive, build up to a better activity level over time. Start with an activity like walking, and slowly increase the time and distance that you walk.
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Take a multivitamin every morning with breakfast. Choose a vitamin that is designed for your age group or gender to guarantee that you are meeting the minimum requirements specific to you. If you have difficulty remembering to take vitamins, set a reminder on your phone or computer to remind you. Put your vitamins in a vitamin box with labels for each day of the week, and keep the box where you're sure to see it in the morning, perhaps near your breakfast foods.
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Go out more often, and partake in activities that you enjoy. For example, spend more time with friends and family members. Go to the movies, if you enjoy watching movies. If you are busy and need plenty of time to relax, start by planning to go out once a week. Then see how you feel about increasing the frequency of your outings.
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Develop personal hobbies that keep you occupied and prevent boredom. Hobbies provide people with a sense of accomplishment, thus strengthening self-esteem. Self-esteem is important, as it contributes to your positive feelings about yourself, which can, in turn, lead you to feel more capable of accomplishing what you need to accomplish to make yourself healthier. Having poor self-esteem, on the other hand, can lead you to procrastinate when it comes to making changes.
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Visit your doctor at least once a year and whenever you have a health concern.
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Take care of your mental well-being as well as your physical well-being. If you are overly stressed, try meeting with a therapist once a week to talk about your problems. If you feel depressed or anxious, you may need to talk to a doctor about a medication to help relieve stress and anxiety. If meeting with a therapist is overwhelming in the beginning, plan to make at least one meeting a month. Increase the visits as you become more comfortable around your therapist.
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Laugh as much as possible. Take time every day to look at funny pictures, read jokes, or just joke around with friends and co-workers.
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Practice regular relaxation techniques. Take warm, soothing baths, and get a monthly massage, if possible. Learn how to stop and take a time out to relax whenever you are feeling stressed and overwhelmed, in order to make relaxing a habit.
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Manage your personal hygiene well. Brush and floss your teeth twice a day, shower every one to two days and work on personal hygiene habits that make you feel good about yourself.
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Sleep well at night and avoid becoming overtired. Being tired can lead to feelings of anxiety, trouble concentrating and low motivation, all of which make getting healthy more difficult.
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Tips & Warnings
Avoid substances that are harmful to your well-being, such as cigarettes, illegal drugs and excessive alcohol.
