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Each passing day it becomes more clear that a holistic approach towards life can have incredible effects on your long term health. Making efforts to care for your mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual health all work together to promote and prolong your well being.
With that in mind, here are a few sweet and simple, yet easily overlooked, items to consider. They are aimed at cleaning everything up in your life, from those nasty, depressing thoughts to your physical condition and even the air you breathe.
Get Off of Social Media
Social media is addicting. There’s no doubt about it. When asked, 60% of college students admitted that they were addicted to their cell phones, and chances are most of the other 40% were lying to one degree or another.
If you want to increase your overall well being, reducing or even eliminating as much of your social media use as possible can go along way in helping you maintain your emotional and mental health.
Clean Up Your Air
Breathing — you don’t notice it, and yet you do it dozens of times every minute. It’s is a critical part of life, which is why it’s important to think about the air you’re breathing all day long.
Investing in quality air filters is a simple yet effective way to keep your home’s HVAC systems from circulating poor quality air. In addition, try shifting to using natural cleaners, decorate with plants, and get an essential oil diffuser.
Steps like these will revolutionize the quality of your air, which will go a very long way in helping you maintain your physical health.
Find Ways to Detox from Stress
Life can get stressful at times, and that’s perfectly alright. In fact, stress is a normal feeling that shouldn’t be feared. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t do something to address the stress when you have a chance.
For instance, consider designating an area of your living space in order to create a peaceful spot where you can relax and detach from the pressures and responsibilities of life from time to time. You can make a reading nook, a bedroom hideaway, or even a year-round backyard retreat.
When it comes to dealing with the day-to-day stress, take some time to learn about the different cognitive distortions that can too easily plague one’s mind. Being able to recognize things like overgeneralizations, all-or-nothing thinking, or jumping to conclusions can make it much easier to relax, sidestep the stress, and enjoy even the busiest moments.
Weed Out the Negatives
Along with incorporating positives into your life, it can be helpful to take stock of your current habits and behaviors. Do you do anything that is negatively impacting your well being? Can you make an effort to reduce, replace, or otherwise weed these things out of your lifestyle?
According to the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation, drinking, smoking, making poor food choices, and not exercising are all amongst the highest risks to a person’s health. Not only that, but they’re all habits and behaviors that are all too easy to slide into.
It’s a good idea to regularly ask yourself what you’re already doing negatively that can be improved.
Plan Ahead
A reactionary attitude has its time and place, but it shouldn’t be your mental posture when you’re trying to optimize your well-being.
Predictive and preventative care are popular healthcare initiatives at the moment, and with good reason. A trip to the doctor for a checkup on a regular basis can help avoid a slew of health issues down the road.
Even at home, you can take preventative measures to head off health concerns. Seasonal Affective Disorder, for instance, is a very natural event that takes place with the season changes and can be easily prepared for by simply purchasing a light therapy lamp.
Sleep Smarter
Finally, a good night’s sleep can cover a multitude of sins. A few ways you can help increase the quality of your sleep include:
- Avoiding tech before bed.
- Drinking some peppermint or goldenseal tea.
- Create a space that is specifically for sleeping.
- Using a light alarm clock instead of waking up from an abrasive noise.
If you take the time to properly rest each night, you’re much more likely to live a happy and peaceful life during your waking hours.
Optimizing Your Well Being
The list of ways you can optimize your life are endless. While the suggestions above serve as a good starting point, the essential factor here is your attitude.
If you don’t take the time to strive for the best life you can have — on an emotional, spiritual, physical, and mental level — you’re going to suffer sooner or later.
Instead, practice an attitude of vigilance and excitement as you look for each and every opportunity to improve the quality of your life. If you can do that, you’ll be much more likely to both attain and maintain a sense of holistic health over the long term.
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