Most of us would agree that good health, feeling well, and being able to perform our typical daily activities without sickness or pain is a universal desire. Most of the time, with a little common sense, a little luck, and simple action steps, we can arrive at a place of reasonably good health by making a few key decisions and developing a few key habits.
In times of adversity, it’s even more important for us to carefully choose the best behaviors and practices to avoid unnecessary illness and be well. Here are some of the patterns that have led to the best health possible.
SLEEP WELL
One of the most obvious yet most overlooked health habits is getting enough sleep. Even a few nights of poor sleep can have huge effects on your ability to function.
Your body does its best repair work when you sleep – that’s one of the reasons we get so tired when we are fighting an illness or recovering from an injury. Your brain literally cleans itself during deep REM sleep!
But even just being tired takes the edge off your normal daily routine, and makes you just a little less efficient. And if your body needs some reserves, getting more sleep is one of the best ways to provide that extra power. For most people, that means seven or eight hours each night, more for kids.
MOVE WELL
If you don’t use it, you lose it – simple exercises like walking, jogging, and swimming stimulate blood flow, balance and coordinate your muscles, and make you feel great! Establishing a practice such as yoga, Pilates, martial arts, or playing a sport can sharpen your skills even more.
Different people need different amounts and frequency of exercise, but a good rule of thumb is to enjoy at least three thirty-minute or five fifteen-minute sessions each week. Choose a level of intensity that matches your current degree of fitness – less intense for beginners, more intense for those accustomed to more aggressive physical activity.
EAT WELL
Proper nutrition is essential – giving your body the fuel it needs is necessary for it to work properly. This is especially true when you are ill or under stress.
Most experts agree that a variety of fresh foods, including vegetables and fruits, along with nuts, olives, avocadoes, or wild fish to supply healthy fat and some additional source of protein builds a firm foundation of nutrition for you and your family.
In addition, if you want to give yourself extra support, add an organic supplement with vitamins and minerals – Many doctors recommend Vitamin C, Vitamin D, and Vitamin A, along with zinc and selenium, for those families who want extra immune system support.
THINK WELL
The fourth health routine to be implemented is stress reduction – one of the worst parts of the current state of the world is the emotional stress, both from fear and grief. Some people can just “decide” to be calm, but most of us have to do something to relax or quiet our emotions.
The most common way for people to de-stress is through meditation, prayer, or communing with nature – it only takes a few minutes to get yourself into a quiet or reverent state and allow the stress to melt away. There are many apps, like Insight Timer, with hundreds of free programs to help you learn to calm your brain. But many can benefit from being more proactive, using stretching, breathing, yoga, or massage to create a feeling of ease that dissipates the duress.
BE WELL ADJUSTED
There is one more critical habit for you to develop if you are serious about being healthy and avoiding getting sick, and that is to take good care of your body and brain.
A great way to do that is to seek regular chiropractic care – adjustments are shown to decrease pain and improve mobility. Both of these are important for staying active and reducing harmful stress.
If you want an advantage, especially in times of health adversity, remember to visit your chiropractor – it helps your body to work better, and you’ll feel better, too.