The Temple: Healthy Living
It can be extremely difficult to maintain a healthy lifestyle in today’s fast-paced and capitalistic society. Between the profit-driven expectations our jobs place on us of working until we are exhausted, the social norms that dictate our interpersonal interactions, and the need to be entertained by every social media platform and every trashy reality television show, we all too often forget the importance of taking care of ourselves. We’ve discussed self-care before, but it needs to be revisited and broken down into digestible pieces of helpful advice. So, for our first installment, here are three things that you can do to improve your quality of life.
1) Drink More Water!--Ahh…the age-old debate about how much water we should be drinking. Some scientists, healthcare professionals, and public health practitioners say 8, 8 ounce glasses per day. Others say that drinking half of your body weight in ounces of water is optimal. Either way, the consensus is that drinking MORE water is what’s important. Especially considering our American lifestyle of overeating, consuming sugary sodas, and junk food. So, drink more water throughout the day. Make fruit infused water or add lemons and limes. Do whatever it is that makes you more inclined to consume more water. It’s also a good idea to drink water before going to sleep at night and when you wake up in the morning.
2) Get More Sleep!--This is also a tough habit to begin. I know. Trust me. I’m busier than most. But the one thing I’ve learned is that I’m no good to anyone, including myself, when I’m exhausted. My cognitive functions are screwed, I don’t workout to my full potential, I eat less and when I do eat, it’s junk. I don’t properly interact with my family, friends, or boyfriend. Practicing going to bed earlier to get more sleep has been a great challenge of mine. But I’ve also learned that when I do get more sleep, I’m able to maximize the 16-18 hours of the day that I am awake. Doesn’t it make more sense to work smarter not harder? Starting your day with the thought that you will have 16-18 hours of productive and efficient hard work and then get 6-8 hours of sleep beats the “I grind 24/7 but don’t truly accomplish anything during that time” mentality. Sleep a little more. You’ll reach your goals faster.
3) Exercise!--It’s only in your best interest to follow your doctor’s advice and get 30 to 45 minutes of vigorous exercise 5 times per week. Whether you’re running, weight lifting, doing Cross Fit, dancing in a Zumba class, or spinning, your heart, joints, muscles, and mental health state will thank you. If you don’t have access to a gym, you can do jumping jacks, sit ups, push ups, pull ups, and/or play a sport right at your home. Find a local park and run around the playground several times while doing pull ups on the monkey bars. Be creative! You don’t have to have a high socioeconomic status to exercise.
I know that developing these habits will be hard. Especially for those of us with busy lives. Even more so for people who have children. But I promise, that making sure you take care of yourself first will pay off for you and everyone around you in the long-run. Break them down into 21 day goals, starting with the 1st and work your way to all 3. It's worth it and you deserve it!