by Sophia Smith: No matter how good care we think we take of ourselves, there is always room to work on something…

There are certain aspects of our life which we can improve in order to boost our health and the amount of happiness we feel. Health, of course, includes both what’s going on with us physically and psychologically. Here are several ways to introduce positive changes into your life and give yourself an extra push in the right direction.

Don’t let harmful habits control you

Human beings that we are, it is entirely normal that we are prone to specific weaknesses and nurture habits which, though pleasant, bring us quite a bit of harm. Whether it is the need to drink alcoholic beverages often or in large amounts, to smoke one/two packs of cigarettes a day, rely heavily on fast food as a solution to our body’s needs, or perhaps to do something else that harms us with our consent, if you happen to recognize yourself in such a description, research your weakness. Find out what makes it so tempting to you and work out a plan to kick those negative habits out of your lifestyle. Instead of letting them be in control of you, be determined to turn it the other way around.

Regular medical exams

Modern life is highly dynamic and often requires one to function on a really tight schedule, mostly packed with must-do lists and all kinds of responsibilities. As a consequence, we tend to make obligations and work-related tasks a priority at the cost of compromising our health, both mental and physical, and we forget to do the recommended medical checks regularly. Unfortunately, many people don’t realize how big a mistake that is before they begin experiencing the consequences of that compromise.

Don’t disregard your health; even if you do work a lot and think you don’t have enough time to schedule a doctor appointment, there are ways to solve that thanks to the power of technology. For example, instead of going to your healthcare provider directly, you can find great services for booking an online doctor appointment. In addition, before you go see your doctor, it would help if you wrote down any unusual changes about your body that you might have noticed, so you don’t forget to ask for a professional opinion on them.

Improved sleep routine

The mind and the body have trouble functioning normally unless they get as much sleep as they require. Countless doctors warn about the dangers of exposing yourself to sleep deprivation. Your immune system weakens, your body weight is affected, as well as your mood, ability to concentrate on daily tasks and activities, sex drive, appetite, motivation… The list is quite long. So, establish a good sleep schedule which you will follow and which will allow you to get seven to nine hours of sleep. If you’d like to improve the quality of your sleep, you can also turn to the beauty of yoga for help.

Movement

Chances are that you spend a lot of time sitting, whether at home or at work. People often have a negative reaction to the phrase physical activity because, in the last few years especially, many use it to refer to doing exercise and spending hours at a gym. But it doesn’t have to be that. Go for walks, swim, jog, play with your pet in a nearby park. There are many ways to make physical activities a lot more attractive. You just need to see how to transform them into something you would truly enjoy and always look forward to.

Learning better ways to handle stress

Although we often have no control over our circumstances and the situations we find ourselves in that inflict stress on us, we can, however, affect the way we handle it and sometimes even limit our exposure to it if we know where and when we can expect it. You can help yourself by learning different breathing techniques and doing breathing exercises to ease your tension and let go of (some of) the stress you may be experiencing. If there are specific activities which you know have a highly relaxing effect on you, like listening to calming music, singing, or even cleaning, engage in them.

Time for oneself

Me-time is a phrase that nowadays we get to hear quite often, but not to experience it as well. For a person to maintain their overall well-being, they need to devote certain amounts of time to themselves. For healthy contemplation, self-discovery, hobbies, making thought-through important decisions, read and keep their mind sharp, etc. Make sure you set aside time just for yourself as regularly as you can.

Don’t forget that you are the one responsible for yourself, your health and happiness, and true changes have to come from you and your honest choices.

Sophia Smith is a lifestyle blogger, graphic designer and a food enthusiast. She is very passionate about eco-friendly and green topics, sustainable fashion, eco beauty, and conscious business. Sophia’s other hobbies centre around her love for yoga, wellness rituals and living in balance with nature. She loves sharing meaningful content that inspires people and has covered topics ranging from organic products and sustainability to self-care and mental health. Sophia has contributed to a number of publications including Eco Warrior Princess, Naughty Nutrition, Herbs Mother Earth Living, Yoga Trade, Sivana Spirit, Bonvita Style, High Style Life, Carousel, and Cause Artist.

You can find out more about her writing by following her on Twitter (@sophia_bri) 

Contact: sophia.smith.bri@gmail.com