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10 ways to improve your wellbeing

10 ways to improve your wellbeing

Written by Dean Holzer | 24th June 2019

Our wellbeing includes not only our physical health but also our mental and social health as well. Wellbeing is about being both happy and healthy. We all know that sometimes life gets a little crazy and we put our own personal wellbeing to the side, leaving us feeling stressed and overwhelmed. We thought with World Wellbeing Week being celebrated from 24-28 June, we would give you our top 10 ways to improve your wellbeing to help manage your stress and make you feel a little better.

1. Eat well

Eating a healthy balanced diet can not only reduce the risk of physical health problems, such as heart disease and diabetes, but it can also improve your energy levels, and boost your mood.

Make sure you are eating plenty of vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains, as well as drinking plenty of water, while working on reducing your intake of processed foods and sugars.

We say it all the time but it’s not always easy to get right! So try thinking about moderation rather than elimination. Instead of completely cutting out those foods you love but know aren’t great for you, work on reducing how much you are eating. It’s all about balance!

2. Move your body

In today’s society, we all spend far too much time sitting still – desk work, driving, watching TV. Our bodies are designed to move so it’s important we take as many opportunities as we can to get our bodies up and going. Exercise helps improve sleep, reduce stress and anxiety, boost your mood and concentration, and improve blood pressure and bone health.

Try to incorporate 30 minutes of exercise every day. This doesn’t have to be difficult and boring. Find an activity you really enjoy and it will be much easier to do on a regular basis. Join a group fitness class or a sporting team, walk the dog, go hiking on the weekends, dance in your living room, take up yoga! Anything that gets you moving!

You can also fit exercise in through normal daily activities. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, do some gardening, vacuum the house, park a little further away from work or the train station so you have to walk. The little things all add up.

3. Get enough sleep

Sleep is vital for helping our body recovery and renew its resources. Not getting enough can lead to physical fatigue, stress, moodiness and other health issues. Most people need 7-8 hours a night, but this can vary, so listen to your body and make sure you are getting what you need.

Some tips to help improve your sleep include developing a routine, turning off electronic devices 30 minutes before you go to bed and keeping your room quiet, dark and uncluttered.

4. Find time to relax

Sit, relax and breathe! We spend all day jumping from one thing to the next, worrying about where we have to be, and what we have to do next, without stopping to pay attention to the moment we are in. This can be very stressful and actually make us less focussed and productive.

Once a day try to stop and just relax. It can even just be for one minute! Listed below are a few tricks that may help if you struggle to switch off!

  • Try a guided meditation or mindfulness app, such as Headspace, Calm, or 10% Happier. There are so many different options available so try a few a find one you like.
  • Lie down in a comfortable position and slowly bring your attention to each part of your body, working your way down from your head to your toes. Take the time to consciously tense and then relax everything! This is a wonderful way to release tension that you didn’t even realise you were holding.
  • Lie down with your feet up against a wall or on the couch. Try to clear your mind and switch off even for just a few minutes.
  • Sit quietly in a comfortable position, and take 10 slow, deep breaths. And that’s it! Easy.

5. Get outside

Even though we’re in the depths of winter, try to get outside as much as possible. A little bit of fresh air and sunshine can do wonders for helping you feel refreshed and calm. Nature has a wonderful way of lifting the spirits, and vitamin D from the sun contributes to the release of endorphins in the brain. Find a nice park or walking track near home or work and try to get outside at least once a day.

6. Spend time with the ones you love

Having good relationships with other people is one of the most effective ways of boosting your own wellbeing. Whether it be family, friends, colleagues, or a community group, getting involved with other people helps create a sense of acceptance, connection, and provides you with a support system. The best part is, you are providing the same benefits for the people around you as they are for you. So get out there and invest your time and energy into building your relationships.

7. Give back

Do something to help someone else. Give a compliment, bring your colleague a coffee, donate blood, volunteer, donate to a charity. Big or small, any act of kindness not only helps other people but also make you feel good.

8. Take time out for yourself

Make sure you put aside a little bit of time on a regular basis to do something just for yourself.

Find a something you really enjoy and dedicate a time each week to do it. Maybe there is a hobby you have always wanted to take up or a sport you like playing. Maybe you just want to pamper yourself a little with a bath and a face mask. Having a little time each week that is just for you helps to improve your mood and your sense of accomplishment.

9. Break bad habits

We all have bad habits. Maybe it’s smoking, alcohol, caffeine, social media or something else completely. Be honest with yourself, and have a think about what things you do that may be affecting you negatively. Whatever those habits are, see if you can break them. Try reducing the amount per day, or going without for one month, or quitting completely! Set small achievable goals and work on reducing those negative things in your life.

10. Seek help

Don’t feel you have to tackle everything on your own! Sometimes things can get a little bit too difficult for us to deal with alone, so whether it be physical or mental, if there is something that you feel you are not coping with, don’t be afraid to ask for help. It could be a friend or family member, or a health professional, sometimes just reaching out can be enough to get you back on the right track.

The team at Canterbury Health Hub can assist you with your wellness goals with hands-on treatment and a tailored plan.

BOOK ONLINE TODAY!

This article is for information purposes only. Please consult your CHH Practitioner or primary healthcare professional for further information.