How to Stop Taking Your Health for Granted
Date Published: 7/06/2018
If you could make one wish, would it be to be less busy in your life? Even without doing it on purpose a lot of the time, we take our own health for granted. Sometimes you have to look after number one, as they say.
This doesn’t mean you have to relieve yourself of ever thinking about other people ever again but putting your own well-being at the forefront of your thoughts can lead to benefits for you and everyone connected to you too.
The good news is that there’s more evidence that being healthy is a positive, with inflated numbers of people signing up for gym memberships, enjoying the outdoors more, and sticking to a health-conscious diet.
The positives of this are clear for all to see, and the old saying that ‘our bodies are a temple’ ring true. On the other side of the coin though, there are still plenty of statistics around that cite the issues with obesity, heart disease, diabetes, hypertension and other poor health-related illnesses.
Your body is the only one you will ever have, and while you can do with is what you want, it’s almost a certainty that you will live a more fulfilled life if you take care of this precious vessel you have.
Let’s take a look at some of the ways that people neglect their well-being and how to turn things around, shall we?
How are you sleeping?
The points we will go on to discuss later can all contribute to enduring poor sleep. You might not realize this, and this is something that Sleepadvisor.org often refer to, but sleep is king when it comes to staying healthy.
Adults should be regularly getting no less than seven hours of sleep a night. Everyone is different, so while someone you know might need a full nine hours, you might be just fine with just over seven, but the most important thing is to sleep well.
Don’t take your weight for granted.
The extra helping of ice cream can be oh so tempting, but in the long-run, the moment of pleasure will leave you feeling deflated about yourself because when you look in the mirror and your appearance isn’t what you want to see, the regret becomes a reality.
Instead of seeking the short-lived pleasure that comes with the naughty treats, live out the much more rewarding continual upsides of a healthy, nutritious diet. You might be heavier or lighter than you want to be, but one of the key ways to find satisfaction from your own body is to eat the right things.
Remember to think about balance and moderation and go from there.
Don't skip that activity/exercise session.
This is one for the colder, wetter months typically, although when the sun is shining, the beer garden is a bigger allure than the HIIT class you booked in for at the gym to lots of exercise enthusiasts… you know who you are!
Our advice would be to stick to your plan and complete the activity you have in mind, don’t give in to temptation until you have accomplished your workout. The beer garden will still be there when you’re done!
On the subject of alcohol…
While we’re talking about drinking, it’s worth mentioning that this pastime is one of the ultimate ways to take your health for granted. Moderation, as with most things, is essential with alcohol.
If you love a trip to your local bar or pub with friends, think about swapping that premium lager or large glass of rosé for a healthier option. Clear spirits, such as vodka gin, and white rum accompanied with a tonic, or perhaps a splash of soda with fresh lime, are far better for your overall health, well, your impending hangover at least!
Technology taking over.
You knew it was coming, but it has to be brought to the table because smart devices such as tablets, phones, and laptops are really messing with your health if you are glued to them.
You might not realize that you are addicted when you pretty much are; that’s sort of how addiction works. Studies claim that on average people check their phones 50-60 times in a single day. Now, we reckon that many of you reading this won’t even consider that to be a large number, which speaks volumes for itself!
If you love a good social media binge morning, noon and night, then give yourself some space from the tech and see how it works out for you.
There’s every chance that you will feel better mentally about yourself as you’re not comparing yourself to the posts you see on social media – which are pretty much guaranteed to be heavily sided with people showing them ‘living their best lives’, by the way.
Take the power back and wean yourself off of your smart devices. Begin in the bedroom and limit yourself to a cut-off point. Around an hour before you head off to bed is a good starting point. See how you do, and if you like the results, apply this to morning and every-day behavior too.
This doesn’t mean you have to relieve yourself of ever thinking about other people ever again but putting your own well-being at the forefront of your thoughts can lead to benefits for you and everyone connected to you too.
The good news is that there’s more evidence that being healthy is a positive, with inflated numbers of people signing up for gym memberships, enjoying the outdoors more, and sticking to a health-conscious diet.
The positives of this are clear for all to see, and the old saying that ‘our bodies are a temple’ ring true. On the other side of the coin though, there are still plenty of statistics around that cite the issues with obesity, heart disease, diabetes, hypertension and other poor health-related illnesses.
Your body is the only one you will ever have, and while you can do with is what you want, it’s almost a certainty that you will live a more fulfilled life if you take care of this precious vessel you have.
Let’s take a look at some of the ways that people neglect their well-being and how to turn things around, shall we?
How are you sleeping?
The points we will go on to discuss later can all contribute to enduring poor sleep. You might not realize this, and this is something that Sleepadvisor.org often refer to, but sleep is king when it comes to staying healthy.
Adults should be regularly getting no less than seven hours of sleep a night. Everyone is different, so while someone you know might need a full nine hours, you might be just fine with just over seven, but the most important thing is to sleep well.
Don’t take your weight for granted.
The extra helping of ice cream can be oh so tempting, but in the long-run, the moment of pleasure will leave you feeling deflated about yourself because when you look in the mirror and your appearance isn’t what you want to see, the regret becomes a reality.
Instead of seeking the short-lived pleasure that comes with the naughty treats, live out the much more rewarding continual upsides of a healthy, nutritious diet. You might be heavier or lighter than you want to be, but one of the key ways to find satisfaction from your own body is to eat the right things.
Remember to think about balance and moderation and go from there.
Don't skip that activity/exercise session.
This is one for the colder, wetter months typically, although when the sun is shining, the beer garden is a bigger allure than the HIIT class you booked in for at the gym to lots of exercise enthusiasts… you know who you are!
Our advice would be to stick to your plan and complete the activity you have in mind, don’t give in to temptation until you have accomplished your workout. The beer garden will still be there when you’re done!
On the subject of alcohol…
While we’re talking about drinking, it’s worth mentioning that this pastime is one of the ultimate ways to take your health for granted. Moderation, as with most things, is essential with alcohol.
If you love a trip to your local bar or pub with friends, think about swapping that premium lager or large glass of rosé for a healthier option. Clear spirits, such as vodka gin, and white rum accompanied with a tonic, or perhaps a splash of soda with fresh lime, are far better for your overall health, well, your impending hangover at least!
Technology taking over.
You knew it was coming, but it has to be brought to the table because smart devices such as tablets, phones, and laptops are really messing with your health if you are glued to them.
You might not realize that you are addicted when you pretty much are; that’s sort of how addiction works. Studies claim that on average people check their phones 50-60 times in a single day. Now, we reckon that many of you reading this won’t even consider that to be a large number, which speaks volumes for itself!
If you love a good social media binge morning, noon and night, then give yourself some space from the tech and see how it works out for you.
There’s every chance that you will feel better mentally about yourself as you’re not comparing yourself to the posts you see on social media – which are pretty much guaranteed to be heavily sided with people showing them ‘living their best lives’, by the way.
Take the power back and wean yourself off of your smart devices. Begin in the bedroom and limit yourself to a cut-off point. Around an hour before you head off to bed is a good starting point. See how you do, and if you like the results, apply this to morning and every-day behavior too.
