5 steps to getting control back over your health routine, without disrupting your life!
“Health is Wealth” – most of us want to lead a healthy life. In an age where the cost of medical treatment has gone through the roof, your best ticket for longevity and a peaceful life is good health. This article will look at 5 steps to getting control back over your health routine, without disrupting your life - but before we do that, let’s take a look at what prevents us from taking those steps.
Constrictions and Constraints
As a person progresses in their career, the fallout is a deterioration of health due to late work nights with no sleep and the usual health issues that result from being overworked. The situation worsens once you bring family responsibilities into the equation.
With increasing demands from your job and a growing family, health gets compromised, which can result in becoming overweight due to lack of sleep, exercise and a sedentary lifestyle, which can also lead to a host of other health issues from increased stress levels. If left unchecked, this can result in hypertension and diabetes.
Fortunately, you can balance out the negative effects of a busy lifestyle by maintaining a good work-life balance. Here are a few tips to help you get there:
Eat Well during mealtimes
Your body needs fuel to function properly, namely nutrition. Just as an engine would malfunction if pumped with the wrong fuel, our bodies also behave similarly. In simple terms, nutrition should be of good quality. Eat sensibly, and at the right time each day to reduce unnecessary snacking. Start your day with breads (preferably multi-grain) and cereals, protein such as eggs, yoghurt or salmon, and a sufficient quantity of vegetables and fresh fruit. Cut down on high saturated fat dairy products, especially butter and cheese, and reduce or eliminate unhealthy foods like pizzas, burgers and chips, or at least restrict them to just once a week. Avoid excessive intake of red meat like beef, however white meat such as skinless chicken and fish, along with vegetable protein such as legumes and tofu - all are better options.
The Value of Sleep
Even if you get home late, you can get enough sleep by focusing on going to bed immediately, instead of watching television or hopping on social media. Going to bed 30 minutes early not only means longer sleep, but can give you the time to exercise in the morning!
Breathe Fresh Air
The body needs an adequate supply of oxygen to maintain good blood circulation, and it makes an even bigger impact if you combine exercise with breathing fresh air.
Working in an air conditioned office makes it impossible to get fresh air. Take a five-minute break every one or two hours, and get out into the open air, You can stretch your legs as well as pump some oxygen into your lungs. An added advantage to these small trips is that your body gets exposure to sunlight, promoting generation of vitamin D.
Take up a Hobby
“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”. Being committed to your job is one thing, but being obsessed with your work is not a healthy option. and one of the best ways of achieving this is to develop a hobby. This way, your mind will get diverted from stress, which is a very important factor for maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Without a diversion, even a brief one, the mind tends to get cluttered with unprocessed information, which leads to being less productive, and you end up being stressed out, which can manifest itself physically in the form of body fatigue, insomnia and headaches, to say the least.
Take Some Time Out
Sticking to the same routine day in and day out and not taking a break can dull your mind and make you feel sluggish. Taking ‘time-out’ is important to help you keep you centred and focused. It could be anything – just stopping by a colleague’s desk and having a quick chat, eating out somewhere special, or taking a long drive. You don’t need it to disrupt your routine too much, but that little break will make a lot of difference and make you feel invigorated.
The first step is always the most difficult one. However, once you have decided that despite your busy lifestyle, you want to create a healthy work-life balance, you are on your way there. Following these 5 steps, will help you prevent a lifetime of illness like diabetes, heart disease and hypertension. The decision to leading a healthier and more meaningful life is in your own hands.
