Courtesy of SCA Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget (via Flickr)
A lot of people resolve to lose weight or exercise more, but your health has to do with a lot more than just your weight. For a healthier you, try to:
1. Sleep better. The truth of the matter is that a lack of sleep causes a lot of problems – lowering the immune system’s functioning, causing a hazy brain that can make stress unmanageable and even contributing to weight gain. The CDC recommends that you follow these steps towards better sleep:
- Go to bed at the same time each night and wake up the same time each morning.
- Make sure your room is quiet, dark, and relaxing, not too hot or too cold.
- Make sure you have a comfortable bed. It’s not a good idea to do other activities (reading, watching TV, or listening to music) in bed. Get the “gadgets” out of your bedroom.
- Exercise may help you sleep, but don’t do it within a few hours of bedtime.
- Try not to eat big meals right before you go to bed.
2. Drink more water. Water is magic. Kind of like sleep, staying hydrated with water helps your body and mind function. You should be drinking eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day. Buy a cheap, reusable water bottle and keep it full and close at hand all day. It’s also a good idea to cut out alcohol and soda as much as you can.
3. Wash your hands right! You know how to wash your hands of course! But maybe, if you washed them a little better, you could avoid viruses and get sick less. The CDC has tips to better hand washing:
- Wet your hands with clean water (warm or cold) and apply soap.
- Rub your hands together to make a lather and scrub well. Wash the back of your hand, between your fingers, and under your nails.
- Rub your hands for at least 20 seconds. Hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice.
- Rinse and dry.
4. Quit Smoking. It’s time. It’s not even cool to smoke anymore, and you are stronger than your nicotine addiction. To stop, try:
- Putting all your reasons on a note card. When you feel like smoking, pull out the card instead.
- Keeping a journal and exploring your reasons for smoking.
- Writing down your “triggers”, and brainstorms ways to avoid them.
- Getting rid of all of your ashtrays, matches, and lighters.
- Giving yourself rewards for doing well!
- Joining a support group. You don’t have to do this alone.
- Don’t be too hard on yourself if you start smoking again.
For more helpful tips on quitting smoking, check out the University of Maryland Medical Center site.
5. Floss! There’s nothing better for your teeth and your overall health.
6. Think about your bones. In order to take care of your bones, you should take a Calcium supplement or consume 3 servings of dairy a day, be mindful when doing weight-baring exercises that put pressure on your bones, and get lots of Vitamin D. Smoking and soda are also bad for your bones. Another reason to quit!
Last but certainly not least, make taking care of yourself a priority. It’s good to be selfish and self-absorbed when it comes to your health.
