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Many of us start a new year with aspirations to improve our health. If you’re making resolutions, here are some tips to help you work towards better health and wellbeing.
Increase activity levels
One of the best ways to enhance both your physical and mental health is to increase your activity levels. Exercise is often associated with weight loss, especially at this time of year, but it’s so important to consider the wider benefits of being more active. Exercise can help you to shift those excess Christmas pounds, but it also offers a raft of health benefits. When you move your body, you trigger the release of endorphins and the levels of dopamine and serotonin in your brain increase, which makes you feel good. Exercise can also help you to reduce stress and manage your emotions and it reduces the risk of severe illnesses, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some types of cancer.
If you have a sedentary lifestyle, or you would like to be more active, set realistic goals. Use an activity tracker to work towards a daily steps goal or a weekly target for active minutes. Experts recommend 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week. You can also take up active hobbies, such as climbing, cycling, swimming, hiking or playing golf or tennis, join a club or investigate exercise classes in the local area. If you’re short on time, or you’re worried about exercising around others, home workouts are ideal. You can buy gym equipment or follow workout sessions online.
Seek expert advice
Many of us are reluctant to seek advice if we don’t feel well. This relates to physiological and mental health symptoms. If you feel out of sorts, you’ve noticed a change in your mood or behavior, or you have unusual, abnormal or new symptoms, don’t hesitate to reach out. Seeing a doctor or seeking advice from a therapist or an organization that provides support can often make a hugely positive difference in terms of your mindset, the prognosis and the success of treatment. There are all kinds of treatments and therapies that can be used to target symptoms and heal patients. From medication, surgery and physical therapy to treatment for addiction at facilities like Sunshine Behavioral Health, talking therapies and counseling, support is available. It is always best to get checked out if you are worried about your health, you’ve spotted new physical symptoms, or you notice signs of mental illness.
Give yourself a break
Our hectic schedules are contributing to high levels of stress, insomnia and anxiety. One of the most common causes of stress among adults is a lack of time. Many people work long hours and they take work home with them. They don’t make time for fun activities or hobbies and they don’t get enough rest. If this scenario sounds familiar, try to be more proactive in managing your schedule. Talk to your boss if you’re doing overtime frequently or your workload is too heavy. Define clear boundaries between work and leisure time and make sure you have time for hobbies, socializing and relaxing.
Many people start a new year with aspirations to improve their health, but it’s not always easy to achieve goals. Take these tips on board to help you work towards better health and wellbeing this year.