Five habits that will make you healthier

Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” Jim Rohn

We all dream of living a healthy lifestyle - staying active, fit and feel energetic but not all us are motivated enough to actually do so due to the price we have to pay. Motivation is fleeting; it comes and goes, but habits stick for longer.

If you value your health as you should, you need to start doing something now and stop relying on external motivations. It all starts by forming good habits with a disciplined mindset full of “get-it-done” attitude. Here are five habits that will make you healthier.

1.    Great Morning routine

“If you win the morning, you win the day.” – Tim Ferris.

Develop a strong morning routine that will set the tone for the rest of your day. A good morning routine will not only help you win your day but all other important areas of your life.  

Be proactive - prepare and plan the night before. Spend 10 to 15 minutes a night before to plan your morning. “Never go to sleep without a request to your subconscious mind.” – Thomas Edison.

There are several great habits you can include in your morning routine but the following can bring such a tremendous change in your life. Rising up early, reading uplifting content, watching motivational or inspiring videos, prayer, meditation, writing on your journal, physical exercise, healthy breakfast, etc.

Self-discipline and consistency will not only help you form these habits but you will also experience all the great benefits associated with them. “Experience is the only source of Knowledge.” – Albert Einstein

The great thing to do is to plan a night before and decide which habits you are going to include in your morning routine. Ideally, they should not be more than five and always make sure you write down these 5 things you must do on your to-do-list.

2.    Good quality sleep

“Learn to relax. Your body is precious, as it houses your mind and spirit. Inner peace begins with a relaxed body” Norman Vincent Peale

Sleep is fundamental to good health as it allows your mind and body to rest and recover. It is equally as important to good health as doing enough exercises and eating nutritious foods.

“Getting enough quality sleep is necessary for various reasons, including maintaining your immune system and metabolic function, processing the day’s memories and maintaining a normal body weight.”- Taylor Jones

The recommended sleep duration for adults (18 years old and above) is 7 – 9 hours depending on individual needs and preferences including other factors such as genetic makeup and sleep quality.

3.    Healthy eating habits

“What you eat determines how you feel. How you feel determines the quality of your life. – Fearless Motivation 

For any food that you consume, do yourself a favor by choosing only those meals with minimal added sugar and/or salt. Mindless salt and sugar intake dramatically increase the risk of hypertension, obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases.

The best way to avoid excess sugar in your body is to avoid fizzy drinks and opt for 100% fruit juice or better yet, water. Water is important for many reasons in your body including aiding in the digestion process and detoxification of the body.

For most benefits, develop a habit of drinking a glass of water at least 30 minutes before you take any meal. Drink a glass of water before going to bed and another glass within five minutes upon waking up.

Moreover, double down on your fruit and vegetable intake. Use different varieties with different colors in your meals. As a rule of thumb, consume at least three different fruits and three different vegetables a day. 

Snack with different kinds of nuts, such as almonds, walnuts, etc. Take green salads at least every other day. Use fruit salads with healthy yogurt as your dessert instead of sugary stuff.   

Fundamentally, you should avoid processed foods and go for wholegrain, fish, poultry, nuts, seeds, dark chocolate, fruits, vegetables and limit red meat consumption to three times a week. Eat light and eat often.

4.    Physical exercise

Your physical body is one of the most important things you must work on before if you want to conquer the world. It is extremely difficult if not impossible, to be in the right frame of mind if your physical body is unhealthy and lacking energy. 

A strong, fit and energetic physical body can set the tone for many other areas of your life. It will give you more confidence and belief that you can conquer anything.

Exercise at least four days a week, varying form thirty minutes to an hour at 60 to 65 percent of your maximum heart rate. Walking daily to achieve at 10 000 steps should be perfectly adequate, but if you can, run or jog and once in a while, do sprints. 

Consistency is probably more important than intensity. The bottom line is, keep moving and stay active.

5.    Prayer and/or Meditation

“When you meditate or pray, the activity of your brain moves from the right frontal cortex (where stress lives) to the calm left frontal cortex” – Unknown

The benefits that are gained from the habits of prayer and/or meditation are mostly psychological. They include stress reduction, increased focus and concentration, better control over your thoughts and emotions, and mostly importantly, improved happiness.

There is nothing more powerful than a human mind. Prayer and meditation are ranked up in the list of many practices or habits that promote a strong and resilient mind. They are a building block of a powerful mindset. 

Yoga, dancing and gratitude exercises have been found to be offer the same benefits as mediation if done purposefully and consistently.

For further benefits, not only for your mind but self-development in general, be open to learn from the greatest teachers and mentors you can find. Books are the best teachers and mentors that will always be there anytime you need them. 

Generally, feed your mind with positive energy and guard it against all distractions because after all, it is your greatest asset.