7 At-Home Activities to improve your overall health

photo credit: excerpt from axel vervoordt, wabi inspirations

Your health is more important now than ever before. Whether you’re beginning to feel unbalanced, sad, or emotionally empty, here are some at-home activities you can practice to stay on top of your health, ensuring your body, mind, and soul are thoughtfully looked after.

1. Write in a journal

One of the best ways to cut through the noise and make sense of all the chatter that is going on in the mind is to put our thoughts down to paper. Capturing your thoughts on paper is beneficial for a number of reasons. It helps you preserve your memories and allow you to release and process your emotions and feelings. It can also help you to become more organised especially if your writing takes the form of a to-do list or a schedule. Writing down your experiences in life is a gret way to get clarity on how you fell – it can help you to understand your emotions, your needs, and frustrations.

2. Call your friends and loved ones

In these strange times it is easy to feel more isolated than ever. It can feel like you are completely alone and have no support. Connecting with friends and family members through phone calls and video chats is a form of self-care that can help you and your loved ones to feel less alone or isolated in these difficult times. It can also help you to feel happy, connected, and loved.

3. At-home ways to move your body

Any time you take a call, move around for the duration. Stand up and pace, or stay seated and do leg lifts, knee lifts, or toe curls. You could also do standing push-ups against the wall. Set an alarm on your computer or phone to remind you to take a few stretches to prevent back pain. Taking a short walk during your lunch break has a lot of benefits for your body, mind and soul. It helps you to regain strength and improve your concentration.

4. Do a spring clean

Your home should be your sanctuary and safe zone, so when you return to find it clean and cutter-free, your mind will probably be more at peace. Spending time to deep-clean and do the act of decluttering, throwing out junk, and dusting away cobwebs has shown to have therapeutic qualities leading to decreased stress, increased creativity, and improved moods. And it’s definitely more pleasant to live in a tidy home.

5. Keep your body hydrated

Drinking enough water each day is crucial for many reasons. It helps you to regulate your body temperature, keeps your joints lubricated, it prevents infections, delivers nutrients to cells, and it keeps your organs functioning properly. Being well-hydrated also improves your sleep quality, cognition, and mood. If you’re struggling to drink enough water during the day, you can add a little bit of excitement and flavor by steeping fresh fruit (grapefruit, oranges, strawberries, lemon), veggie slices (cucumber, ginger), and herbs (basil, mint, lavender) in your carafe. The longer you let it steep, the tastier each cup will be. You can play around with different combinations, like cucumber mint or basil lemon. Other sneaky ways to increase the amount of water you consume on a daily basis is to sip before every meal, and eat your H2O. Try to add fruits and vegetables with a high water content to your grocery list. Some top picks include cucumber (96% water), zucchini (95% water), watermelon (92% water), and grapefruit (91% water). Also try to keep your water bottles filled up around your house, so you don’t have an excuse not to drink.

6. Get a good night’s rest

For most people, a short bout of sleep deprivation isn’t a cause for concern. But frequent or prolonged sleep deprivation can cause serious health issues. Sleep allows your body to repair itself and perform essential biological functions. If lack of sleep continues, it can affect your overall health and make you prone to serious medical conditions, such as obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. Sometimes, work and other factors may disrupt your ability to sleep, yet still six to eight hours of sleep is a must. Your body craves consistency, so set yourself a regular bedtime routine. Winding down is a critical stage in preparing for bed, so establish a good evening routine. Try to include relaxing activies, such as taking a warm bath, stretching, meditating or reading. Writing a to-do list for the next day can organize your thoughts and clear your mind of any distractions. It is very important to turn off all electronics, including TVs and smartphones. Try to avoid using these devices for an hour or so before you go to bed as the light from the screen may have a negative impact on your sleep.

7. Practice mindfulness

When you practice mindfulness, you become more aware of where you are and what you are doing, without becoming overly reacting or overwhelmed by what’s going on around you. The good thing about practicing mindfulness is that you can practice it anywhere. There is no need to go out and buy fancy accessories, all you need is to devote a little time and space to yourself. As you practice paying attention to what’s going on in your mind and body at the present moment, you’ll find that many thoughts arise – your mind will try to be anywhere but where you are. Notice judgements arise, make a mental note of them, and let them pass, regognizing the sensations they might leave in your body, and letting those pass as well. You can start practicing mindfulness for five to ten minutes a day, focus on your breathing, and work yourself up. You got this!