We all heard the saying,“Man is a slave to his habits.” If so, shouldn’t we tailor our lives to good habits?! To make the best of our time we need to plan our daily life and habits strategically. While most people focus on well-known practices like regular exercise, brushing our teeth, and getting enough sleep some habits become underrated in this sea of suggested habit lists on the internet. So today we are going to talk about the underrated ones.
Here are 10 underrated habits for a healthy and balanced lifestyle:
Drinking enough water: Our bodies are made of 55-60% of water. Water is essential for good health and is involved in nearly every bodily function. From regulating temperature to removing waste by urination, sweating, and bowel movements, the body needs water. The amount we need daily varies from one to another, so we need to calculate ourselves. Now that you understand the importance we can start today by putting a water bottle in our workspace.
Mindful Eating: Conscious or mindful eating is the practice of being aware of our food, feelings, hunger, and fullness cues while we are eating. Eating shouldn’t just be chucking down for energy-generation like machines, it should be enjoying and engaging. Mindful eating helps us to pay attention to food. It improves digestion and prevents overeating.
Quality Sleep: We all need sleep. But how many of us have quality sleep? We all heard that an average adult needs 7-8 hours of sleep. But did you know it’s more important to have quality? Quality trumps quantity. We all have experienced that feeling of waking up after a long night of sleep, feeling fatigue, back pain, neck pain, etc. Well, this is because of a lack of quality sleep. Just rolling over the bed each night and falling asleep can make us sleep roughly. If we want to improve our sleep and don’t want to get back pain the next morning, we have to follow some rules. Before going to bed make sure to stretch if needed, this will relax our muscles. Sleeping in the correct position and maintaining a posture will help significantly. Also, our pillow should match the neck. The temperature of our bedroom can also play a crucial factor.
Connecting with Nature: In today’s technology-driven world we humans find ourselves going further and further away from nature. As a result, we are facing health issues and stress problems. It’s high time we reestablish our connection with nature for our mental, emotional, and physical health. Going out for a long walk in nature, gardening, traveling, camping, etc. can help to reconnect.
READ BOOKS: Even though reading isn’t an underrated habit in today’s world most of us tend to watch videos or fb reels rather than read an actual book. Reading helps us to visualize things and gives us space to think. Reading a physical book also helps us to stay disconnected from phones and helps our minds and eyes relax. In general, reading can help us to gain knowledge, improve our memory.
Breath awareness: The practice of observing our breath without trying to alter or control it is referred to as breath awareness or conscious breathing. Numerous health advantages of it include: Reducing stress, Increasing focus, promoting relaxation, etc.
Digital detox: It’s no surprise that phones and other devices have become a distraction in our daily lives despite their advantages. It not only causes eye restraints and other health issues but also makes us attached to it just like drugs. This addiction negatively affects our productivity. So we need to cut some hours from its usage. Do some outdoor activities, socialize physically, spend time in nature, and find some hobbies.
Gratitude journaling: Maintaining a thankfulness notebook can help us care for our physical, mental & emotional well-being. According to research, those who consistently write in a thankfulness notebook report feeling happier and less alone and alone.
Prioritizing leisure activities: Rather than spending time on our phones or sleep, we should engage in hobbies, volunteering, and playing sports. This can help us to gain skills, have a positive impact on our well-being, and most importantly be fun.
Standing and moving regularly: Spending the whole day sitting at work, staring at the same old desktop, and even during breaks, we just stay put, scrolling through our social media. Humans aren’t made for sitting all day but rather for movement. Standing up, moving around, and doing some stretches at work can improve our health and fitness. Many nowadays started using standing desks for this purpose. Taking breaks after a while and moving around will also bring fresh and a clear head to work.
Though these ten habits are underrated, it is important to understand that they vary from person to person. To ensure a better and smoother life, discipline is a must. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle can go a long way. Continuously researching on our own, finding a better and more efficient way of life, and trying to improve ourselves and our habits will in the end make our lives more greener, happier, and productive.
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Writer,
Md. Mashrafi Alam Nafi
Intern, Content Writing Department
YSSE