Picture Source

Everybody wants to look after their health, but we often don’t do the best job of it. There are so many aspects of your physical and mental state to keep in balance that you’ll understandably let certain elements of your wellbeing slip from time to time. However, if you want to improve your health in the long-run then there are some ways in which you should focus on improving your wellbeing.

Staying physically active every day.

In the modern world, a sedentary lifestyle is commonplace. We can avoid staying active given that we drive from point A to point B and sit at a work desk all day. However, the fact remains that we need to stay active. And you don’t need to start working out for several hours at a time in order to stay physically healthy – just need to find a way to exercise every day. A consistent and regular routine is the key to maintaining a healthy body. Even a 10-minute run every day could make a huge difference to your health; cardiovascular exercise will keep your heart healthy, your weight at a reasonable level, and your mind happy (endorphins are released during exercise).

Valuing your mental health.

Another important way in which you should focus on improving your wellbeing is to start valuing your mental health. The way you look after your mind affects the health of your body (and vice versa). If you’re suffering from anxiety, depression, or stress then it’s important to talk to friends and family about the way you feel. You need to confront your mental health issues. Regular meditation could also help to keep your mental health balanced if you’re struggling to focus on the present moment.

Self-esteem issues can have a big impact on your mental health too. You need to value yourself. We talked in the previous point about exercising to stay healthy, but some people struggle to get started because they’re not happy with their body shape (i.e. you might feel embarrassed to exercise in front of others). You could consider seeking help from a plastic surgeon if you want liposuction to set you on the right path. Remember, self-confidence is important to your overall mental wellbeing. You can’t be physically healthy unless you’re mentally healthy.

Picture Source

Making sure you get enough rest every night.

A third way in which you should focus on improving your wellbeing is to make sure you get enough rest every night. Not enough of us do this. Sleep is so important to your overall health. The body and mind both need rest in order to recover and heal. A lack of energy is only one consequence of sleep deprivation; it can also slow muscle repair (meaning that your exercise routine won’t give you the results you want) and negatively affect your mental health. You need to make sure you get enough rest every night if you want to improve your overall physical and mental wellbeing. A cup of coffee won’t cancel out the effects of a bad night’s sleep.

As our lifestyles and habits change, new health problems emerge all the time. There are a lot of health issues that we’re struggling with right now that simply didn’t exist 100 years ago but changes to our way of life have created them. Understanding what these problems are and what is causing them in the first place is the key to avoiding them and living a happy, healthy life. These are some of the biggest health problems we face right now.

Image Source

Obesity

Weight issues are a huge problem amongst adults but more importantly, in children. Children are being classified as obese at a very young age which is incredibly worrying because it means they’re likely to maintain that weight in later life. There are a lot of different reasons why we’re struggling with our weight which makes it very difficult to tackle the problem. Food is increasingly confusing because, even if you avoid the mountains of fatty and sugary food you can still get caught out. Things that are advertised as low fat are often packed with sugar so they’re causing weight gain anyway and a lot of things like fruit juices that people use as healthier substitutes are high in sugar as well. The only way to really know what you’re eating is to make your own healthy food with fresh ingredients rather than relying on pre-made stuff.

As well as what we eat, the amount of exercise we’re doing is a big problem. When you’re competing with computers and phones it’s difficult to get kids outside and adults with a busy work life find it difficult to fit it into their schedules. Even if you’re just doing ten minutes of exercise and trying to be a bit more active generally, it’s better than nothing. Exercise has so many health benefits so you should try to make time for it where you can.

Opioid Crisis

Opioids have been in the news a lot over the last couple of years as doctors have come under fire for prescribing them too readily and the companies that manufacture them have been accused of downplaying the risks and using incentives to encourage doctors to prescribe them. This has led to the opioid epidemic which is having devastating effects. People that are prescribed these painkillers quickly develop an addiction to them and often turn to harder street drugs or illegally buy more pills once their prescription runs out. Now that the extent of the damage is known, opioids are controlled far more tightly but we still need to deal with the fallout from a period of over subscription.

Diabetes

Diabetes is a health problem that is often linked to weight gain. A bad diet, particularly one that is high in sugar, leads to type 2 diabetes which comes with a whole host of dangers. People often make the mistake of thinking that they’re not at risk if they aren’t overweight but you can still eat a high sugar diet without gaining loads of weight. As companies continue to produce high sugar foods, it’s getting harder to avoid. Always be mindful of what you’re eating and double check ingredients.

These health problems are beginning to spiral out of control so always be aware of the risks and make sure that you avoid them.