Seven Daily Habits to Improve Your Sense of Wellness
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By Hannah Bodenhamer, RDN
Sustainability is about the health and well-being of the planet, but it’s just as much about the health and well-being of people. Without well people, we will not have sustainable communities. But what is wellness and how is it achieved when it is so easy to succumb to the fast-paced lifestyle of modern culture? Wellness is the harmonization of physical, mental, and spiritual health, resulting in an optimized state of existence. Achieving wellness requires an active effort to balance all aspects of one's life: occupational, physical, social, emotional, spiritual, and environmental.
According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, those who practice wellness approaches tend to have better overall health outcomes (Wellness and Well-Being, 2018). The pursuit of wellness incorporates habits known to reduce rates of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and chronic illness. Such practices include physical activity, quality nutrition, time spent outdoors, prioritizing family time, and establishing work-life balance. When these factors are prioritized in our daily choices, we may see a better quality of life.
Introducing more daily tasks on top of your pre-existing responsibilities can feel overwhelming, so let’s simplify seven daily habits that can help you improve your sense of wellness.
Seven Ways to Improve Your Wellness
1. Good Nutrition
A balanced diet will give your body the energy and nutrients necessary for maintaining normal bodily function. Opt for meals that are rich in colorful fruits and vegetables, a variety of lean or plant-based proteins, whole grains (ex: barley, bulgur, farro, etc.) and calcium-rich foods. Try to minimize foods high in saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars. Implementing these practices can help improve your diet quality and decrease risk factors later in life. Research suggests that improving your diet quality can add years to your lifespan, even if you make these changes later in life (Fadnes et al., 2022).
2. Mindful Movement and Breath Awareness
Physical activity is a key part of a healthy lifestyle and has many benefits, including:
- Distracts from stressors
- Pumps your body's feel-good endorphins
- Reverses the negative ways cortisol affects our body
- Strengthens immune function
- Lowers blood pressure
- Improves circulation
- Increases energy
- Promotes gastrointestinal health
- Contributes to better sleep
- Improves one's ability to lose weight
The American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes of moderate physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity per week. Physical activity includes running, swimming, cycling, dancing, lifting weights, and participating in a sport or exercise class. Mindful movement activities such as yoga, gardening, playing with your kids, walking your dog, taking the stairs, etc., will help you to move more, sit less, and feel better.
Torrance Memorial’s Certified Integrative Holistic Therapist, Fabiana Vidal, shares that mindful movements, such as therapeutic yoga, can be done standing, in a chair, and also in a bed. According to Vidal, very small amounts of movement can have a large impact and pairing them with breathing can have even more benefits. Breath Awareness, noticing the breath, can be very effective in helping one be present in the body and notice different sensations. As we feel the beneficial effects, we are more likely to continue to practice mindful movement and breathing. Vidal emphasizes that any amount of movement is better than none.
4. Adequate Sleep
Sleep is a crucial part of our daily reset process. According to the National Institute of Health, sleep affects stress hormones, the immune system, blood pressure, hunger, and the cardiovascular system. Inadequate sleep has several adverse effects, such as decreased focus, poor reflexes, impaired problem-solving, and increased stress. Some evidence links poor sleep to cardiovascular disease risk (NIH, 2020). Improve your sleep quality by aiming for 7-8 hours daily, sticking to a regular sleep schedule, and creating a nightly wind-down routine.
5. Spend Time with Loved Ones
Socializing and connecting with others can establish connections to the world around us. Spending time with loved ones can improve our sense of fulfillment, connection, and can be an excellent distraction from the stressors in our lives. Taking time to nurture supportive and quality connections is linked with increased happiness and satisfaction in life. Some research suggests that increased family time can even add years to your life. Try scheduling family time on the weekend, eating more dinners at home with your household, calling a friend, or joining a group for those with a shared hobby (i.e., hiking group, knitting group, pickleball group, ceramics class, etc.).
6. Practice Gratitude
Practicing gratitude can enhance your mood immediately and bring joy to your daily life. By intentionally applying a grateful heart to each day, you can train your neural pathways to create a more positive outlook on life. You can kickstart this "half-glass full" attitude by starting a gratitude journal, making a mental list each day of what you're grateful for, focusing on things that bring you joy, and simply saying "thank you" more often. Over time, you'll notice that happiness will begin to seep into your thoughts, minimizing negative feelings and improve your outlook on life.
7. Self-Care
Self-care is any activity that promotes physical and mental well-being while reducing stress. Self-care is essential in pursuing wellness as it nurtures your mind, body, and soul. Self-care can look like a scenic walk, a movie night, creating art, a warm bath, time spent in the sun, exposure to nature, etc. Engage in self-care that calms you without infringing on other aspects of your health and wellness.
According to Brittany Rudinica, Oncology Social Worker at Torrance Memorial’s Cancer Resource Center, self-care is recognizing what our needs are and attending to them with care. Self-Compassion is a great way to practice this, particularly when we are experiencing suffering or being hard on ourselves. Rudinica explains one way we can cultivate compassion towards ourselves is to imagine how we would treat a good friend. “Now place a hand on your heart if that is comfortable for you and give yourself the same words, warmth and grace you would a friend. Listen to the wisdom that arises when you are gentle with yourself,” shares Brittany Rudinica. (www.self-compassion.org)
Wellness Challenge: Try one of the above mentioned habits and document how it makes you feel over time. Even small changes can make a significant impact on your life!
If you have questions or are interested in learning more techniques to help build a healthy and nutritious lifestyle, contact one of our Registered Dietitian Nutritionists at the Outpatient Medical Nutrition Therapy Office or our Diabetes Self-Management Program located in the Torrance Memorial Specialty Center, 2841 Lomita Blvd., Suite 335, Torrance. Call 310-891-6707. Visit https://www.torrancememorial.org/Nutrition for upcoming classes and programs!
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