How to Live a Healthy and Productive Lifestyle This Year
“Improving your health and productivity is one of the best investments you can make for your future.”
We all wish to have the best year ever. And so your social media feed - at the beginning of the year - mostly shows what lucky color you should wear this month, what your horoscope tells you, and games that assess your luck for 2022. These aren’t all that bad, especially for the sake of fun. Unfortunately, many people rely on luck too much.
Still, action is the foundational key to all success. There’s nothing more powerful than a humble person with a warrior spirit who is driven by a bigger purpose. If you want to be a better version of yourself, a healthier and more productive person, brace yourself as you read further:
Eat not just healthy, but balanced meals
Of all the pyramids that may come into your mind, the ‘food pyramid’ is the one you should pay most attention to. The healthy eating pyramid contributes to an optimal lifestyle and healthy weight management. And a body in tip-top condition holds a sound mind, which also contributes to productivity.
Incorporate a portion of protein, fruits, and veggies to your meals.
- For breakfast: try banana protein smoothie, eggs, Greek yogurt, or cottage cheese
- For lunch: try chicken breast with spinach and avocado
- For dinner: try smoked salmon or tuna, with cucumbers and apple
Equipping yourself with nutritious food and a balanced diet will nourish your body and mind.
Live an active lifestyle
Being active doesn’t always mean doing strenuous exercises or advanced workouts. A short walk or five minutes of jogging is enough for you to avoid a sedentary lifestyle.
After eating, don’t immediately sit down and watch TV. That’s not good for your digestive system either. Try to help at the dining table, or wash the dishes. After that, you can take a quick walk outside, for good nature stimulation.
Try to avoid activities that waste your time. Browsing on social media for more than an hour or watching TV the whole day can lead to eye strain and unproductiveness.
Be a ‘reaching hand’
Ever helped someone out? It feels good, right? And if you make it a habit, it can improve both your physical and mental health.
When you help others, your brain releases endorphins that boost happiness and improve social skills. You will also develop higher self-esteem and better psychological well-being.
Both happiness and confidence contribute to living well.
Go to bed early and get proper sleep
It’s hard to focus and stay energized when you lack proper sleep. Your mood and mindset also change when you feel tired and exhausted. It’s like you feel lazy all day, and don’t feel like doing anything (thanks, Bruno Mars).
In today’s era, sadly, most people (even kids) are staying up later at night. The result? Either you wake up early and still low in energy or you wake up late with a headache. And you know what happens next when you wake up in the middle of the day, you’ll have less time to fulfill your tasks.
Reset your body clock: go to bed early so you’ll wake up early and have time for a proper breakfast, sneak in some morning stretches or a quick run, and plan how you’ll seize the day. Remember, the early bird catches the worm!
Have an efficient yet flexible schedule
Scheduling is important since it helps you organize everything without missing out on your top priorities.
If you want to be healthy and productive throughout the year, you need to have a balanced and efficient time management; a balance between health, leisure, and work schedule. Once you’re done plotting your schedule, be disciplined enough to commit to it.
Daily routines are also of tremendous help. Some people don’t like routines because they think it’s too predictable and unchallenging. But daily routines teach you discipline and responsibility and success is always connected to these two.
You don’t need more time in your day. You just need to stop procrastinating and finish as many tasks as you can before the day ends.
Commit long-term
When you’re dedicated to something, you’re down to make a long-term commitment. And once you reach that path, you’ll naturally strive more and become better at what you do.
No matter what your goals are, you’ll be more passionate and happy each time you take actions and make progress towards them.
Start healthy habits that last because those habits are crucial in creating a healthy and productive lifestyle.
Be wary of your environment and circle
The people you spend the most time with can influence your mindset, habits, and attitude.
If you hang out with individuals who settle for less, you might get swayed to settling for mediocrity.
If you hang out with those who aren’t living a healthy lifestyle, you’ll most likely do the same too.
Which is why it’s important to surround yourself with people who will influence you for the better in terms of personal, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual growth.
Have a support group, motivate each other, or try to have activities that can contribute to each other’s health and well-being.
Think big but don’t be afraid of small steps
Most people want the faster route as they immediately want bigger results. But in general, everything’s a process. And no big achievement didn’t start with small steps.
Success doesn’t happen overnight. Even fitness models gave it their all - blood, sweat, and tears - to achieve their fitness goals.
Same with successful people and business tycoons. They started with a clear goal and baby steps, before they reached the peak of success.
If you’re walking down the right path, eventually, you’ll make progress. Because small progress is still progress. What’s important is how you do everything with heart and enthusiasm.
Make goal-setting a part of your daily lifestyle
When you’re too occupied with your schedule, it’s hard to accomplish everything in one day. Don’t worry, it’s normal. You’re a human being, and you can only do so much. Take a deep breath and rest if you must. Once you’re fully energized, you can finally resume where you left off.
When building a new habit, it’s okay if at first you feel uncertain. But as soon as you adapt to it, it’ll become a natural part of your life. Find what works for you, adjust, and evaluate.
Give yourself a reward
Reward yourself for every progress and achievements you make. Doing so will encourage you to work harder since rewards will excite and motivate you. It’s also a form of self-love by celebrating your wins no matter how small. Doing this on a regular basis is also one way to beat emotional burnout.
You deserve all the happiness in the world because you’re a dedicated and strong person. Investing in yourself will boost your health and productivity, as well as enhance your confidence and personal growth.
It all begins with you. A healthy and productive lifestyle is possible if you care enough for yourself.
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