When it comes to leading a healthy lifestyle, it’s the small decisions and changes that have a great impact on our individual wellness journeys. Wellness is not just one thing. In fact, maintaining a healthy lifestyle goes beyond just physical health and appearances, extending into areas like a person’s emotional, mental, social and spiritual wellbeing. To help bring out the healthiest, happiest version of ourselves, experts recommend addressing the whole person, mind, body, spirit and all.
To help you kickstart a successful health and wellness routine rooted in a holistic approach, consider the following tips from these leading health industry experts:
1) Practice mindfulness: Starting your day with a focus on mindfulness can contribute to easier and relaxed moments that translate into better days mentally and physically. “I wake up every morning at 6 a.m. and meditate for 15 minutes,” says Kristin McGee, celebrity yoga instructor and mindfulness expert. Deep full breathing helps you anchor yourself in the present. “When we become aware of our breathing, we also calm our nervous system which helps us settle into a relaxed space and feel more awake and alive,” McGee explains.
2) Focus on immune health: What we put into our bodies is critical and incorporating ingredients to help support our immune system is just one way to help us feel our best year-round. There are many ways to help support our immune function through nutrition, including incorporating nutrient-rich foods, such as oranges, carrots, red bell peppers and spinach, into your diet. These foods contain immune-supporting vitamin C – a nutrient synonymous with immune health. “A simple way to help support the immune system is with a dietary supplement,” registered dietician nutritionist Shana Minei Spence says. “In tandem with a balanced diet, I recommend the Emergen-C Immune+ dietary supplement, which is packed with high-potency vitamin C, as well as vitamin D and zinc, so it makes supporting the immune system easy and delicious.”
3) Choose your joy: When you’re having a busy day, it is important to not lose sight of the joys in your life. Mental health expert and self-care advocate Yasmine Cheyenne suggests creating a list of three to five things that bring you joy. “The joy list makes it easy for you to remember what brings you peace and ease, and empowers you to make those changes yourself,” Yasmine notes. Some things to include in a joy list can be going for a quick walk, playing games with family, watching a show or gardening. “Even when you’re having a great day, you can still turn to the joy list for a way to keep the goodness and positive vibes going,” Cheyenne notes.
4) Get moving: Staying active not only has a positive effect on your body, but on your immune health and overall wellness. There are many benefits when it comes to sweating, including helping to improve focus, mood, productivity and confidence. Fitness expert and healthy habit builder Jennifer Cohen says treat movement like you would any other important meeting in your day. “Schedule exercise in your calendar or daily schedule like you would an important appointment – this helps us keep our commitment to movement,” says Cohen.
Start off with these small steps and gradually increase your efforts toward building a routine that works best for you. With the above tips in mind, you will find that implementing quick and easy habits helps to make a big, lasting impact on your overall health. – BPT
