While many of us want to look after both our physical and mental health, we often don’t know where to start, which can make the whole thing seem overwhelming and stressful. Fortunately, there are many simple and easy lifestyle changes you can make across the different aspects of your life that can help you get started on the right foot. Here are some that you can try out!
Have a Consistent Morning Routine
Most of our mornings look pretty similar—waking up and rushing out the door as quickly as we can. When we start our days like this, not only are we not using our time efficiently, but we’re also welcoming the day with instant feelings of stress and pressure, which can bleed into the rest of the day. On the other hand, when mornings are structured properly and spent mindfully, we’re much more likely to be able to handle whatever challenges await us.
However, one hindrance preventing us from having great mornings is poor time management, and this is caused by the lack of routine. Have you ever stopped to think about how much time you actually spend trying to decide what to do the moment you wake up? Should you try to get a few more minutes of sleep, or get out of bed? What should you have for breakfast? Do you want to do a workout? Having a morning routine will help you answer these questions.
When you properly plan out your mornings—from when you wake up to what you do afterward—you’re actually using your time much more efficiently, while also having the added benefit of saving your limited mental resources for more important decisions later in the day. You’ll find that a morning routine will help you make the most out of the little time you have before you have to go to work, and you’ll actually feel better because of these good habits.
Find a Workout That You Enjoy
One of the downsides of having such a busy schedule is that you often don’t have that much time or energy to look after yourself. When you have a classic nine-to-five work schedule, the last thing you want to do is hop on a treadmill and run a few miles even though you hate running. It might just be something you force yourself to do because you know that it’s good for your physical health and well-being, but this approach to fitness is not sustainable at all.
When you push yourself to stick to a workout that you don’t actually enjoy, you’re less likely to stick with it in the long run, which is the whole point of a workout routine. Visible and lasting changes will only start appearing when you’ve done the work and stuck to your routine for a long period of time, but this will be harder when you don’t actually like what you’re doing. That’s why it’s important to find an activity that gets you feeling excited and motivated.
If you don’t like running, then there’s no reason for you to keep on doing it. There are so many ways to get your body moving that you might actually find much more enjoyable. You can build some muscle by lifting weights, or just get your heart pumping with a dance fitness class. Activities like yoga and pilates will help you tone up and develop more mindfulness, while just going outside for a walk can help you reconnect with both your body and nature.
Keep Your Workspace Clean and Organized
With the amount of time you spend in the office, you must keep a clean and organized work environment. Most offices today are air-conditioned to help employees feel much more comfortable throughout the day, but this also means that any dust, dirt, debris, or allergens present are trapped inside and can make their way around the place and cause some serious hygiene and health issues, leading to decreased productivity and more sick leaves.
There’s also the fact that mess and clutter can severely impede on your ability to get anything done. When everything in your office is unorganized and scattered all over the place, not only will you have a much harder time trying to find anything, but there’s also the chance that someone could get into an accident and really hurt themselves.
To look after your health, safety, and productivity, it’s important that you regularly clean and declutter your office, but this might not be as easy to do, especially when you’re already drowning in deadlines and submissions. Fortunately, many professional office and commercial cleaning companies offer affordable and customizable office cleaning solutions. If you want to learn more about how you can keep an effortlessly clean office, click here!
Have a Soothing Night Routine
While morning routines are there to help you maximize the time you have before you have to clock in for work, night routines are meant to help you relax and unwind after a long and exhausting day. It has the main goal of helping you physically and mentally prepare for a restful night of sleep, which is something that many of us no longer prioritize as much as we should in the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
The most important thing when choosing activities for your night routine is to keep them calm. You can catch up on the latest book that you’ve been reading, or write down whatever you want in your journal. There’s also the option of doing some light stretching to relieve the physical strain of the day, or you can choose to relax in a hot bath. It’s important to take the time to take care of yourself in whatever way you prefer, all while blocking out any thoughts of work.
Read Also: 5 Reasons You Should Embrace A Fitness Lifestyle
Maintain a Healthy Work-Life Balance
As hard and impossible as it might seem, you must learn how to separate your work life from your personal one. When you allow work to overshadow and take over your life, it throws you down a straight path headed toward burnout. Aside from that, different aspects of your personal life will also suffer from your mental health and well-being to your relationships with your loved ones.
As great as it is to be dedicated to doing the best possible job, it’s also important to learn the value of balancing it with the other areas of your life and allowing yourself to leave all thoughts of work when office hours are over. Instead of working overtime every single night, take the time to discover hobbies and personal interests, or just do some things to take care of yourself.
Having a well-rounded and healthy lifestyle is definitely not easy, especially today when our lives revolve around work and other commitments, but making the effort to build a few good habits is all it takes to make a positive impact on your overall well-being.
