Achieving Happiness Through Total Body Health

When we look and feel our best, anything is possible. That’s why it’s important to get into a routine of putting our health first – physically, mentally and emotionally – and ensuring we stay on track with each new day. There are a few simple habits we can incorporate into our daily lives that’ll help us feel energized, confident, and unstoppable.

First, we need to take a long, hard look at our diet to determine if we’re fueling our bodies with the things it needs to stay strong. Ingesting complex carbohydrates, rather than simple sugars such as cookies, candies and cake, will keep our energy levels up and help us avoid afternoon crashes that limit our ability to stay focused and motivated. Simple sugars not only induce insulin resistance and lead to obesity, they zap our energy and make us feel sluggish.

Starting each day with a protein- and antioxidant-rich shake will give us the surge of energy needed to give it our all. Then warding off the midday munchies with natural oats and fibers will sustain this level of energy throughout the afternoon. Ending the day with a well-balanced dinner and sipping chamomile tea at night will help our bodies relax.

Getting enough exercise and sleep is certainly important to our overall well-being, too. This means we should take the time for a brisk afternoon walk or sign up for a yoga class with friends. We can hop on the treadmill while watching our favorite show or take the dog out for a bit. Or we can simply stretch for a few minutes in the morning and evening to bring our bodies back in balance.

Then we should hit the pillow at night with eight hours of downtime. An adequate amount of sleep each night helps our bodies to relax and recharge and we’ll awake with more energy after a restful night. Journaling and taking time to meditate before dozing off encourages mindfulness and helps us to center and relax our thoughts. Finding a few quiet moments alone to count our blessings and give thanks creates a sense of essential inner peace.

Engaging in social and creative ventures helps to boost confidence and self-awareness, too. We can take a group painting class with friends, start a reading club after work, or grab a group of moms willing to walk the block in the morning. Chances are there are plenty of volunteer and charitable opportunities in your neighborhood to get involved with, or a certain vacation spot you’ve been meaning to get to that you can start planning for.

It’s important to actively choose to avoid negativity and toxicity, too, on a daily basis, both in our personal and professional lives. This means we should focus on pursuing a career or degree we’re truly passionate about, engage with others who bring out the best in us, and enter into intimate partnerships with supportive significant others.

If we come into contact with a person, place, or thing that automatically induces negativity, or begins to do so over time, we must realize it’s simply not worth holding on to and let it go. We should never compromise and make room for things that work against our self-confidence and spirit, either. If it doesn’t jive with your energy, discard it.

When the mind, body and spirit can work together in harmony, we feel the most complete. That’s why we cannot focus on one aspect of our health while neglecting another. Total body health is more than just working toward achieving a certain physique or practicing cognitive behavioral therapy to ward off anxiety; it means making sure we pay attention to our physical, mental, and emotional well-being as a whole every day.

Life is hard. We often enter cycles in which we feel lost and abandoned. We’re ready to give up the fight. But it is through hardship we become especially self-aware, and if we’re determined to use this new level of awareness to rise above our circumstances, we’ll garner an appreciation for life we were unable to realize prior to our struggle.

It’s about choosing to rise above each day and refusing to give up. And it’s about putting ourself first, so we can keep putting our best foot forward. Deciding to make these simple changes can make all the difference in the world.