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If you search for popular New Year’s resolutions, you will likely find that many of them deal with health. Countless people search for „how to be healthier“ every day. Becoming healthier is a worthy pursuit, but it is important to remember that there are different aspects of health. Your physical health is not the only thing that matters when trying to be healthier. You must nurture the mind, body and spirit to achieve total health. Consider these five parts of your overall health to focus on, and watch how some small changes can make a big impact on your life.
1. Physical Health
It takes a lot of self control to remain physically healthier. Eating well and exercising often sounds easy enough, but doing those things consistently can be difficult. To keep your body in the best shape possible, try to limit the amount of junk food that you consume. Eat a well-balanced diet, but stay away from fad diets that do more harm than good. Incorporate exercise that you enjoy into your routine. If you enjoy your workout, you are more likely to continue doing it. If it feels like another chore, you will probably not keep it up for long.
2. Mental Health
In recent years, more people than ever are opening up about mental health struggles. Many people face mental health challenges at some point in their lives, and it is nothing to be ashamed of. However, talking about it is often difficult. Instead of feeling embarrassed, find someone who will listen to your concerns. More than likely, you will find that there are more people than you realize who struggle with this. It can be quite therapeutic to talk through the things that you are feeling, and counseling is a great choice for many people.
3. Emotional Health
Relationships are a huge part of your emotional health. Think about all the people you interact with daily. Are you communicating well with them? Are you and your spouse connecting? If you feel unfulfilled in your life, your emotional health might be out of balance. While it is normal to feel some emotional ups and downs, prolonged periods of this can point to a bigger problem. Find things that bring you joy, and try to make those activities a bigger part of your life.
4. Occupational Health
Your job is such a major part of your life. Even if you do not enjoy your work, you need to find ways to cope with daily stresses at the workplace. If you are too stressed at your job, it might be time to look at a career change. You should not let your work consume you. However, there comes a point where you have to realize that work is work, and it is OK if that is not your favorite thing. It is a necessary part of life, and the important thing is to learn to enjoy it as much as you can.
5. Intellectual Health
Life becomes monotonous after a while if you are not actively learning new things. Never decide that you are too old to learn something! It keeps your brain sharp, which is a key part of intellectual health. Challenge yourself every day to discover something new. You can start learning a new language, learn to play a musical instrument or just read a good book. When you exercise your mind, you can have good intellectual health for many more years.
There is no better time than now to start living a healthier life. If you have been neglecting yourself for years, you can start fresh now. Commit to nurturing each part of your health: Physical, mental, emotional, occupational and intellectual. Becoming healthier is an ongoing process that is never truly over. It takes daily motivation, self-control and determination. The changes that you make now can truly change your life for the better, and you can live a healthier life for years to come.