Your health and wellness aren’t to be taken lightly. Prioritizing them can help improve your overall quality of life. And it can be as simple as focusing on essentials and eliminating unnecessary stressors in your life.
However, so many people end up with complicated routines, diets, and exercise practices that take unnecessary effort and energy. When it comes to having a healthy lifestyle, simplicity is key.
If you want to find simpler ways to improve your overall health and wellness, try these five things right now.
1. Get Creative With Your Doctor Appointments and Prescriptions
The older you get, the more you have to get tested for common disorders and diseases. Women over 40 have to get mammograms every year. The dermatologist checks your skin for cancerous spots. Plus, of course, you’ll need to see your gyno. They’ll probably order a range of tests, including those for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) if you’re sexually active.
Going to the doctor for these yearly exams is just one box to check on your health and wellness journey. But for some, it’s a major stressor. If you’re among those who hate going to the doctor’s office, remember that simply going is an accomplishment.
Afterwards, treat yourself to something like a lavender latte. As you’re drinking that latte, savor the feeling of knowing you’re either healthy or getting treatment you need.
Are you already dreading the doctor appointments you need to schedule? To simplify the process of seeing doctors and getting your prescriptions, it’s time to get creative. Consider using telemedicine. You can see a doctor or a therapist online, and even some urgent care facilities offer online appointments.
You can also order some testing online now. Even STI testing is just a few clicks away. While there’s no reason to be ashamed of common STIs, maybe testing at home is just more convenient. If you’re positive for anything, you can even secure treatment for conditions from HIV to genital herpes online from telehealth companies like Nurx. Taking care of your health has never been easier.
2. Use Fitness Apps to Switch Up Your Workout Routine
Going to the gym or attending workout classes are always great options. However, it may not be a bad idea to switch things up. Finding a way to get your exercise at home can help you simplify your life while you stay fit.
Think about it—going to any gym requires some extra steps. The membership itself costs money. Getting there takes time. And even when the showers are spotless, the locker room isn’t usually something to write home about.
A gym membership may be causing a domino effect in your life. If you’re already short on time and mental energy, going to the gym might hinder more than help.
Fitness apps, or many other at-home workouts, solves a number of these problems. Working out at home saves you both time and money. And the exercise itself will continue to help you improve your physical and mental health.
Instead of sitting in traffic to go workout everyday, try working out in the comfort of your own home. Or you can even try the park next door. With home workout apps, you can easily get your physical activity in at a time that works best for you. You might even decide to stick with the change.
3. Plan and Prep Your Meals
Eating healthy can actually be fun and enjoyable once you get the hang of cooking. But at first, improving your diet can seem like you’re adding chores to your already long to-do list. After all, coming up with three new meals every day sounds like a lot of work.
However, eating a well balanced diet filled with healthy, delicious meals doesn’t have to be hard. In fact, you can actually simplify your life by doing just a bit of meal planning.
Start by making a meal plan once every week. You should pick a time that gives you the mental space to come up with meal ideas that sound good. Look up some simple, interesting recipes, and write down what you want for breakfast, lunch, and dinner each day. Then make your grocery list accordingly.
To take things a step further, do the actual meal prep ahead of time. For example, chop your veggies and make your sauces over the weekend. This will save you time if you need to cook during the week.
Additional grocery list tips can make healthy eating even easier. Determine what you need to get based on past behaviors. Also, decide on your budget before heading to the store. If you’re sticking to your budget and buying healthy foods, you’ll be eliminating two stressors.
4. Declutter Your Life Everywhere
It’s really quite simple: clutter leads to stress. If your home, car, and workspace are a mess, you’ll feel like a mess. So start with one location, then move to the next. Clean spaces will make you feel much better.
If you’re someone who loves to keep everything, this task might sound overwhelming. But there are a number of ways you can work through the angst of decluttering. One option is to make a plan to give the items you no longer use to people who need them. This will create a sense of purpose for your closet purge.
Another great option is the Marie Kondo approach. Look through your belongings, and only keep the things that bring you joy. You’ll save space, love everything you keep, and maybe even have room for a couple new items down the road. Even if it’s painful in the beginning, the more you declutter, the better you’ll feel. A clean, organized space supports the mind and body.
Also, don’t be afraid to ask for help as you get started. Sometimes the job is too big for one person, especially if organization isn’t your strong suit. If you’re embarrassed by the mess, ask someone close to you. Remember that everyone needs help once in a while; there’s no shame in that.
5. Practice Gratitude
Life isn’t perfect; sometimes it’s extraordinarily difficult. And there are times when you can’t do anything to immediately fix a problem. However, there are things you can do to ease symptoms of anxiety or depression as you face these difficult times. For example, practice gratitude. It’s so simple, yet so important.
Sometimes, the best thing to do in a stressful situation is to step back, breathe, and practice gratitude. If the gratitude practice is new to you, don’t worry, there are lots of easy ways to do it. For example, dedicate a journal to gratitude. Write down a few things that you’re grateful for everyday. If you’re a visual person, you can even collage images of what you’re grateful for.
Practicing gratitude isn’t necessarily thanking someone else for something they’ve done, although it can be. Expressing gratitude to people who support you can be another great way to develop this practice. Work this concept into your daily life, and reap the benefits: more optimism and less stress.
Focusing on your health and wellness shouldn’t send you into a stress frenzy. After all, that defeats the purpose of striving to be healthy in the first place. Thankfully, these tips are all easy to start.
Once you take a step in the right direction, the journey to better health gets easier. Give yourself some grace and space to improve your wellness. Even the smallest changes can make a big difference. Peace of mind and a healthier tomorrow are right around the corner.
