I’m taking forward from 2021 the health goals that helped me stay healthy. It’s difficult talking about things that helped me because that means I have to share secrets. In 2021 when I realized it was going to be a repeat of 2020, I was sure I wanted to do more online.
I ended up burnt out. Writing made me happy. But I didn’t want to publish.I filled up pages but didn’t type them. I painted but didn’t share them. It was a full-blown imposter syndrome attack.
Then 2022 dawned. It was a brand new sparkling year and I could plan again. Through all this, my habits helped me. Sharing with you my 21 Health Habits which help me do everything I do.
21 Healthy Habits which Help me
Number 1: Sleep
Sleep on time. You might need seven hours, eight hours, or six hours. Whichever number of hours you feel makes you most refreshed. Do that every night. It’s an undisturbed nighttime sleep that matters. Ideally, it should be between seven to eight hours.
Number two: Eat healthy
Nine times out of 10 times, we suffer because we eat the wrong type of food.
Number three: Water
Drink water the right amount; depending on your weather and humidity conditions, you might need two to four liters of water per day. Always consult your doctor. If you are on any kind of medication, removing water from your body, or you need to take less water, consult your doctor before making changes to your fluid intake.
Number four: Lift Weights
Lift means you might lift heavy water bottles or dumbbells.Do it at home. Don’t wait to go to the gym to start. We’re doing a little weight training every day in your daily activity helps strengthen those bones and muscles and gives you good endorphins in your blood.
Number Five: Walk
Don’t forget. I’m not talking about the walk between your kitchen and your bedroom. I’m talking about forty minutes of dedicated walking time at a minimum speed of four Km per hour. You can use any of the apps on your smartphone or use your own treadmill at home. Don’t sit and watch TV; walk and watch TV. That can also help you boost your metabolism, improve sleep, better digestion, and help you reach that perfect weight goal without trying anything.
Number six: Stretch.
Stretch yourself so that you don’t become stiff.
Number seven: Yoga
Doing yoga every day helps you align your mind, body, and spirit. So, start today. It’s possible at your home with simple steps.
Number eight: Meditation
Meditation, when done right, can really help you feel calm, balanced, and in sync with your everyday. Starting out, you might only do meditation for three to five minutes, buddy. Try to meditate for at least half an hour to have a sense of peace within, because everything starts from inside.
Number nine: Play
Play outside, play outdoor games, badminton, tennis, volleyball, football, do it your own. With your spouse and your kids, you will find it’s more fun than you thought possible.
Number 10: Gardening
One of my favorite topics I talk about. You can garden on your balcony on your window sill, on the terrace, in the backyard. You can borrow, lease, or buy a piece of land to do your own kitchen gardening. Then you can grow your own food and eat it too.
Number 11:Plan your downtime.
Make planning and meeting with friends and family a priority. Don’t make plans on this day, because that way you’re not being good to yourself. I’m not really taking care of your own soul.
Number 12:Being Kind
Be kind to yourself and others. Kindness is not really something we do daily. If you’re not careful, it’s so easy to be unkind and more challenging to think before speaking about how to be kind.
Number thirteen: Self-love:
Give yourself a hug. You deserve it for surviving all the crazy around you. Taking care of yourself daily is essential if you want to help others. Help yourself first.
Number fourteen: Stop self-medicating
If you must take medicines for reflux or antacids with a particular food item, it’s better to skip that food.
Number fifteen: Peace
Nothing is worth more than good health and peace of mind.
Matter and energy, Dharma and karma are all intrinsic to our soul. Internal chaos and external chaos go hand in hand.
Number sixteen: Remember to remember.
We are like grains of sand, like a drop in the ocean when it comes to the universe; what you do matters to you and those you love. So, act with care.
Number seventeen: Eating Dinner
Try to eat dinner before 8:00 PM. It has changed my life. You should try it before you guzzle that late-night snack. If you must eat later, don’t eat that dessert. That really helps to stay healthy and digest your food better.
Number eighteen: Choose wisely
A good healthy life means I get to eat what I want to have my life without medicines. I need to choose wisely. And so do you. Bingeing really causes harm to your metabolism. It’s better to eat a little every day of the things you love and then have it all at once on one day and totally undo all the good that you have done to your body over the week.
I love sweets. That’s why I have them in between meals. It works in two ways. I don’t overeat. I end on a salty note to avoid the instant acid formation in the mouth. I can tell you all this now, because I’ve really tried doing this for the last two weeks. During Corona, when it was even more important to stay healthy, all this helped because otherwise, I couldn’t take care of my family or my patients. So that is why the ring of conviction in my voice when I say you must eat fewer sweets to stay healthier is the real thing. I did this first.
Number nineteen: Going Uphill
Going uphill is always tricky. Easy, something everyone does. If you want to be at the top, you have to do the hard work.
Number twenty: No free meal
There’s no such thing as a free meal; everyone works at home or outside work is work. So do the work which is needed.
Number twenty-one: Thankfulness
Be thankful for what you have, your health, your abilities; you are unique. You are in this world for a reason. Find you “why.” You may be nineteen or ninety. If you’re reading this blog, or listening to this podcast, you own a smartphone and have the free time to enrich your mind. That makes you privileged. It’s also my privilege.
You have a lot of great practices for 2022! Several of these are on my list as well. How are you sticking with it? That is the hard part for me. For example, I want to drink a gal of water a day. Sometimes I get it all in. Others, not so much.
Meditation and yoga are often skipped when life is too busy .That’s what I am trying to do more this year.To persist is the most difficult part.I always carry a water bottle ,that helps me drink more water.
This is such a great post. Some of these things I already do and some I need to do. I’m bookmarking it for a later date when I can take it all in. Also, Betty White said she would tell people to get 8 hours of beauty sleep, nine if they were ugly. LOL!
Thank you Elisa.This made me smile.
Great tips. Stretching and doing something like yoga is so important. It is amazing how the body stiffens even though doing work. Work is not the same as stretching. I would add (which technically falls under yoga) do balancing exercises. Having good balance is critical as we age and it doesn’t take much for us to lose our balance. Hope you feel great this year and keep writing.
Thank you.Balance needs good muscle tone and you are right that its critical as we age.
Great list. I especially like Play, Peace and Choose wisely, that’t important to remember. Let go of what’s not important and the negative ballast.
I think you did great last year by sharing your writing and painting. Keep up the positive spirit in 2022!
Thank you Tamara.
I was in the same place as you last year Amrita. I pushed but seemed to have someone pushing me back. I was in a rut! I NEED your 21 healthy habits! I already follow many but I need to be more focused on actually following through. Thank you for the push start for 2022!
Thanks Martha. Which one is most difficult to follow?