Healthy Mind, Body, and Spirit: the Cheap and Easy Way!

Let’s face it.  There’s many ways to get healthy – diet, exercise, supplements, vitamins, environmental, psychological….

There are many ways to pay for it, too.  Giving our money away sometimes makes us feel like we’re doing something of value, but this may only be because there is a price tag on it.

Don’t be fooled!  Healthy can be free and easy.  Start here!

These are the basics – the free and easy but oh so important basics.  They will become the foundation for a healthy life on which you can then build an even healthier future.  As you journey towards finding your confidence, your health will be your greatest ally.

So let’s get healthy the free and easy way!

1. Take a deep breath.  Air is free and cheap!  For example, twice a day you could practice inhaling, holding briefly, then release, exhaling for 5 seconds.  Pavrita Sampath at the HealthSite outlines the benefits of deep breathing – your looks, your inner workings, your sex life, and quitting addiction can all be affected by a deep breath!
2. Drink water.  Laura Schwecherl at Greatest outlines that staying well hydrated is linked to reducing pain, promoting weight loss, and improving both digestion and brain function.  You’re willing to sink your money into other diet plans?  Why not experiment with this one!  What’s the worst that can happen?  A better complexion?
3. Sleep.  Lack of sleep can cause brain cell deterioration.  Ew.  Adam Boult in his article for The Telegraph mentions how chronic sleep deprivation is bad for you.  But an all nighter now and then is actually good for you!  So start prioritizing your ZZZ’s.  Those funny cat videos on FB are not that important.
4. Grounding.  Connecting to mother Earth with your bare feet (not indoors or on pavement) can help balance your body and decrease free radicals in your system.  Katie, the Wellness Mama who looked into the Grounding hype, found it is linked to improvement in energy, better sleep, lowered inflammation, and decreased pain.  All you need to do is take your shoes off and walk on the beach or in the grass!
5. Tree therapy.  According to Shinrin – Yoku, walking in the trees decreases blood pressure and heart rate as well as increases immune system functioning.  Heck, I feel healthier just reading their blog!  Remember that being mindful is important here.  Be present and acknowledge nature.  This walk is not a race!
6. People.  There is plenty of research stating married people live longer than unmarried.  But it goes beyond that.  In the Washington Post, Linda Searing wrote about how loneliness increases mortality.  This is not just for people who are alone.  Loneliness within relationships can increase your chances of not living a long life!  People need people.  Nuture your relationships.  You may be rewarded with time to enjoy them.
7. Pet an animal.  Want to lower your blood pressure?  Pet your cat!  Pets are not only stress busters but they help us remain social and keep us active.  Celia Shatzman listed several more positives for being a pet owner in an article for Health.  If you’re like me and have allergies, just opt to borrow a friend’s dog or take those cuddles with a stranger’s dog on the street (with permission of course, don’t be creepy).  You’ll be increasing the pet owner’s health, too, due to social connection!
8. Caring for plants, animals, or humans.  This may seem like point #6 and #7 but it goes deeper.  Having control over something, feeling responsible for its welfare, and having purpose are all factors in increasing health and longevity.  Many researchers have seen this in care facilities when seniors are given a plant or pet to care for.  The act of caring is good for you!  As Alexandra Sifferlin in Time states, taking care of people in your family or just your social circle can help battle the negative effects of stress.
9. Having a Why.  You’ve heard me talk about Objectives, the “Why” of what we do.  Take the time to figure out your purpose for your path.  Patrick Hill writes in APS that it can decrease mortality rates at any age.  So the sooner you assign purpose to your life the better!  If you want a fun read while you try to figure out your purpose, Mark Manson has “7 Strange Questions That Help You Find Your Life Purpose”.
10. Silence. Rebecca at Life Hack says silence helps regenerate brain cells, reduce stress, and improves our ability to think!  Incorporate quiet time into your day.  Once you become used to it, the bliss will become indispensable.

See how easy that was!?  You’re healthier already!  You’ve reduced blood pressure, increased feel good hormones and mental functioning, grown new brain cells, and decreased stress and physical tension.  Heck, as a clutz I’ve found that the grounding work has even helped me stop walking into everything. That’s a definite health benefit!  Way less bruises.

Here’s the catch, though.  Ya, ya, I said it would be easy.  But for some reason this part isn’t – if you think you are worth it and you think you can do it you’re half way there. But so many people don’t place that value on themselves.  So let’s start with the obvious.

Decide you are worth it.  Now.

You are actually made of stardust BTW.  That makes you very cool and very “worth it”.