A healthy lifestyle is important for everyone. When we look after our physical health, we feel better, more relaxed and better to be able to cope with things. This is especially important when you have a mental illness.
There are lots of ways of being healthy that feel good as well as doing you good.
Benefits of healthy living
What you gain by living more healthily includes:
Feeling better mentally – regular exercise can lift your mood and help you feel better.
Saving money – eating junk food, smoking, and drinking sugary drinks or alcohol are all expensive habits.
Fewer health problems – living a healthier lifestyle means a lower risk of developing many illnesses.
Taking control of your life – getting healthy helps you feel in control of your life.
Getting healthy
‘Healthy living’ means maintaining a healthy lifestyle and introducing habits that improve your health. It can be difficult to change old habits, but there are steps you can take to become healthier. An important first step is identifying less healthy habits and learning new, positive ones to replace them, such as:
Eating healthy foods and balanced meals.
Sleeping well and managing stress.
Practicing safe sex, drinking alcohol responsibly and not abusing drugs.
Being physically active
Staying connected with others.
Being aware of any health risks related to your illness and its treatment, and working with your doctor to monitor these and then take action.
Taking responsibility for your overall health including having regular check-ups for your eyes and teeth.
How to develop positive health habits:
The key to developing positive habits that you are more likely to keep is to:
Start slowly
Change just one thing at a time – see the benefits that can come from eating more balanced meals or, exercising more or quitting smoking
Make small changes – an achievable change is more likely to become a habit you keep.
Go slowly – making a change gradually can be easier than all at once.
Build on what you already do – for example, if you enjoy walking, try extending your usual route by a manageable amount.
Remember, increasing or adding even one new health behaviour can make a big difference to your health.
Work around challenges
There are things you can do to manage any extra challenges related to your illness and it’s treatment – such as drowsiness, sugar cravings or lack of motivation. Steps you can take include:
Organise daily activities around side-effects of medication, for example, if you are drowsy in the morning, organise exercise for the afternoon.
Discuss things with your doctor – there may be another medication you can try, or ask for referral to a specialist such as a dietitian or psychologist for expert advice.
Staying healthy
Being healthy is about more than getting fit and feeling better, it’s about staying that way too. Tips to help you stay motivated include:
Schedule regular checkups with your doctor to monitor your progress and for that extra push you may need to keep going.
Reward yourself – feel good about developing healthier habits by rewarding yourself with something nice.
Author
Blessing Agunloye is a student studying Chemistry Education. I have a strong passion for Media and Communications. I’m passionate about being a change maker in my society and helping youths and teenagers discover their purpose. I love creativity and innovation.