A simple question: how healthy are you? What are you doing to keep yourself healthy? Undoubtedly, living healthy is much more than just exercising once a week, or eating salad one day and compensating that by eating whole pizza the other day!

Healthy living involves being healthy both physically and mentally. For physical well-being, you can rely on an active life including a lot of movements and healthy food. To be mentally fit, the most important aspect is a positive attitude . It is interesting to note that both these factors are interconnected. Anything that affects one, in turn, influences the other as well.

But, how would you achieve a right balance between physical and mental well-being in order to ensure a healthy life? This is what we have tried to answer in this article. Continue reading to find that out!

1) Eat right and healthy
The kind of food you intake reflects itself in the form of your health. If you choose to eat healthy, you’ll experience a sort of freshness and energy throughout. Similarly, unhealthy food makes you look healthy from the outside but it is killing you a gradual death from inside by giving you clogged arteries, obesity , and so on. This must have given you enough reasons to eat right! However, eating right is not about gobbling healthy food throughout the day. The word ‘right’ here means eating the right food and having it in the right amount. Every meal you have should be a combination of the essential nutrients, or simply a balanced meal. Break them into smaller meals and eat every 2-3 hours to promote proper digestion.

2) Fetch some alone time for yourselfKeeping aside time for oneself is an essential thing to do in this busy world. You often forget your needs while taking care of others. Spend a minimum of 10 minutes every day for healthy introspection. This way, you come to know yourself and what makes you happy. You can also spend time alone being with nature or indulging in something you like. If you can do this first thing in the morning, it will be a good start for the day making you feel energetic to face the world.

3) Say no to smoking
So you have finally decided to quit smoking? Well, this is the best decision that you can ever make for your health! Needless to mention, smoking takes a toll on your health and accounts to more than 20% deaths in the US alone! Isn’t this scary? It definitely is, and so once you have made the decision, there is no looking back. Today, there are many ways to make this a reality. You can choose to take a nicotine replacement therapy or can try medicines like Bupropion and Varenicline to get over your nicotine cravings. Using e-cigarettes filled with e-liquid is another successful way that various formal smokers have made use of. There are various e-liquid flavors to choose from in order to get over the urge of smoking. E-cigarettes have become popular for all the right reasons as they can help you in controlling your tobacco intake and would gradually help you get rid of the habit. However, you can also take help from doctors and smoke rehabilitation centers to achieve best results.

4) Indulge yourself in your hobbies
When was the last time that you spent some time with your hobby? Whether it be painting or playing your favorite game on PlayStation – just fetch some time for doing what you love the most! Pursuing a hobby of your interest is a good way of maintaining a healthy living. This makes you physically and mentally active at the same time. You could either join a hobby class or do it at the comfort of your home. It can be anything from dancing to singing to sports, anything of your passion . This stimulates your brain and keeps you positive to face the responsibilities of the world. Learning a new skill is also a good way of keeping yourself occupied in your free time.

5) Make right movements at the right time
Here, right movements mean right body movements. Needless to say, exercise should be made part of your daily routine as this promises a great body and in turn mind. This makes your body flexible and mind optimistic. But, how many of us actually tend to stick to this? Well, a very few! Just half an hour a day is all that is required and is recommended by health experts to make you happier in life. Making exercise a daily activity produces feel-good hormones that make you feel good about yourself and the environment. So, take your first baby step by indulging yourself in a brisk walk for 30 minutes and witness how your life starts changing for good.

6) Sleep tightWe all know the benefits of a sound sleep, yes? Getting adequate sleep is inevitable for maintaining good health. It is during the sleep that the brain repairs all the damaged tissues of the body. But, do you actually manage to get 7-8 hours of sleep every night? Well, no! And this is why you wake up looking tired in the morning. It is thus highly recommended to sleep for at least 8 hours at night. This will give you enough energy to do your daily chores. Getting good rest makes you more alert and productive in your work. Sleep in the same place regularly and remember to make it dark for better sleep.

7) Keep your chin and confidence high
A confident person spreads positivity wherever they go! Your level of confidence shows on your face. No, you don’t need to look confident only when you are going for an interview. But, it highly pays you to be confident even in your day to day life. Believing in your abilities is the step towards success. Feel positive about yourself and believe that there is nothing impossible for you. A strong faith in oneself is the key to never-ending achievements both in personal and professional fronts. Being self-confident makes you happier and hence healthier.

8) Be with your loved ones
Spending time with your loved ones is a great way to stay healthy, be it your friends and family . In your busy life, it is necessary to disconnect from the digital world and be with the people you care for. The positivity and happiness you get from them are immeasurable. Interacting with people gives numerous lessons about life. Sharing things is a way of strengthening the bond with them. Plan outings with your friends and family and energize yourself.

9) Keep stress at bay
Stress has occupied our lives such that we have even accepted it wholeheartedly! To come out of a stressful life is a dream of many. But, how is it possible? Work by relaxing your body and mind to maintain good health. Stress can be managed effectively by practicing yoga and meditation . These techniques help you unwind from the hectic life and teach you how to slow down. This gives more breathing space and a fresh perspective towards life. Making this a habit is a sure-shot way of a healthy lifestyle.

10) Help people around you
Spread positivity and happiness wherever you go! Have a helping mentality and help people whenever you can. When you lend a helping hand to people around you, you feel good about yourself. This feeling makes you take lot more initiatives to work for others. You can do volunteer works in your own community to start with. This will give a lot of motivation to do more. If you want to begin simple, go around and help your dear ones in their daily responsibilities. This is sure to boost your morale as well as theirs. Let them know that you are there for them no matter what. It is also a good idea to find people who really need a help to come up in life.

Over to YouThus, adopting a healthy living is not only about oneself. It has a deeper impact on the people around you and spreads positivity throughout. Life is only once. Instead of complaining about it, enjoy what is there to enjoy. Accept things that you cannot change and let go of all the negative feelings. Clearing yourself of the negativity is a stepping stone towards a healthy living.

An important thing you have to remember is that you cannot change what has already happened. Move on with life and that is what everyone does. This is vital for maintaining good relationships and thereby a good atmosphere. The points discussed above are only a few ideas that you could incorporate. There are a lot more ways to ensure a healthy life. How do you do that? Do let us know in the comments!

Author's Bio: 

Elianna Hyde, has been a freelance writer since 2009. She has attended university of California and graduated with masters in mass communication. She loves watching TV shows, movies and has keen interest in sharing her views on business trends and people’s lifestyle.