Maintaining Healthy Activities Keeps Us On Track

While we should all be grateful for the opportunity to start another year of our lives, it can also be challenging to change or undo routines developed during the pandemic. Many of us have spent the last two years doing many things that don’t lead to a healthy lifestyle, such as less activity or more wine and beer. These activities have probably had an impact on not just our physical health, but our emotional and mental state, as well. To get more active in this new year physically, emotionally and mentally, here are some tips for sparking our creative juices and getting on the path to better health.

Increase Physical Activity

• Stay around the house and reorganize your living/work space. Just keep moving.

• Walk, bike or skate to a destination if you are able. Yes, it’s cold, but if it’s not wet out and there is no snow, this is very possible. It truly makes you feel more alive and appreciative of what you’re still capable of doing.

• Consider developing a light morning stretching routine when you wake up and then again when you retire. These can all be done in bed, but you will still reap the benefits of keeping the lymphatic system healthy.

Increase Emotional Activity

• As an alternative to an activity tracker, try the Amazon Halo. It provides insight on daily activity and reports on sleep quality and the tone of your voice as your interact with others more and more. A little feedback goes a long way in terms of being in tune with our emotions.

• Spend a little extra time being in close physical contact with your significant other/loved ones and be more present in conversations and activities with them.

• Find and respect the space you need to recharge. Extroverts don’t need to hesitate to reach out to others with the same energy. You can do anything now for meetings or events in person or virtually online. Introverts should allow themselves time to be alone; shut off phone notifications, pause email and perhaps cancel or postpone meetings to conserve energy.

Increase Mental Activity

• Read a book about a topic you are totally unfamiliar with.

• Encourage conversations around developing new ideas instead of catching up on gossip.

• Take a class to level up a hobby. You may often think of going back to school to further your career, but increasing the quality of work/life balance is just as important.