10 Health Tips for a Vibrant Life

Small, straightforward adjustments can yield the most significant impact

Glenn Burgess

Improving your health doesn’t have to be hard. You don’t need to follow strict diets or do intense workouts to feel better and have more energy.

Simple changes can help a lot. You can use more herbs in your food, stand more, try gardening, or follow yoga videos on YouTube.

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution for health. You know what you need to change to feel your best. Maybe you want better sleep, less stress, or a healthier heart and lungs.

We’ve collected 10 health tips to help you get started. Get ready to be healthier and happier.

1. Sit on the floor

While it might not be as comfy as your super-soft sofa, research on the world’s longest-living people suggests that sitting on the floor can contribute to better health in the long run.

Take Okinawa, Japan, for instance, home to the world’s longest-living women. They prefer sitting on the floor for activities like reading, eating, and talking. This practice has numerous benefits.

Regularly getting up from a seated position on the floor can enhance flexibility, strength, and coordination, all of which are linked to a longer and healthier life.

2. Wean off wine o’clock

Having a glass of wine in the evening might make it easier to fall asleep, but it can affect the quality of your sleep, leaving you feeling tired the next day. To avoid this, try not to drink close to bedtime.

Give your body some time to process the alcohol. As a general rule, it’s believed to take about one hour for your body to process one unit of alcohol, but this can vary from person to person.

You can learn more about the units in your drink and make sure you’re not surpassing the recommended 14 units a week by using the Unit Calculator on drinkaware.co.uk.

3. Know the three Cs

More people are experiencing hay fever nowadays, and their symptoms are lasting longer, even if they haven’t had it before. Dr. Beverley Adams-Groom, the leading pollen expert at the University of Worcester, points out that factors like increasing pollution and climate change are making the situation worse.

To reduce your exposure to pollen, remember the three Cs:

Count: Keep an eye on the pollen forecast from the Met Office.
Cover: Use big sunglasses, apply Vaseline around your nose, and keep windows closed when the pollen count is high.
Clean: After being outside, take a shower, change your clothes, and wipe down your pets with a wet cloth to minimise pollen exposure.

4. Listen to your gut

Have you ever observed how your stomach reacts to your emotions? When you’re stressed or anxious, it can slow down digestion, leading to issues like bloating, pain, and constipation.

On the other hand, in some individuals, it might speed up digestion, resulting in diarrhea and more frequent bathroom visits.

So, when you’re feeling anxious, it’s a good idea not to rush your meal. Take your time, eat slowly, pause between bites, and make sure to chew each mouthful thoroughly.

5. Get your vitamin green

It’s confirmed: having green views around you has a remarkable impact on your health and overall well-being. It helps reduce psychological stress and enhances your energy, self-esteem, and mood.

In addition to spending time in nature, you can also improve your indoor environment by arranging chairs to face windows, adding indoor plants to your home, and setting your computer screensaver to display your favorite landscapes.

6. Morning, sunshine!

“Opening your curtains in the morning can improve your nighttime sleep,” advises Dr. Alanna Hare, a sleep medicine consultant.

“Light plays a crucial role in regulating our sleep patterns, so exposing yourself to natural sunlight helps sync your body’s sleep-wake cycle.”

7. Reap what you sew

Practicing mindfulness, which involves being aware of your thoughts, emotions, feelings, and bodily sensations, is a proven method for managing stress & anxiety.

It’s even recommended by NICE (National Institute of Clinical Excellence) to help prevent depression. If you’re looking for a new way to give it a try, consider embroidery.

Embroidery checks all the mindfulness boxes as it requires you to slow down and concentrate on the task at hand. For a fresh project, you can explore the DMC The Mindful Mandala Embroidery Duo Kit, available for £20 at John Lewis.

8. Win with one

When you’re working out, keep the mindset of “Can I add one more set or movement?” If you’re cycling around the park five times, go for the sixth round. If you’re playing tennis, consider playing another set.

That extra bit of effort at the end not only helps you get fitter faster but also shows you that you’re capable of more than you might think, providing a powerful boost for your fitness journey.

9. Good mood food

You’re not imagining it – experiencing that ‘hangry’ feeling, where you’re both hungry and irritable, is a genuine phenomenon.

Unlike other organs, your brain depends on a consistent supply of glucose throughout the day to function at its best. So, if you skip meals or don’t eat regularly, it can negatively affect your well-being.

In addition to eating on schedule, it’s important to overcome the fear of consuming fats. The brain is primarily composed of about 50 percent fat, and our cells require high-quality fats to maintain their structure.

Good fats, like those found in olive oil, nuts, seeds, and avocados, are beneficial for your brain and overall health.

10. Chase persistence, not perfection

Just like when you get one flat tire, you don’t go ahead and puncture the other three, and when you stub your toe, you don’t purposely stub another one.

Similarly, when you have one bad meal or an off day of eating, there’s no need to let it spiral into weeks and months of poor eating habits. And if you miss one workout, don’t let that lead to weeks of inactivity.

Remember, what you do most of the time is what truly counts, not the occasional slip-ups. In other words, focus on being persistent, not on striving for perfection.