Lifestyle

Engaging in risky behaviours increases the chances of getting chronic illnesses. You can minimise the chances of getting these diseases by making better health and lifestyle changes. Below are some changes that you can make to prevent chronic diseases.

Manage to quit smoking

Smoking poses serious health issues such as lung cancer, heart diseases, and diabetes type 2. For longtime smokers, it leads to premature death. Quitting smoking lowers the risks of getting these diseases.
Quitting smoking is not an easy decision. It requires altering your behaviours, experiencing withdrawal symptoms, and finding ways to manage your moods. But as hard as it is, it improves your overall health and the quality of your life.

Maintain a healthy diet

Ensure you always eat a balanced diet to help you maintain a healthy weight. Focus on including veggies, fruits, low-fat dairy products, whole grains, and lean meats in your diet. Living on such a diet reduces the risks of getting heart diseases and type 2 diabetes.
Cut off all the junk food and focus on new healthy foods. Also, ensure that you eat enough to reach your daily calories needs.

Engage in physical exercises

Engaging in regular physical exercises helps in preventing, delaying, and managing chronic diseases. Doing aerobic exercises helps in improving your heart health and managing your weight. If you are having joint problems, engage in strength training to help improve your endurance and muscle strength.
If you are suffering from a chronic illness, it is always important to talk to a physician before engaging in any form of exercises. This ensures that you are advised on what exercises are safe and if there are precautions that you need to observe.

Get enough sleep daily

Sleep deprivation has a great impact on your overall health and interferes with your ability to perform properly. It can cause short-term problems such as affecting your mood and ability to make a clear judgement. When your body is sleep deprived, you feel tired and put yourself and others at risk.

Continuous lack of sleep can cause chronic illnesses such as increased blood pressure, diabetes, and heart diseases. You can improve your sleep quality by synchronising with your body’s sleep-wake cycle. That means sleeping and waking up at the same time every day, and that includes over the weekend.

As a Health Psychologist I love helping my clients make and integrate positive behavioural changes throughout their life, connecting the mind and body, and promoting self-care, self-confidence and positive thinking. Get in touch to find out how I can help you.

Modern day life can be very stressful, and this can have an impact on your mental health. In today’s hectic world, it can be difficult to maintain a healthy lifestyle whilst maintaining a good balance between your work and home life. Running is one of the best ways to help you develop self-confidence, and manage your stress levels. We take a look at why running is an excellent way to help reduce stress and keep on top of your mental health.

Manage your stress levels

Running can be a great way to give yourself the motivation to get outside and take a break from your daily life. Whether you run for five minutes or five miles, running helps your brain to think more clearly. Running also releases norepinephrine, the chemical in your brain which is responsible for helping to control your stress levels

Lower the impact of anxiety

One of the main issues with anxiety is it can often occur at any given moment, and it can be very unpredictable. It can also be difficult for people with anxiety to take part in their favourite activities for fear of an anxiety attack. Running is a simple exercise, but a good one to help you cope. As you run, your brain releases endorphins which can help to lower anxiety.

Improves your self-confidence

Running may seem difficult at first, but it doesn’t have to be. Simply put on a pair of running shoes and head outside. Once you get outside and develop a regime, running can be very addictive. As well as helping you to develop self-confidence, the added benefits from the fresh air can have a positive impact on your mind. When you run regularly, it also increases your motivation to perform better than your previous run.

Running with friends

When you run with another person, it can have a positive impact on your mental health. You can share your problems and seek advice – and you’ll feel like there’s always somebody there to support you when things get tough.

New year, new you? It’s a nice idea, but let’s be honest – how many New Year’s resolutions have you actually kept? Making lasting, meaningful changes isn’t easy, so read on to discover the best ways to keep your resolutions going longer than the ink on your to-do list!

Make gradual changes

Whether you want to make sweeping lifestyle changes or improve your self-confidence or body image issues, it can be tempting to plunge into the new year with an all or nothing attitude. But this is doomed to be a disaster.

The 1st of January is often gloomy, cold and dark, and you may still be feeling the effects of your New Year’s Eve celebrations, so you’re hardly in the best place to chug back a green smoothie and get on the yoga mat at dawn. Don’t try to overhaul your life. Set yourself gradual, achievable goals – for example, exercising 3 times a week, not every day – and as they become part of your lifestyle, you can up the ante.

Find support

Motivation can be a tough nut to crack, and it’s not easy to go it alone. Keep yourself on the right track by talking about your goals with a trusted friend or family member. It’s even better if they’ve got similar plans – you’ll find it easier to cut down on the booze if you’re holding each other accountable.

If you’re not comfortable confessing your resolutions to someone in the real world, look for online support. An anonymous forum, full of people with the same issues, can do wonders for your staying power.

Forget the all or nothing attitude

We’ve all been there: the diet’s going so well, until you give in to temptation mid-morning and eat a Mars bar. Immediately, it feels like the day’s a complete write-off, so you might as well get a takeaway… and tomorrow’s a Wednesday, so it’s better to leave it until Monday to make a fresh start…

This needs to stop! Thinking of every little slip up as a total disaster is the number one way to self-sabotage. So you ate the Mars bar – that doesn’t mean that you have to abandon all your good intentions. Get back on the straight and narrow as quickly as possible, enjoy a healthy lunch and dinner, and don’t beat yourself up about one little mistake.

If you’d like to talk more about positive lifestyle changes and achievable goals, please feel free to reach out to discuss private sessions with me by visiting  https://www.healthpsychologyclinic.co.uk/appointments.php  – I love helping clients  and design a plan for this issue.