We all want to live long, healthy lives, but so many of us simply do not put in the time and effort to look after our own health. This is unfortunate because, ultimately, when it comes to your health, the buck stops with you.
If you’re ready to take control of your own health, perhaps because you’ve put on a little weight or you’ve noticed new aches and pains that weren’t there before, or maybe because you’ve realized you can’t always take for granted that you’ll be healthy, here are a few simple things you can do to take charge:
Get to Know Your Health Plan
If you have a decent health plan like the self-funded plans that JP Farley offer unless you’ve needed to take advantage of it, chances are you haven’t really delved into what is available to you. Now is the time to change that – see what your health plan has to offer and take advantage of the access it affords you to specialists, for example, instead of letting things slide. Depending on your plan, you may even be able to access free or subsidized gym memberships and other healthy living benefits that will help you to really take control of your health.
Start Cooking from Scratch at Home
Cooking at home is often cheaper than eating out, and although it does take a bit more effort than ordering at your favorite restaurant, it is usually much healthier too. When you eat out, food tends to be full of salt, sugar and fat to make it taste good, but when you cook from scratch, you can control what you put in so that you don’t overindulge.
Swap Your Soda for Water
Swapping your sugar sodas for water is one of the simplest and best things you can do to take control of your own health right now. Why? Because you’ll curt out possibly hundreds of empty calories each day (there are approximately 200 calories in the average soda), helping you to lose weight or maintain your trim figure, and you’ll do your teeth a major favor too!
Start Meditating
We are experiencing something of a mental health crisis globally. More and more of us are becoming stressed, anxious, depressed and struggling to get through the day. Numerous reasons for this epidemic have been suggested from the increased use of social media to stressful working environments, but one thing’s for sure, taking up meditation, perhaps with the help of Headspace, can help to calm you down, clear your head and help you to feel better about things. It’s certainly not a cure-all, and if you’re experiencing severe symptoms, you should see your doctor, but it certainly will take the edge off, and if you’re currently mentally well, it will serve as a very effective preventative measure.
Sign Up for an Activity
Staying active and getting at least 2 hours of exercise each week is vital to your all-round health. If you tend to shy away from exercise, sign up to an activity or event that makes you accountable – it can be anything from a charity run that you’ll need to train for to a volleyball team where other members are relying on you to show up – the key is to make yourself accountable.
See, taking control of your health really doesn’t have to be hard!
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