The human experience certainly has its fair share of highs and lows. It’s a delicate balance and just as we pay attention to our physical health by exercising and eating right, we need to also take care of our mental health too.
Sometimes it’s just about making small changes and sticking to them, changing unhealthy habits now will help you to change how you feel in the long term.
Guilt-inducing habits: If you feel guilty about the amount of time that you spend on social media for instance, then change the routine, choose to spend that time outside or reading a book instead.
Be kind to yourself, remind yourself of the reasons why you want to stop a particular habit, and set up a fun distracting ritual to do whenever you feel the urge rise again.
Cutting out processed foods
These include processed sugars, flours, packaged foods, stabilisers, artificial colouring, additives, preservatives. Sorry, but even those muffins and chocolates too! A good chunk of negative emotions arise from bad food habits and the effect they have on your gut.
Introduce new habits
Gratitude: It’s perfectly acceptable to have a reaction when something upsetting or unpredictable happens, this is an important part of being a human being. We’re can’t act like zen masters when we’re in the middle of a crisis! But we can have the same quality of inner peace. Any time you find yourself wandering from a place of joy and contentment, bring yourself back to the present moment. To do so, either feel your heartbeat or pulse, or take some deep breaths. Once centred, start making a mental list of everything you are grateful for – it doesn’t matter if it’s something small, as long as it makes you happy!
Different concepts of indulgence – healthier habits
Different concepts of indulgence: Adopting a simple diet doesn’t have to be expensive, you can eat healthier on a budget, by cutting out expensive processed foods, and replacing those foods with healthy, fresh alternatives. It’s not a secret either, that changing your diet drastically impacts your brain’s perception of foods – the richness, saltiness and sweetness of foods becomes less apparent – so change the concept of treating yourself and find new healthy options. Opt for healthy choices from restaurants which focus on organic, healthy dishes. The more you explore healthier options, the more you’ll discover which ones you prefer and start savouring them.
Herb-based healing
Herb-based healing: Including herbs in your daily routine is known to be good for your health. After all, ancient wisdom couldn’t have been completely wrong if it’s kept humans alive for all these years. Herbs like nettle, rosemary and parsley can be grown at home. They offer, not just the benefit delivered by choosing to make them part of your diet but also the mental health benefits of gardening too.
Article created and written by Helen Isted for Thrive Magazine.
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