3 min read | Posted on August 26, 2022
In your quest to take control of your health, have you started engaging in “healthy” behaviors that are actually harming you? Probably so. Today on the Healthy Talbot blog, we’ll take a look at a few things you shouldn’t do if you want to improve your overall mental and physical well-being.
Stop working just to work.
We all have mouths to feed and bills to pay. However, if you begrudgingly walk into work each morning to a job you hate, you’re probably stressed, have trouble sleeping, and may experience depression or anxiety. Instead, find the faith in yourself and the courage to move forward into a position that gives you purpose. A good resume builder can help you create a professional presentation with your own images, copy, and, if applicable, photo. Tailor your resume to the job you’re applying for, and don’t be shy about emailing a letter of interest to companies that aren’t currently hiring.
Stop living in a cluttered home.
If you’re one of the many Americans that simply has too much stuff, you are not alone. Our belongings remind us of our success, and, according to Scientific American, we take comfort in them. That said, there can come a point when the stuff around your home begins to cause stress and anxiety. Plan to spend a long weekend cleaning and removing anything from your home that doesn’t serve an immediate purpose, that you have a strong sentimental bond to, or that doesn’t bring your immense joy. You may find that once you free up space in your home, your environment is more positive, healthy, and healing.
Stop giving away all of your time.
Time is your only truly finite asset, and in your quest to enjoy socialization time and stronger relationships, you may give away more of it than you can truly afford. Although time with your loved ones is crucial to your health and wellness, once you start to feel overburdened and stretched thin, it is time to take a hard look at your activities and change your behaviors. Reframe the way you think about what you do. You can use your salary as a baseline to put a price on your time. If you don’t get more joy out of your time than it’s worth, then it may be time to do something else.
Stop eating convenience foods because you think they’re good for you.
Smoothies, eggs, whole grains, and vegetables. All of these items in their natural form are absolutely healthy. When you start buying them prepackaged, you’re not doing yourself any favors. Eat This, Not That explains that that healthy-looking smoothie in the freezer section probably contains added sugars that can sabotage your wellness efforts. In this example, you could start cutting your own fruit and freeze it (without any additives) to toss into your favorite smoothie every morning.
Stop over-exerting yourself at the gym.
Exercise is one of the best gifts that you can give yourself. But, as with all good things, moderation is the key. If you’re working out so much that your body doesn’t have time to recover, you may be harming your muscles. Further, overdoing it in the fitness sector may leave you fatigued and sluggish, which can make it much more difficult to focus at work and at home. Give yourself at least a day to recover from a heavy muscle workout. You can fill your time during these days with light cardiovascular activities, which are good for your heart.
At the end of each day, you want to go to bed knowing that you’ve done everything you can to be good to yourself. Unfortunately, these efforts are often misguided, and you may actually hurt more than help by pushing forward with things you hate. Something as simple as passing out your resume, cleaning your house, or slicing your own bananas may be a great first step toward living a truly healthy life.
Healthy Talbot shares more great posts like this in our Health & Nutrition resources section.
Article written and submitted by: Emma Grace Brown, Emmagracebrown.com. Image via Pixabay