There comes a time, in anyone’s life, where they begin to feel as though everything they’re doing is going wrong. Their job isn’t working out the way they wanted it to, their relationship is going down the drain, and their social life is pretty much non-existent. When this happens, you may not know where to turn or what to do. You may feel exasperated, and tired, and scared, and stressed – this is completely normal, of course you’re going to feel this way. While there isn’t always necessarily an immediate cure to make everything better, there are steps that you can do to lead you in the right direction, to not only make you feel happier, but healthier too.
We seem to always overlook the little things, and focus so much on the things that don’t matter, like the colour of our hair, and how big our boobs are. Of course, it’s normal to compare yourself to others and want to look your best, but sometimes it becomes an obsession that overrides the inside – like whether your heart is beating properly, and your lungs are working as they should. These things matter more than anything, because if your insides aren’t working the way they should, then you may find yourself with some serious health problems that could’ve been avoided if you paid more attention to things.
It’s important that you realise that only you know how you feel every day – you’re the only one that understands and is familiar with your body’s ‘normal’. Meaning you’re the only one that will know when something changes or feels different. So be responsible and don’t wait for things to get worse because ‘you wasn’t sure’.
So how can you move forward, leaving the past where it is, and get your life back on track?
Maintain a moderated diet
It’s no good telling you all to maintain a strict diet – even the word diet isn’t necessarily correct. But the point is, you can eat whatever you want in moderation, unless you’ve specifically been told otherwise by a medical professional. So if you fancy a chocolate bar in the afternoon for that little bit of deliciousness in your mouth – that’s fine. Just don’t eat eight in one sitting.
Obviously the more healthier foods you put in, the better it will be for your body, but it’s also important to mix it up.
For example, if you always make sure to consume two apples every single day – that’s great, but your body will eventually get so used to the apples that it no longer appreciates them as much as they once did. So instead, have some pineapple and then some melon. Or a banana and then a peach. This also makes it fun for you, rather than feeling like a chore – the more variety of natural colours you can put in your body, the better.
You also need to think about what you need in order to function properly, this means all the right vitamins and nutrients, the minerals, the fibre, the iron, the protein, the calcium, etc. And don’t forget to keep yourself hydrated throughout the day. Water is so important – we absolutely need it. So keep a water bottle with your wherever you go to make sure you never have an excuse to forget to drink.
Stop all your bad habits
Bad habits are your worst enemy, other than yourself, because what might start out as a once in a while thing “only on the weekends”, may turn into a dependency that you just can’t break, and this means addiction.
Now it doesn’t always turn out that way, but certain things like cigarettes for example, contain nicotine, and this is the ingredient that makes your body crave it again and again, until you feel as though you can’t live without it. Fortunately, there are things out there to help you if you’re not able to stop everything cold turkey.
Sites like https://www.vapeshop.co.uk/ supply you with various e cigs and vaporizers that stop you relying on cigarettes. They come with a liquid that comes in a whole array of different flavours, with and without nicotine.
The idea is that you gradually decrease the intake of nicotine you’re putting into your body until you don’t need it anymore. Then essentially all you’re breathing in is a flavoured water vapour. So regardless of what you’re struggling with, be it alcohol, fatty foods, or excessive shopping – know that there are always solutions out there for you.
Regular exercise routine
So many people assume that exercise means working out in a gym with a room full of hot and sweaty individuals staring at themselves in the mirror, but while this is partly true, it doesn’t have to be like that.
Gyms are great for people that lack motivation, because as long as they can motivate themselves enough to get there – they have no choice but to do something, because they can’t stand around doing nothing. So it works. But for a lot of you, you may not feel comfortable in an environment like this.
You may feel rather self-conscious and not be able to let yourself go and get into the routine, but that’s fine too. There are tons of different forms of working out, it all depends on how you feel and what works for you. You can join other classes out there like spin classes, or Zumba. But if you prefer to go at it alone, then you can go running, or hiking, or cycling, or swimming.
Swimming is actually a great form of exercise because it’s really easy on the body, but it also works everything, while providing you with cardio to burn calories and fat, but also toning to sculpt you as you go. Or it can be as simple as sticking on your favourite tunes, letting your hair down, and dancing until your heart’s content (me!).
Remember, exercise doesn’t just keep your body in shape – it keeps your mind in shape too, by releasing endorphins in your brain that make you feel happy and euphoric.
Your mental health
Whatever you do, don’t forget about your mental health – it’s just as important as everything else. Although it’s not always as visible as a broken arm, it doesn’t mean that it’s not there.
Mental health is no joke, it’s hard, and tiring, and sometimes very very lonely. And although you may know that you’re not well and that something’s wrong, if you’re that low within yourself, you’ll no longer care.
You will wallow in your pit of sadness and depression and anxiety. And no matter how much you wish to climb out and feel better – you won’t allow yourself to, because this is what you’re used to now. Once you’re there, it’s going to be a really tough ride to get out of it, that’s why you need to speak up as soon as you sense something isn’t right. Talk to your friend, or a family member about your concerns – but even better, speak to a doctor.
Tell them how you’re currently feeling, and whether something has changed in your life to make you feel this way, or maybe it’s a mere chemical imbalance in your brain – you can find more about this on https://theconversation.com. The doctor will then be able to advise you on what you need, be it medication to level the chemicals back again, or talking therapy so that you can gain new strategies and techniques to cope with various situations and circumstances.
Work on your social life
Do you have a lot of friends – people to talk to? Or do you tend to keep to yourself and avoid conversation and eye contact?
Some people are just more of a hermit than others; they enjoy their own company and like their home, and feel no need or desire to go out and do things in big groups – that’s fine. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that.
What is wrong, is when you purposely isolate yourself because you don’t feel worthy of having friends to share thoughts and experiences with.
This can become lonely, to the point of making you feel as though there is no one on this earth but you. And that isn’t the case, the world is full of others that feel the things you feel, and see the world the way you see it.
You are not alone, no matter how much you think you are – you’re not. So try and broaden your acquaintances. When you go to work, try and spark up a conversation. When your colleagues plan a drink at the local pub, join them. It will feel strange at the beginning. You’ll feel uncomfortable and self-conscious, but once you slide into your new position and establish who you are within the group, you may start to have a lot of fun, and create bonds that you never thought you could.
This is important. This is what life is about. Connections. So allow yourself to have that laughter and fulfilment in your life.
