A Healthy Lifestyle is the Key to a Happy Life

A feeling of happiness and general well-being is the result of a healthy lifestyle. A healthy lifestyle includes a balanced diet, regular exercise, healthy sleeping habits, positive thinking, mindfully staying in the present. Good health has a direct impact on your personality. A person with a good and healthy lifestyle is generally happier, more confident, self-assured, sociable and energetic.

Diet. A healthy diet includes a combination of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and whole grains, milk, meat, fish and eggs. On an average you need to include forty percent cereals,, thirty five percent fruits and vegetables, twenty percent meat, fish eggs, milk( pulses and nut and oil seeds for vegetarians and five percent oils and sugars. Coloured fruits and vegetables are the richest sources of vitamins, minerals, fibre and antioxidants. In addition to this, at least 2-3 litres of water should be consumed daily. Use of processed and packaged food should be avoided. Fried and oily as well as sweet food should be kept to a minimum. Too much caffiene, alcohol, nicotine, and drugs have an adverse effect on your health.

Sleep. A good night’s sleep is essential for health and happiness. When you are ready to sleep,put off the lights, television, put away all your gadgets and take about 15 or 20 minutes to meditate and be grateful for all the small blessings that made your day happy and comfortable. When you sleep better at night, you are more energetic and productive during the day.

Exercise. Exercise is a mood lifter. It stimulates your brain, releasing endorphins, the feel-good hormones that leave you feeling happier, more relaxed and less anxious. Add about 30 to 40 minutes of exercise to your daily routine to keep your body and mind in good shape. Exercise may include brisk walking, jogging, cycling, strength training or stretching(yoga). If your work involves long hours of sitting, do get up every few minutes to do some stretching.

Do things you enjoy. Find time in your busy routine to do things that you really enjoy.

Engaging in activities that are in line with your values

and interests can improve your sense

of well-being. This may range from spending time with your family, playing games, going out for walks, reading books, gardening, watching a movie or just spending time with friends.

Stay in the present moment. Past is gone and can never be changed, and future is too far off to waste your time worrying about it. Stay in the present moment. Enjoy what you have. Do what is effective. Make each day your best ever. Dwelling too much on the past or future creates non-essential stress.

Stress reduction. There is a lot more stress in our lives today than ever before. Meditation, prayer, relaxation exercises as well as light physical exercise can help you stay calm and focused.

Avoid negative emotions, thoughts and actions. Change what you can. If you can not change something, fretting over it is quite useless. Changing your attitude toward it would be more helpful.

Ask for help. If you find your stress is becoming over-powering, work is lagging, your relationships are suffering, you are unable to give your best or you find life is becoming overbearing, don’t hesitate to ask for help. Reach out sooner rather than later. Talk to a close friend, parent or elder.

Professional counselling can be very helpful at such a time because counsellors help you to understand your problems and to solve them effectively in a confidential, respectful, non-judgmental and non-threatening environment.

Sudeep Bhangoo, PhD

Counsellor based in Chandigarh tricity. Also available for online counselling