Your established attitude and beliefs are what make up your mindset. When it comes to health, this is at the heart of everything. If you want to be healthier and age well, change your mindset. Does getting into better shape seem daunting? Making relatively small simple changes to our mindset to affect our daily routine can be beneficial for everyone. These changes have meaningful positive effects for our mental health and well-being.
Here are the 7 powerful mindset and healthy habit tips for the new year:
Getting Outdoors
Humans don't seem to be designed to always be inside a home or office. Taking a walk outside changes your environment and perspective. How can it not as a walk lets you enjoy the fresh air, listen to the birds, note the sounds around you, and take in the smells of nature? Research has repeatedly shown us that interaction with nature is associated with better physical and brain health. Birds appear to be a specific source of these benefits that heal. They are almost everywhere and provide a way to connect with nature. Even without actually seeing them, listening to birdsong provides a source of mind calming. A study actually found that listening to short audio clips-6 minutes- of birdsong can reduce anxiety, depression and paranoia in healthy participants.
Taking Care of your Teeth and Gums
Keep brushing and flossing early and often. New evidence suggests that what goes on in our mouths can affect our brains. Studies suggest that oral health may be an identifiable risk factor for dementia.
5-Minute Breathing Exercises
Most of us breathe too shallowly all day long and never completely exchange the air in our lungs. This is likely due to stress. Practice cyclic sighing for 5 minutes a day. Slowly inhale through your nose, expanding your lungs. Take another small sniff to fully fill your lungs. Hold it a little longer. Then slowly exhale through your mouth, deflating your lungs. This exercise allows us to consciously slow down our breathing. Research has shown that this can not only improve our mood but also physiology by creating a more relaxed state. Cyclic breathing may be better than mindful meditation for some people.
Reducing Inflammation
Prolonged exposure to inflammatory agents in the blood can break down the barrier between the body and the brain. It has been repeatedly shown that exercise has anti-inflammatory effects. Limiting processed foods and eating a vegetable-rich diet, such as the Mediterranean diet, are smart options.
Acquiring 4 Habits of "Super Agers"
Super Agers are people who are older than 80 and whose memory is as good as those 20-30 years younger. Becoming a “Super Ager” is probably partly due to genetics, but our lifestyle choices matter tremendously: food, exercise, social connections and embracing new challenges can make a difference in our cognitive health as we age. Here are their habits for you to incorporate into your daily living:
Exercise your body
Eat fiber-rich foods
Stay social
Engage your brain
Letting Your Mind wander
Down time is essential in our fast paced, stressful schedules. Sitting quietly and tuning out the world helps with our constant “flight or fight” response on a daily basis. Relaxing our minds is as necessary as relaxing our bodies.
Social Touch
Touch is so important for us that we have specific cells in our skin to detect it. It is essential to our well being and can reduce stress and pain while helping us to feel closer to one another.
Improving your health takes a positive mindset. Knowing that small steps are impactful and that aging is more than exercise is crucial for a 360-degree approach to good health and aging well.
Have any questions? Feel free to reach out to me at: 908.619.8768 or send me an email at: sharon.mcgeehan@att.net.
