…by guest writer Jennifer Scott
Major life transitions can be frightening because of the uncertainty they carry with them. However, if you take charge of a major life transition, such as turning a certain age or moving…….
…….and use it as an opportunity to replace bad habits with positive ones and change your life for the better, you will find that your transitional period can give you a new, healthier lease on life.
1. Make Healthier Choices
If you have been waiting to make healthier choices in your diet, exercise, or relationships, use your major life transition as the reason to do so.
For example, if you are turning 40 and want to start eating healthier, clean out your refrigerator and pantry and stock them with fruits, vegetables, and unprocessed foods.
Look at your new age as a chance to feel and look younger by taking charge of your diet and breaking your bonds with sugar, alcohol, and processed foods. One tip for eating healthier is to fill half your plate with fruits or vegetables such as tomatoes, sweet potatoes, and broccoli.
Try to eat a serving of fruits or vegetables with every meal and rely on apples or carrots for snacks rather than chips or cookies.
If your major life transition involves a move to a new place, make it easier for yourself to make healthier choices during the day to increase your physical activity. For example, use the stairs instead of an elevator at work, ride your bike to work instead of driving your car, or get to know your new neighborhood by taking a brisk walk each morning or evening.
You also can meet new people and make friends in your new city by joining an exercise group. Exercising with others will help you be more accountable for daily exercise, too.
2. Create a Healthy Home Environment
Using a transitional period as an opportunity to improve health must include creating a healthy home environment. You may not realize it, but your home impacts your overall well-being in a variety of ways. Everything from the air quality and temperature inside your home to the type of lighting you use affects your hormones, skin, breathing, and sleeping.
And, many people actually increase their stress levels because their homes are too cluttered, as researchers from Princeton University found.
So, how do you go about creating a healthy home environment? The first step is removing clutter.
Whether you are moving, downsizing, or cleaning out because you have reached a certain age, you should begin sorting your belongings and deciding which to keep, which to donate or sell, and which to trash.
Then, put everything in its place and work to keep your home free of clutter to keep your stress levels to a minimum.
One organizing tip is to use shoe boxes as DIY organizers in drawers to make compartments for different articles of clothing.
3. Create a Stress-Free Zone in Your Home
If you are struggling to relax at home, create a space free from distraction.
Some people find that incorporating plants and images of nature in their home helps them relax, while others find that using essential oil diffusers and their favorite music helps them unwind.
Do not carry any of your work into this space and keep it free of electronic devices such as smartphones, laptops, and tablets.
This stress-free zone may include items that have sentimental meaning for you or items that make you feel comfortable. Consider adding pillows, a comfortable chair, or books to your sanctuary.
Make it a point to get in your stress-free zone for several minutes once a day. Here are more tips on how to optimize your home for stress-free living.
If you view a major life transition as an opportunity to change your life for the better by making healthier choices, you will improve your overall well-being.
Try eating healthier and fitting more physical activity into each day, creating a healthy home environment and eliminating clutter, and creating a stress-free zone in your home.
About Jennifer Scott: Jennifer Scott is an advocate for opening up about mental health. With SpiritFinder.org, Ms. Scott offers a forum where those living with anxiety and depression can discuss their experiences.
Photos in this article from the Cotopaxi Outdoors Gear Facebook Page. (see copyright disclaimer at bottom of article) Cotopaxi donates a percentages of its profits to projects all over the world (such as clean water), to help people in developing countries better their lives.
~stay healthy~
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