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8 Healthy Habits You’re Not Doing (But You Need To Be)

8 Healthy Habits You’re Not Doing (But You Need To Be)

By: Darci Maxwell

 

Jim Rohn said “Take care of your body.  It’s the only place you have to live.”  While we all want to take care of our bodies, we tend to get a little lazy here and there, neglecting do many necessary things to keep us healthy.  We all do it – our lives become hectic and we decide that we don’t have time to do the little things, or we simply forget.  Unfortunately, neglecting these little things takes a toll on our overall health.  Make a change today by finding time to create the eight healthy habits below.

Getting Enough Sleep

We are all culprits of not sleeping enough.  Some people see it as a waste of time, others just can’t seem to find the time to do it.  Research, however, has proven that getting enough sleep will help you be more successful throughout the day.  It sharpens your mind, eases stress, decreases the risk of accident and injury, and increases the chance of developing diseases such as heart disease and cancer. 

To help yourself sleep better, don’t drink alcohol or coffee for four hours before bed. Create a bedtime routine that starts one hour before you want to be in asleep to help you wind down.  Turn off all electronics during this time.  Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, regardless of whether or not you need to.  Exercise more often to help you sleep better at night. 

Flossing Your Teeth

While half of all Americans brush their teeth about once a day, nearly 80% of don’t floss their teeth.  Your toothbrush cannot reach every crack and crevice between your teeth, and if you do not floss, it increases the risk of plaque, gingivitis, and cavities.  If your gums bleed whether you are in a dentist’s chair or just when you floss at home, it is an indicator that you are not properly taking care of your teeth.  You should be brushing and flossing twice per day for optimum dental care. 

8 healthy habits

Drinking Enough Water

How much water do you drink a day?  A cup? Two cups?  It is recommended that you drink ½ oz to 1 oz of water for every pound that you weigh, every day.  So if you weigh 145 lbs, you should drink about 70-145 ounces of water a day. Of course, that range depends on your circumstances.  You need to drink more water if you are exercising or if you are out in the sun than if you are sitting at your desk.  

Fortunately, all of this liquid does not have to come from just drinking water.  You can drink juice, eat soup, or eat a popsicle, just make sure that you avoid alcohol and soda as those can dehydrate you more.  Remember that if you only drink water when you feel thirsty, you are already dehydrated.  Sip water throughout the day for a healthier life.

drink plenty of water

Washing Your Face

We all know the importance of washing your face, but few people actually do it every night.  During the day, your face collects dirt, dust, bacteria, and more.  Washing your face every night with lukewarm water will remove any buildup that you have accumulated throughout the day. 

Massage a gentle cleanser into your face for thirty seconds to a minute to properly clean the face.  Rinse with water and pat dry.  Rubbing dry can damage your skin and create wrinkles.

Cleaning Under Your Nails

Finger and toe nails are one of the germiest places on our bodies, but we rarely take care of them the way we should.  The black gunk under your fingernails is dirt, lint, keratin debris from your nail, as well as skin cells.  If it is every green, that means that you have bacteria living under your nails.  You need to be extra vigilant in taking care of your nails if you have artificial nails as there are tiny spaces perfect for bacteria growth. 

Put soap in the palm of your hand and scrub your nails clean in a circular motion, using your palm.  If the buildup is particularly bad, you can sweep under them with an orange stick.  Be gentle when cleaning under your nails because you can separate your nail from the nail bed if you are too rough. 

Leaving Your Face Alone

Resting your hands on your face at work, picking your face, or just touching your face is terrible for your skin.  There is a lot of oil and bacteria on your hands, so leave your face alone.  Picking your face will actually make you break out more, break down your collagen, cause scarring, spread bacteria, and make it more difficult for your skin to heal.  Touching your face, like picking your face, also spreads bacteria. Find something else for your non-dominant hand to do while you’re scrolling through your social media feed, like playing with a spinning ring or twiddling a pencil. 

Exercising

It is recommended that you exercise 30 minutes a day 6 days a week.  However, very few people actually find the time to do so.  Exercising decreases the risk of many diseases, and helps you stay young and healthy.   To help you exercise more often, keep an extra change of workout clothes in your car, buy clothes that you like, follow a fitness guru on social media, and set daily reminders on your phone. 

exercise outdoors

Spending Time Outdoors

Being trapped at a desk during your 9-5 job can make it difficult to see the sunshine, let alone spend time in nature.  Spending time outside can help boost your focus, creativity, improve your mood and self-esteem, increase your Vitamin D levels, as well as heal your body and soul.  The earth has a negative charge, and “plugging in” to the earth (by walking barefoot in the grass or sand) can help rejuvenate your body. 

Take an afternoon walk, eat outside, exercise outside instead of in a gym, or just go sit on your porch for a few minutes.  Even spending five minutes a day outside can change your life.

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