There are many things we can do to improve our health and wellness. Some of them may seem minor, but if you do them consistently, they can greatly impact your well-being.

Experts agree that wellness includes multiple domains: emotional, spiritual, social, financial, occupational, and physical. Below are some tips on how to cultivate daily habits that will help you meet your lifestyle goals in each of these areas.

1. Exercise

Regular physical activity is one of the best things you can do for your Health and Wellness. It can improve heart and bone health, boost a person’s energy levels and help them sleep better. It can also help control their weight, lower their risk of chronic diseases like cancer and diabetes, and help protect against mental illness by lowering stress and depression.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity each week. Examples of moderate-intensity activity include brisk walking, dancing, swimming and riding a bike. Vigorous activity includes activities such as running or participating in an aerobic fitness class. Strength training is also important and can be done with free weights, machines or your own bodyweight. It’s helpful to mix up your routine and try different activities so you’re working out various muscle groups.

All people can experience the benefits of exercise, regardless of age or ability level. In fact, ACSM launched its Exercise Is Medicine initiative in 2007 to make physical activity a part of every patient’s medical visit. Improved fitness drastically reduces a person’s risk of many chronic diseases that develop over time, including heart disease and diabetes. Exercise also can help a person maintain a healthy weight, strengthen their bones and muscles, and boost their self-esteem.

2. Eat Healthy

It’s no secret that what you eat has a direct impact on your health. A balanced diet is key to prevent malnutrition and reduce your risk of developing chronic diseases such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and cancer.

A healthy diet focuses on eating a variety of foods from the 5 main food groups. These include: fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains and dietary fiber. It also includes limiting the amount of salt, added sugars and saturated and trans fats you consume.

Eating a well-balanced diet provides you with long-term benefits such as boosted energy, improved mood and regulated sleep patterns. It also helps with weight management, disease prevention and improved cognitive function.

Making a big change to your diet can be overwhelming, so take it one step at a time. Start by replacing your processed sugar with natural sweeteners, then add in more fruits and vegetables. Remember to read labels and beware of sneaky added sugars in items like yogurt, bread and salad dressing.

There are many different ways to improve your wellness, and it doesn’t have to cost you money or time! Try incorporating a few of these healthy habits into your daily routine to see a positive impact on your overall health and wellbeing.

3. Sleep Well

Getting enough sleep is crucial for mental and physical wellness. It’s an important part of the health and wellness equation that is often overlooked. Insufficient rest may lead to overeating, weight gain, a greater risk for depression and other health problems, and a weaker immune system.

During sleep, your body and brain perform essential functions that contribute to health and well-being. While sleeping, your body conserves energy by lowering blood pressure and slowing the heart rate. It diverts energy to cell growth, tissue repair, and memory formation. It also helps regulate your emotions and strengthens the immune system.

To improve your sleep, try avoiding large meals and caffeine close to bedtime. You can also try exercising during the day, reducing tech use before bed, and creating a comfortable bedroom environment. If you find that you are still struggling to get a good night’s sleep, talk with your doctor. They can help you identify if there is an underlying health condition that could be keeping you from sleeping well.

Emory benefits-eligible employees, spouses and pre-65 retirees enrolled in an Emory medical plan can participate in the Sleep Better, Feel Better campaign from June 24 through August 4, 2024 to get the most out of their nights’ rest. Record your progress using Healthy Emory Connect (Sharecare) and earn a well-being incentive or reward!

4. Stay Connected

The practice of connecting to others is a fundamental pillar in lifestyle medicine and has been shown to have many health benefits including maintaining a healthy body weight, controlling blood sugars, decreasing cancer mortality, mitigating depression symptoms and decreasing cardiovascular death. The opposite of connection is social isolation, which has been shown to increase depressive symptoms, anxiety and stress hormones and also lead to a greater risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia and mental illness.

Practicing good mental health and prioritizing socializing should be as important to our wellness plan as exercising or eating well. This can be done by reaching out to friends and family members, joining a new group or taking a class based on a hobby, volunteering in your community and reducing practices that contribute to feeling disconnected from others such as social media overuse.

Conclusion

Physicians may not have enough time to address this with patients during a regular visit due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, however incorporating a question about how often a patient connects and what type of interactions these are (phone calls, face-to-face meetings, group exercise classes etc.) could help raise awareness of the importance of this aspect of wellness. This would be a small step in the right direction for incorporating this into medical visits as part of the growing focus on lifestyle counseling.