Do you need some straightforward tips for a healthy lifestyle? These simple steps help you to manage stress levels and keep you feeling healthy, even while balancing a busy workload and family commitments.

With so much emphasis these days on taking the ‘right’ supplement to ensure good health, we can sometimes miss the real essence of health, and that is living a healthy lifestyle.

It is easy to lose focus of the important and simple practice of living a healthy life in today’s fast-paced life. For many, these Ten Steps to Living a Healthy Life will not be anything new; this article is more of a reminder and confirmation that keeping things simple can help maintain overall health and wellbeing. 

Just to let you know, no supplements or pills are being suggested here, just good old fashioned healthy living.

So, let’s get started!

Step One: Physical activity. Aim to include at least 20 minutes per day of physical activity (you could call this exercise too). Finding time to fit exercise into your day can be as simple as taking the dog for a walk, walking to buy your groceries instead of taking the car or mowing the lawn. You’ll be surprised how much better you will feel just by doing this alone.

Step Two: Meditation. Practice taking yourself away from your day to day life and focus on simplicity; this is what meditation is about for the busy person. Meditation need not be rigid or challenging; walking meditation can be ideal for some, others simply listening to music, playing music, or gardening can be a meditation.

Step Three: Eat regular meals. Although this can seem an obvious suggestion, ensuring your body has proper nutrients to function can improve productivity and reduce wasted time. Fuelling your body with the best quality nutrients from simple whole foods can be a game-changer for your health and energy.

Step Four: maintain regular and sufficient sleep. Although many busy people attempt to push the boundaries of reduced sleep at some stage, the well-known long-term effects of lack of adequate rest can reduce focus, concentration, and increase stress levels.

Step Five: Limit alcohol intake to no more than two standard serves per day. Although alcohol can seem to provide temporary relief from stress or anxiety, in the long run, excessive intake can increase stress hormones, causing further problems down the track. In fact, following the first four steps here can be very helpful for reducing the need for alcohol.

Step Six: Take time out each day to focus on yourself. Having some quiet time to relax, reflect and simply ‘be’, can improve energy, stress levels and enhance perspective – aim to schedule in fifteen minutes per day.

Step Seven: Include intimacy as part of your lifestyle. Sharing time with your partner, your close friends or family members, among many other things, can help to provide a more relaxed view of life and help to strengthen loving relationships. Sharing your struggles, challenges and accomplishments with someone close to you can seriously improve your stress levels and overall wellbeing.

Step Eight: Avoid stimulants such as caffeine, sugar and smoking. The temporary benefits of these stimulants only create further health problems. Like alcohol, I suggest that following the other steps within this article will encourage more energy, better perspectives, reduced stress levels and less desire or need for stimulants.

Step Nine: Connect with nature. Scheduling in bushwalking, gardening, or beach swimming regularly can help replenish your spirit and reinvigorate your mind. It can be challenging to find that connection with Mother Earth in build-up city spaces – seek out local parks, make a small garden in your home, or schedule day trips re-connect with nature.

Step Ten: Have fun. Being an adult can be a little too serious at times; sometimes, a change in perspective is all that is needed to include some laughter in your daily life. Learn to laugh at your mistakes, learn to juggle, practice making silly faces at your friends, dance in your kitchen while preparing meals with your partner – embrace every opportunity to have fun!

So, there you have it, Ten Steps to Living a Healthy Life. It’s not rocket science, and you don’t need any special equipment or the latest supplement or superfood.

The information provided in this article is for information purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice. We recommend you consult with a GP or other healthcare professional before taking any action based on this article. While the author uses best endeavours to provide accurate and true content, the author makes no guarantees or promises regarding the accuracy, reliability or completeness of the information presented. If you rely on any information provided in this article, you do so at your own risk.