7 Health Goals to Set for Yourself

Health is wealth. How many times have we heard that saying? Countless times, surely. However, no matter how overused or hackneyed it has become, it still sums up an important truth in a nutshell. One’s health is the main contributor to living a fulfilling and satisfying life. Without your physical, emotional, and social well-being, material possessions and other superficial pursuits of life are meaningless. Therefore, it is now time to define your health goals. Being healthy is not only about maintaining optimal body weight; it is about working on your mental health and being the best version of yourself. Forming and following realistic health goals that focus on your overall well-being will get you the healthy life you deserve to live as you age.

Consulting with health professionals is one of the best ways to form a list of health goals most suited to your current health status. Health professionals can answer all your questions about nutrition and physical exercises and activities to help delay the onset of mental and physical weaknesses that come with old age. Nurses, especially those who specialize in gerontology, are well-informed about physical, mental, and social changes in people as they age and can help you form health goals according to your age. Courses like the online MSN-NP programs by WPUNJ are designed to equip nurses with the skills to perform physical examinations and apply laboratory/diagnostic techniques to give a comprehensive health assessment in line with your health history. This health assessment can be the springboard for setting your health goals. 

While consulting a health professional is recommended, we suggest that while you wait for your consultation appointment, you can start on some basic routines that are good for your health. We have listed some common health goals to get you the healthy lifestyle you aspire to have.

1. Get Proper Sleep

Getting an adequate amount of sleep every day sounds like a piece of simple advice, but surprisingly, many people fail to follow it. After all, how hard can it be to stay asleep for 7 to 9 hours every night? According to statistics, Americans currently average 6.8 hours of sleep at night- less than the recommended duration by doctors and experts. 

Adequate sleep positively impacts the lungs, kidneys, and metabolism and helps control weight. Furthermore, it also reduces stress and lifts your mood for the day. With its numerous benefits, getting proper sleep can make all the difference on your journey to living a long and healthy life.  

2. Exercise more

Regularly working out or indulging in any physically stimulating activity is ideal for maintaining good health and fitness. Keeping your body physically active and strong helps maintain healthy body weight and reduces the risk of diseases. 

Many experts recommend exercising daily for about 30 to 60 minutes. If you don’t exercise at all, start with two to three days of workout a week; you can always aim for more once your body gets used to the physical exertion. When you start working out consistently, you will soon feel your body getting stronger and healthier.

3. Include more greens on your plate

We are not asking you to go vegetarian; you can enjoy your proteins as you like but add more fruits and vegetables to your diet. Start by adding greens to your plate for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Plant-based diets offer numerous benefits for living healthy. From giving you more energy to strengthening your organs- eating more greens is a great way to maintain a healthy lifestyle. 

However, eating fruits and vegetables while consuming large intakes of unhealthy food will not get the positive health benefits you want. Therefore, you should cut down on fatty meats and high-cholesterol and processed foods for the plants to do their work.

4. Don’t skip breakfast

Moms of the world do not lie: skipping breakfast is an unhealthy habit. Sure, you can argue that you wake up in the morning with so many things to look after that eating breakfast is the last thing on your mind. However, skipping it still isn’t the right thing to do. You need to start your day by stocking up on energy, which a meal in the morning will provide. A healthy and well-balanced breakfast will increase your concentration and metabolism, making you better able to perform your daily tasks. 

If you can’t find time to make your breakfast in the morning, prepare it the night before and get up 15 minutes earlier to enjoy eating it in the morning.

5. Meditate Regularly

Meditation is one of the best ways to improve your emotional health. By allowing yourself to disassociate from anxiety-inducing thoughts and many distractions of life, meditation helps you manage your stress and relax your body. 

Meditation involves training your mind to focus on the present moment and developing a barrier against the thoughts crowding within. Setting aside a few minutes for meditation every day will allow you to enjoy a moment of calm and peace, ultimately lifting your emotional well-being and overall health.

6. Find yourself a supportive community

Surround yourself with people who support and uplift you. Having people around you who encourage you to achieve your goals makes it easier to accomplish them- especially when they share those goals with you. For instance, surrounding yourself with people who work out is a great initiative to be consistent with your workout routine. Getting involved in a community that has a similar vision as you will motivate you on your journey more. 

All in all, having friends who support and help you is crucial to your emotional well-being. Therefore, focus on nurturing the relationships that bring you the most happiness to live an emotionally and socially healthy life.  

7. Get therapy

Having regular therapy sessions will help a great deal in improving your emotional health. Talking to a qualified and professional therapist will provide you with an outlet to purge yourself of the anxiety and stress. Furthermore, it will also help you understand yourself more. Therapy is one of the best ways to have a healthy mind, and a healthy mind means a healthy body.

Conclusion

The goals we have listed offer a great starting point for your road to a healthy lifestyle. Wanting to change your unhealthy habits to healthier ones is a good aim. However, it is important to take it slow. Changing some aspects of your life can be overwhelming and detrimental to your emotional well-being. Therefore, be mindful of gradually introducing changes to your lifestyle to adapt gracefully. 

Furthermore, remember to maintain a positive outlook on life. A positive attitude will improve your mental health and encourage you to follow your goals more. Your mental health plays a crucial part in your physical health, so remember to manage your stress and take care of yourself to remain healthy for a long time.