It wasn’t until fairly recently that I started thinking about living for as long as I could in a healthy, independent way. I became an addict at the age of 9 and spent the better part of my youth chasing high after high. I didn’t care if I lived to see another day just as long as I could feel my next high.
Fortunately, I am sober and have been for about a decade. As a recovering addict, I have a new appreciation for life and its value. I now feel like there is just so much to do and experience that I want to do everything in my power to give myself the opportunity to do just that.
I knew that I had to make serious life changes and build new habits. These are the top 8 ways that I have been able to change my life for the better.
1. Exercise
Staying physically active is a key part of living a healthy, and therefore longer, life.
Exercise not only makes you feel stronger and fitter, a more demanding session can also create a natural sense of euphoria by way of releasing serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin in your brain.
Working out is also a great way for me to vent, I needed it especially during the earlier stages of recovery when I felt like I couldn’t talk to someone every time I was feeling any negative emotions. Exercise made recovery easier for me and helped me feel much better about myself as a person.
Did you know that having a BMI higher than 30 can increase the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and other health issues? Keeping a healthy weight definitely wouldn’t hurt if you want to live a longer, healthier life.
Getting in at least 15 minutes a day of lightly strenuous physical activity where you can really build up a sweat and have trouble keeping up a conversation is a great way to get started. Ever heard of the 10,000 steps a day rule? Taking that many steps in a day won’t help you lose weight on its own but it will help get your heart rate going, boost the endorphins in your body and help oxygenate your blood.
2. Healthy Eating
While we’d all like to think that simply doing a couple of laps of speed walking or downing a couple of kale smoothies will do the trick, it goes beyond that. If someone does, in fact, have a BMI higher than 30 and hopes to lose weight they’ll need to achieve a calorie deficit until they reach their goal weight. But once again, no shortcuts. It is important to maintain a calorie deficit, but it is also important to give your body the nutrition it needs so that your brain, heart, and other organs can function at their full potential.
There is a Japanese practice called Hara Hachi Bu where you eat until you’re only 80% full. This practice is fairly effective as the body only processes that it is full 20 minutes after you have eaten. By doing this you avoid overeating while still satiating your appetite.
Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains instead of processed white grain, and portion control is a must.
Also, try and be conscious of the vitamins and minerals you are eating. For example; fatty fish is a great source of Omega-3 which helps with inflammation as well as cognitive and behavioral functions, chickpeas are an excellent source of vitamin B6 which helps to metabolize protein and fat as well as improve mood, and berries are a good source of antioxidants which help anti-aging and to maintain a healthy heart.
Do remember that too much of anything isn’t good for you, always try and maintain a balance.
3. Mindfulness
Living in a world of screens and never-ending to-do lists can be very stressful which takes a toll on our mental, emotional, and physical health.
To be mindful is to be aware. Practicing mindfulness trains the body to only be aware of the present moment and/or a specific person, object or occurrence. This can help take the feeling of being overwhelmed away.
Practicing mindfulness also helps to focus and compartmentalize our thoughts. Sometimes it takes no more than an overstimulated mind to set the pace for a stressful day. I myself struggled to fall asleep at night thanks to my numerous wandering thoughts but once I started practicing mindfulness, I am able to get a good night’s rest much more often than not.
4. Gratitude/Positive Outlook
As a recovering addict, I spent a fair amount of time focusing on my problems. If I wasn’t upset about something that just happened, I would be thinking about another incident or failure from the past. Then I realized that problems are a part of life, there was no way that I could just avoid them for the rest of my life. What I could control was the way I reacted to them.
I learned to count my blessings more than my troubles and be grateful for all of it. Because they tell me that I am alive.
Similarly, it is important to have a positive outlook on life. Despite whatever may happen, just have faith that it will all work out. This way instead of shrinking under the weight of your own negativity, you open yourself to life and everything it has to offer. This will, in turn, motivate you to take yourself and keep up habits that promote a healthy life.
5. Cognitive stimulation
The same way exercising strengthens the body, you need to make sure that you are also strengthening the mind.
While I was recovering from alcohol and drug abuse, I realized that I had trouble remembering things and making simple calculations. In my case, I was affected by the substances I had abused for so long as well as the bad nutritional habits that my lifestyle brought me. I started doing little puzzles and setting aside time to just learn something new.
The mind is like a muscle, if you don’t provide it with stimulation, it’s more likely to stop working as well. Living a long, healthy life includes mind, body, and spirit.
As part of my recovery process I attended the Aspen Ridge North addiction and rehab-program
6. Help Others/Friendships
Having meaningful relationships is a large part of leading a fulfilling life. Nurturing friendships where everyone adds value to the other’s life is a beautiful thing.
It was something that my life was severely lacking during my battle with addiction but once I was able to cultivate and maintain these relationships my quality of life improved tremendously. Just being able to share, laugh, cry, be silly, and be appreciated by other people gave me a reason to smile every day.
Similarly, I began to feel much better when I started actively seeking opportunities to help others. Focusing on others, being compassionate, and feeling like my life had greater meaning did wonder for my mental health. I started volunteering and living a better life was just an added bonus.
7. Rest
Health is all about balance and resting is just as vital to a healthy life as being active is.
Getting at least 7 hours of deep, undisturbed sleep every day makes a great deal of difference in terms of energy level, mood, health, and many other things. Not getting enough shut-eye can actually lead to many health problems.
8. Me Time
This is something that many of us forget to do.
Whether it is because we feel that we don’t have enough time or even if we feel like it would be selfish, taking some time out of your day to do something you enjoy and just detach yourself from the rest of the world is actually good for you.
It could be reading a good book, going to the movies, listening to music, taking a walk in the park, getting a massage, just put aside a little bit of your day strictly for yourself. Doing this will allow you to de-stress and motivate yourself to keep improving yourself and your life.
If you want to live a long, healthy life and be able to experience it to the fullest, you should not only keep illness at bay but learn to enjoy your life at every turn. No matter the trials and tribulations that may come your way, there is beauty in it all. Just remember to take a moment once in awhile, and smell the roses.
Guest Blogger
Andy Macia aspiringfreelancewriter@gmail.com
