Six rules to live a healthy life and avoid alzheimer
I have recently listened to a podcast about healthy living and a healthy lifestyle which I would like to share with my readers.
As human beings after a certain age especially as soon as we start working, we forget to find meaning in little things, and more than not, we even get sucked into our professional life. Often these types of behaviors lead to life stagnation, dissatisfaction, and even mental health concerns.
Today, I want to share the six pillars to lead a life of purpose, fulfillment, and health.
1. Reading often
I think reading is the best tool to keep your memory sharp. There is nothing better than using your time to immerse yourself in a good book and feel disconnected from the world. Reading has proven to be effective in dealing with mental health and improving our memory and cognitive skills in the long term.
2. Sleeping well
The importance of sleep is essential in building a healthy lifestyle. When we are students, we are sleep deprived. We are ok to have 4-5 hours of sleep per night or even start the day without sleeping. However, in the long run, not having sleep has tremendous negative consequences. As such, as many studies have shown, the well-recommended hours of sleeping time are 7-8 hours with a good night quality and deep sleep.
"Happiness consists in getting enough sleep. Just that, nothing more." – Robert A Heinlein
3. Building Social connections
During the pandemic, we were imprisoned at home due to stringent lockdowns; now that life seems to be back to normal, it is essential to take time to build and restore our relationships whether it is with our partner, family, or friends. While social media comes with its good and bad, taking time to meet with your close ones have shown to have tremendous benefits for your mental health. Indeed, meaningful relationships can help to deal with depression, feelings of loneliness, isolation, anxiety, and so forth. Taking time to reconnect with others has long-lasting effects on our health.
4. Exercising 2-3 times per week
Going for long walks, and working out are important to build mental and physical resilience. When you have a healthy body, you have a healthy mind too. Being physically active reduces the risk of diseases, strengthens your muscles, and improves your brain health.
As per specialists, it is recommended to do 150 minutes of moderate intensity workouts.
5. Avoiding stress
Stress is the worst enemy of all. It has a negative effect on our health and body. Stress can weaken our immune system and accelerate aging. Stress can cause dementia and memory loss.
It is true, stress is inevitable in our life. We are stressed about work deadlines, exams, and life in general, but there are ways to mitigate it: journaling, mindfulness, mediations, yoga, and therapy sessions.
6. Learning a language
Why not stimulate our brain with something challenging as learning a new language or taking a course? Learning something shows that we have something to look forward to, something that excites us, and something that enriches our day every day. Life doesn't need to be just about working, eating, sleeping, and repeating it all over again, but it can be a long life of learning where each day is an opportunity to learn. There are resources available online from where we can learn such as Coursera, Udemy, and Skillshare.
To conclude, each of the pillars listed is not something that happens overnight, but they are based on habits. If you want to see benefits, you need to start acting on these pillars. by taking tiny steps.
Only doing a little bit of each of them each day will deliver long-term yields to your life and general health.