What are your healthy lifestyle habits?

[Ginger]

Every Sunday night I cook ridiculous amounts of food and use it for my lunches all week.

I always feel calm and go into a mood that would even qualify as "happy" when I do this. I saute ginger and red onions, then add red cabbage, beets, carrots, mushrooms, all kinds of stuff. In another pan, I saute tilapia. In a big pot, I make a lot of quinoa. In another pot, I make oatmeal with apple and cinnamon (I adore cold oatmeal). I love all these foods, and assemble my lunches with them all week.

Another thing I do that is healthy, is work out a few times a week. I love my gym and go into a quiet, focused state when I'm there. I'm sort of proud of how much weight I apply on the machines.

I don't always accomplish this goal, but I try to get enough sleep, which makes a huge difference for me.

Having something to look forward to is very effective for improving my mental health. I try to go to a movie many Friday nights. Building ritual into my life is comforting.

And music helps a lot.

[Corkey]

Healthy lifestyle for me means being honest with myself and my wife at all times. Sometimes I do too much and end up paying a price that sets me back. Being healthy means doing the things that work, food, excersize, mind, and spirit. It means giving up unrealistic expectations for myself that I can no longer physically expect a good outcome. Sometimes it is self care in retreating from the world and it's demands. Most of the time it is meeting head on things that need done with good cheer. Grumpy me has issues with some stuff and grumpy me needs to get the hell over it. Cheerful me knows grumpy me wins at times.

[Kelt]

These are really good ideas, I am impressed.

Like Sweet2th and KC butch, I also did a pretty complete overhaul of my physical life. It has prompted me to continue to wanting to seek more changes along these lines which is why I am getting ideas from folks here.

Agreeing with MerryFairy on the importance of self care, and with Hollylane's suggestion for a nature break at regular intervals.

IslandScout, I do the exact same thing with food preparation. Even though I cook for one, you would think it was for ten. I love being able to open the fridge at anytime and know that there will be several very tasty and good for me choices available. It really reinforces healthy choices. I also like making big batches of soup and freezing the extra. That way even if I don't have the time to shop for a while I know it is there and always have a backup plan.

Corkey, knowing yourself is probably one of the healthiest things a person can do for themselves.

Brock, kudos on the apple.

[Gráinne]

I too have been following this thread, and getting good ideas. I never thought of self-care as a sacred ritual; it's always after work/cleaning/kids/everything and everyone else that my time comes.

I feel at the core of self-care has to be a conviction that we deserve it, need it, and that it's very UNselfish of us to put our own needs first. That's tough to do!

I (as of Monday) dusted off my Weight Watchers subscription and began tracking and following the health guidelines. This time, my attitude isn't that I'm "on a diet", which presumes that one day I'll be off of it. I like how I feel when I'm following it, and making it a way of life. Not everyone is fluffy like me, but there are good tips just for maintaining (and I like the smiley faces when I fulfill a guideline ).

I was also thinking that I need to bring back my morning ritual of swimming laps at the gym until my arms fall off, then sitting in the hot tub. While I swam, I imagined my problems falling like bricks to the bottom of the pool, making me lighter. By the time I'd finished, maybe I hadn't solved all of them, but neither did they burden me.

I've always been more able to meditate and clear my mind if I'm doing heavy physical exercise.

[PearlsNLace]

I have just recently replaced my 60 ounces of coffee with water.

I am reducing my use of NSAIDS by 50% by using a heating pad, gentle stretching, and long showers.

I am aiming for 30 minutes of activity daily.

I moisterize my face and hands.

I use aromatherapy to reduce my stress at work. its actually helping.

I have a night time routine, and I go to bed and wake up around the same time, even on days off. My circadian rythms are pleased.

I am practicing forgiveness of self when I dont meet my aims.

[Kelt]

Another thing I've done is to increase the amount of sleep I get each night. This was a tricky one because I didn't want to take any supplements or anything. I had been getting along for quite a few years on 6 hours a night, but after doing a bit of research, decided I could use more. I wanted to reduce the levels of cortisol in my system. I read up on what is referred to as sleep hygiene and implemented some of those ideas. Setting up and using a fan for white noise, making it as dark as possible, and making it cooler at night all helped. Just not enough.

Over some time, maybe a month or two, I put together a ritual to go through right before I go to sleep and faithfully followed it everyday. Nothing special, just closing up the place, checking pet needs, and as the last item I made sure to have a hot bath or shower right before getting into bed. By following the same exact routine each night, my body started learning that when x,y,z, were complete, it was time to go to sleep.

It like a reflex, or muscle memory, and works like a charm for me 98% of the time. Even if I am stressed or all wired up, the motions seem to put in place the result.