Healthy women build a network of positive people around them. They quietly
disengage from friends, family and co-workers that don’t add value to their
lives. And they develop coping mechanisms for dealing with toxic people they
can’t avoid.
It’s a good idea to focus on incorporating positive social experiences into your
life. According to Harvard researchers, positive relationships relieve harmful
stress levels, which can negatively affect coronary arteries, gut function, insulin
regulation and the immune system.
2. They take tech breaks
Technology has enhanced our lives in so many ways. Information is readily
available to us, we can keep in touch with distant friends and relatives, we can
work from just about anywhere, and we know what’s happening everywhere in
the world – but all this connectivity certainly has a downside. Healthy women
know that for the good of their minds and bodies, sometimes they just need to
disconnect.
This can take the form of regular digital detoxes, or daily “quiet” times – as long
as you are spending some of your life disconnected from technology and the
other billions of other people all around the world who use it too.
3. They wear sunscreen
Healthy women know that no matter what generations of social conditioning tell
us, there is no such thing as a healthy tan. A tan is simply a sign that the sun’s
radiation has damaged your skin. While there are certain mood and health
benefits to daily sun exposure, don’t overdo it. Wear sunblock every day and if
you know you will be spending time in the sun, wear a hat and UV protective
clothing.
4. They prioritise being active in creative ways
For some healthy women, a daily hour at the gym is easy to achieve. Others can’t
bear the idea of sweating it out with the fitness freaks. Whatever their approach,
healthy women prioritise the exercise that’s right for them. If they don’t work
out, they go for daily walks or swims or yoga and dance classes – and even keep
active at the during the day by taking the stairs rather than the lift, parking far
from the entrance to the shops, or using their lunch break to take a stroll.
5. They aim for a healthy relationship with food
Leaving aside the raging debates, there are a few things that experts agree on:
fad diets, sugar and processed food are bad; plenty of vegetables and variety are
good. Rather than obsessing about their diets, healthy women simply try to eat
more of the good things and fewer of the bad.
6. They go for regular health checkups
We got the boring one out of the way first. No one enjoys the annual rotation of
PAP smears and cholestrol tests, or the monthly health checks like breast self-
examinations, but healthy women know that early intervention saves lives so
they stick to the schedule and get checkups when they need them.
You can check out the screening procedures that you should have here.
7. They get enough sleep
Sleep is vital to our wellbeing. People who don’t get enough sleep can be moody,
forgetful, susceptible to illness, and likely to gain weight. And there’s not much
negotiation about the amount of sleep you need. Eight hours is the norm, with
only an hour of leeway either way for people who need more or less sleep.
You can check out how much sleep you need by age here. If you can’t sleep, try
these solutions.
8. They manage their stress
The many professional and family demands on women contribute to their stress.
We’re told of the importance of achieving work-life balance but the pursuit of
balance is probably adding to your stress! Healthy women identify the signs of
stress, and take steps to lessen the effects. A helpful practice is mindfulness –
focusing fully on the task at hand rather than worrying about all the other
demands on your attention. Don’t neglect other proven stress-busters: exercise,
down time, fun, friendship and “me time” (see below for more).
9. And they focus on “me time”
Emotional wellbeing is closely tied to physical wellbeing, says Chicago
psychotherapist and author Cherilynn Veland, speaking to Psychology Today:
“If we aren’t taking time to rest, relax, reenergise and restore, bad things will
happen eventually.” These bad things include a wide range of psychological and
health conditions, including anxiety, depression, heart disease digestive
disorders and sleep problems.
Veland recommends scheduling “me time” into your week, just like everything
else – not just leaving it to chance - and actually setting alarms on your phone to
let you know it’s time. What constitutes me time is entirely up to you.
10. They drink in moderation and don’t smoke at all
According to the Harvard paper Alcohol: Balancing the Risks and Benefit,
alcohol is both a poison and a tonic. While there are studies that report the
possible health benefits of alcohol, there is no question that alcohol abuse leads
to liver damage, and alcohol use is a risk factor in breast cancer. At the same
time, there’s no denying the de-stressing benefits of a nice glass of wine at the
end of a long day.
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