- Megan
3 Healthy Habits we easily forget...

When we think of healthy habits, we tend to think of the times we
tried going to the gym every day or completely overhauled our diets
for a few weeks just to end up going back to pizza and junk food.
While exercising more and eating better are crucial habits to develop,
they involve a big commitment and are best achieved slowly through
gradual changes.
However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t easier, simpler habits you
can pick up to improve your health. The following habits are all great
head-to-toe health boosters, improving both mental and physical
health, but they are also easily achievable. What more could you ask
for?
Drink About Two Liters of Water Every Day
You have definitely heard this one before, but that doesn’t change
the fact that staying hydrated is one of the easiest ways to keep your
body healthy on a daily basis. Water is one of the most fundamental
needs of your body and is essential to many of its basic functions.
There is no real medical consensus on how much water you need to
drink every day, but the two-liter rule is often used as an easy goal. If
you struggle to drink that much, try some tricks from SELF.com
for bumping up your water intake regularly during the day.
Declutter Every Few Months
Decluttering may not seem like a healthy habit, but it definitely is one.
According to House Logic , researchers at UCLA have shown a link
between clutter and heightened levels of stress. This makes sense
intuitively: messy, cluttered homes are not pleasant environments
and can be both a symptom and a cause of mental illness.
Since clutter has a tendency to re-accumulate over time (and since
our attachment to objects may change over time), you should aim to
declutter your house every few months. It’s also a good idea to pair
each decluttering “session” with a proper deep clean of the house. If
that sounds like your worst nightmare, treat yourself to a professional
cleaning service.
See Some Nature as Often as Possible
There is plenty of scientific evidence for the health benefits of
spending time outdoors. Seeing natural scenes has a measurable
impact on our mental health, which, in turn, affects our bodies by
reducing the physical strain of stress. Regular exposure to nature can
thus help us lead longer and happier lives. Get out and see nature as
often as you can. If you’re lucky enough to live in a city with good
green spaces , take advantage of them. Go for a walk in the park at
lunchtime; even a quick walk can boost your concentration . Or if you
have a scooter , opt to take it to work, as you can often get around
much quicker during rush hour. If you have a yard, sit there for a
while every morning. Go on weekend trips to local nature spots — all
you need is a good pair of hiking shoes. On days when you can’t
manage any time with nature, just take a minute to look at some
pictures of it; studies show this can have the same mood-boosting
effect.
As you can see, not all healthy habits are things you do daily, or even
weekly. They can be as simple as having an extra glass of water
before your meals or taking a moment to look up healthcare plans. A
healthy lifestyle is the accumulation of all many smaller habits, and
it’s important to acknowledge just how much the smallest ones can
do for you.
Guest article by Jennifer McGregor