10 Self-Care Habits for a Happier, Healthier You

People find happiness in different places and different things. It can be a gift that was given to you that makes you happy, or a trip overseas that brings you joy.

Even a cherished memory can bring happiness—almost anything can make you happy, including reading a favorite book that you love.

The strongest feelings of happiness come where there is love. When love is the driving force of actions, the result is joy and happiness. 

When you love your work and people love it too, then you are happy and satisfied and you can continue to succeed. Similarly, when you love someone and that someone loves you back—you couldn't be happier.

But, while external factors and other people’s appreciation are good, you still need to focus on reinforcing your own habits that bring happiness and changing those habits that alter this state. As such, basic self-care can help you be a deeply happy, healthier, and more successful person. 

Here are simple self-care practices you can cultivate to become a happier, healthier and more successful person.

1. Dream Big.

Keep dreaming and aiming higher. You are one of a kind, unique and you need to respect and think highly of yourself. Imagine that your goals are an infinite staircase.

When you set the highest goal you can, and you achieve it, there is another one—greater than the last one. You must never be complacent and stop dreaming because dreaming is crucial to your happiness, growth and success. It is a great motivation in life.

2. Meditate.

Because we are living in stressful times, you need to find a way to relax, manage your emotions and relieve your body of the stress of modern life. One way of doing that is by meditating.

Not only will meditation help you calm down and relax, but also improve your focus and concentration on what matters. It can also help you think about problems in a calm way without losing your cool or developing negative, depressive feelings.  

3. Exercise.

Exercise is something that puts our mind in a wonderful state and our bodies in a physically fit and visually pleasing condition. It boosts your mood and increases your energy. That’s what we all want, right? You need to be active, full of energy and in the right mood to succeed in this life, and exercise helps you with that.

So, make exercise a regular part of your routine. Jog, run or even just walk regularly. Simple aerobic exercises like these will improve your cognitive abilities, physical health and overall abilities, and that by itself will boost your confidence and lead to a happier and joyful life.  

4. Eat Healthy.

It sounds obvious, but this is vital. You have to eat a healthy and balanced diet to keep you body strong, your mind sharp and your heart beating. If you don’t eat healthy foods, you’re bound to end up having all sorts of problems. In general, eat lots of protein, fiber and carbs, with plenty of fruit and vegetables. These boost your metabolism and keep you feeling full all day long.

Avoid too much fat, salt and sugar, and processed foods (that is, foods in the market that have been cooked, prepared or altered in any way). And don’t shy away from contacting a nutritionist to ask for advice on how and what you should eat and when. When you get what you eat and when in order, you will be surprised at how much better, happier you will feel every day. 

5. Stay Hydrated.

Many people don’t pay much attention to their water intake. That means most of us aren’t drinking enough water. And when you don’t drink enough water, you become dehydrated and your body becomes weak. Your body is also unable to properly eliminate toxins and you feel exhausted a lot.

To counter all that, ensure you take the recommended eight to 10 glasses of water every day to keep your body functioning properly, although you don't need to rely only on what you drink to meet your fluid needs. What you eat also provides a significant portion of your fluid needs. But keep a bottle of water with you. If you see it, you will drink it!

6. Get Enough Sleep.

Most of us need at least eight hours of sleep each night. That’s need, not want. A good night’s sleep is an extremely effective way to relieve stress and beat tiredness. It allows cells to regenerate and repair damage.

Get six to eight hours of shuteye each night, and your life will improve significantly.

7. Stop Multitasking.

Multitasking might be one of your proclaimed strengths, but you really can’t be 100% focused on everything at the same time. So stop being too busy and trying to do everything at once.

Chronic multitasking diminishes your focus and hurts your performance and sensory perception. Instead, pay full attention to what you’re doing and try to do it the best way you can. 

8. Nourish Your Brain.

Solve riddles, puzzles, tricky questions, Sudoku, crosswords and other mind empowering things. This way you will not only exercise your brain, but also gain an ability to see things from different angles, which is vital.

You can also nourish your brain with omega-3 and consider enhancing your cognitive performance with other supplements.

9. See Yourself Through Your Own Eyes.

Don’t compare yourself to others. Well, you can compare yourself to others but only if you have a strong personality and are doing it to motivate yourself to reach higher.

But, more often than not, constantly comparing yourself to others causes you to become more anxious, worried and upset by achievements you see in others. This can leave you depressed, which is really not something that you want.

10. Surround Yourself With Positive People.

It may sound cliché, but pick your friends carefully. Choose friends who radiate with positivity and happiness if you want to feel that too. Otherwise, you will just end up being miserable like the miserable company you keep.

As the old saying goes, "You are the average of the five people you spend most time with." Happiness, therefore, is surrounding yourself with people who possess the qualities you want to develop, like vision, positivity and love.