The Non Negotiables of a Healthy Life
We all have non-negotiables in our lives. Whether it’s how long we work for, how much time we spend with our families or our downtime on the weekend, there are things we simply do not compromise on as they are important to us and bring fulfillment and happiness to our lives. Then there are things that should be non-negotiable, but for many people aren’t. Things like getting regular exercise, eating a balanced diet and prioritising good, sound sleep.
Sure, there are many circumstances in life that impact our time and energy levels and we feel like we can’t dedicate extra resources to other activities. But, by consistently leaving exercise, nutrition and good sleep by the wayside, we are short-changing ourselves in every other department of our lives. Why you ask? Let’s start with exercise.
If the benefits of exercise were in a pill form, everyone would be addicted to it. Everything from building muscle mass so we can move around more easily, and increase how much we can lift, to the positive effects exercise has on our mental health, even to the slowing/reversing effect regular exercise has on age related and disease related decay, it should truly be a priority for everyone to participate in, regardless of age or ability. Yes, it does take energy and time to do, but just like investing, the compounding effects of consistent exercise lead to far more energy in the long run. Also, we tend to look better and feel better and are far more capable of looking after ourselves and our loved ones as a result of doing it regularly.
Good, sustainable nutrition is just as important. Food is literally fuel for our bodies and so many of us are running around on empty or are using fuel that is degrading the quality of our engines. We need to be uncompromising about eating healthy. Unfortunately, we don’t come with a car owner’s manual saying what type of fuel we need, but for most of us, this means aiming to eat more unprocessed foods in the week, reducing added sugar and salt, increasing how much water we drink and reducing the amount of alcohol we consume (something we share with cars). By eating correctly, we provide our bodies with the energy they need to do more in the day and function for longer at their peak capacity. Also, having the correct fuel in our system reduces wear and tear and better safeguards us against disease.
If food is the fuel for our body, then good quality sleep is the regular servicing it needs to ensure its longevity and make sure it doesn’t fall apart. So many of us do not sleep for long enough or occasionally miss out on it entirely in favour of working more or studying. While these things are incredibly important and should be prioritised, quality sleep is very thing that ensures we can do these tasks to the best of our ability. In Matthew Walker’s book “Why we sleep” he speaks about how the different stages of sleep are responsible for consolidating memories, cleaning the brain of toxic substances, and laying down new neural connections. By delaying sleep onset or reducing total sleep time, these processes can be drastically impaired, leading to problems in both the short and long term. Therefore, regular good quality sleep needs to be a non-negotiable for absolutely everybody.
We need to become uncompromising about exercising, eating a healthy diet and getting good, sound sleep on a regular basis. Without these three things, our foundations crumble and we leave ourselves susceptible to all sorts of problems and disease. It is vital that we prioritise these habits for own health and wellbeing and so that we can contribute effectively to society and live our lives to their fullest potential.
References
1. Walker M. Why we sleep. Harlow England: Penguin Books; 2018.
