It’s often considered that living healthily requires a lot of sacrifice. Namely, the sacrifices you make need to revolve around the things that make you happy, but aren’t all that great for you.
Eating chocolate, for example, or having a lie in on the weekend. Many health advocates will tell you to cut both these things out – to replace chocolate with something less tasty but higher in protein, and to get up at 5am, no matter how rested you are, to start the day right.
Indeed, the word in the health influencer world often comes back to living a punishing and sanitised lifestyle. It’s believed living this way puts your health first – and that from health comes happiness in the long run.
But is that really true? Does living healthily and happily always look the same for every single person interested in doing so? And if you’re someone who has been following the wellbeing zeitgeist right now, are you still waiting for that sense of happiness to follow?
If those questions appeal to you, you’re in the right place. Come with us as we examine the relationship between health and happiness down below.
Diets Don’t Necessarily Require You to Cut Things Out
When someone goes on a diet, it’s usually motivated by the fact that they want to lose weight. One of the most common ways this occurs is via the cutting out of certain ingredients and/or food types. And this has long been the way to control your eating and create a healthier diet for yourself overall.
However, there’s no saying you really need to cut down on some foods and eat more of others. Your diet isn’t just about what you’re eating or what you should be eating, but also about how your approach to food can make you happier. And the latter point does deserve more focus in day to day life!
Of course, if a medical professional has advised you to cut out a certain type of food, be sure to follow their advice. But if you’re just trying to eat more healthily and the idea of cutting down on carbs or reducing any and all fat makes you feel worse, you don’t have to do those things. Instead, eat in a way that continues to make you happy whilst also thinking about how it’s affecting your health. There’s more than one way to do this!
For example, this could mean packing your plate with more nutrients. Or on the other hand, it could mean controlling how much you’re eating of things you know aren’t all that great for you. Portion control can factor into diet in a much more impactful way than anything else, so this could be just the thing to focus on right now if you want food to make you happier.
Habits Don’t Need to Be Shamed
Sometimes we have some unhealthy habits. However, if you ever want to work on these and make a change, or someone else points out that maybe you should think about refining the habit, there’s no need for a feeling of shame or embarrassment.
Similarly, anyone who tries to make you feel the way are not the kind of people you should be taking advice from either! These people often feel the need to let you know, whether in a subtle or gentle way or not, that they don’t like your habits. However, unless the habit is genuinely dangerous, this is simply judgement coming from a misguided place.
But even with these reactions, if you do decide you want to change a habit, take some time to think about the best way to approach it. Say you want to cut down on smoking or even using a vape – you can invest in nicotine pouches, which come in cool flavours like jalepeno lime. These are tasty, healthy, and they allow you to slowly cut down on the nicotine you’re consuming over time.
Or say you want to start exercising on a regular basis. Don’t bother with any exercises you know you don’t enjoy or haven’t been able to commit to in the past. Trying these again will just make it harder to commit to an exercise routine, as you’re not giving yourself something enjoyable to look forward to. You’re much more likely to skip out on your workouts as the weeks go on.
Instead, look into new exercises you’d like to try out and give them a go. The aim should be to have fun, as that’s the best way to both create a habit AND reduce any shame you may feel around having an unhealthy one.
Spend Time on the Things You Want to Focus on
Don’t let peer pressure convince you you need to be doing something else! Spend time on the things you really want to focus on instead. In doing so, you’ll be able to boost both your health and happiness at the same time, and it won’t feel anywhere near as effortful either.
That means if you want to focus on sleeping better, work on ways to improve your sleep hygiene or wind down after a long day. Don’t just take everyone else’s word for it and just think you’re not doing enough during the day to feel tired.
Or if you want to put more time into creative pursuits, don’t let others allow you to think that the only hobbies worth the effort are those you can monetise. You don’t need to spend time on something that’ll make you some money if that’s not the goal you’re hoping to achieve. You can just do the things you want to do, that provide a good emotional outlet or help you to relax when you need to, as that’s ten times better for your mental health.
And remember, the more time you spend on manual pursuits, and the less time you spend looking at a screen, the healthier your eyes, back, legs, and maybe even your heart in the long run!
There’s No One Way to Live Healthily
And if trying to do so is making you feel unhappy, there’s every chance that this specific lifestyle isn’t the one for you. Tweak the things you do to make yourself feel healthier, but don’t forget about how happy you’re supposed to be at the same time.
If you can’t get one from the other, maybe it’s time to rethink the methods you’re using to attain physical and mental wellbeing. When it comes to health, one size does not fit all. The goal of maintaining your health should also include maintaining your happiness, and everyone should approach that differently.
Good Health and Happiness: How Does it Work for You?
If you’re trying to live healthily, but you’re not feeling all that happy at the same time, it might be best to take a step back and reconsider what’s going on in your life. Of course, you may just be trying to change a few things right now and you’re taking time to get used to them, but that feeling shouldn’t last forever.
Feeling happy is one of the best ways to embrace healthiness. Your mental wellbeing has to tie into your physical health, and the more you focus on both of them at the same time, the easier it’ll be to find the right balance for you. Don’t succumb to peer pressure, think about what you really want from healthy living, and only take advice that actually applies to you!
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