Take care of your body and pay attention to what it is telling you

If you feel thirsty, drink water. If you are sleepy, sleep. Avoid compromising basic signals. If you are coming down with a fever, avoid pushing yourself.

Another core aspect of healthy functioning is paying attention to our Interoceptive sense – the sense that tells us about our body’s internal state and sensory stimulation (arousal, breathing, muscle tension, heart rate, sweating, etc.) Honing our interoceptive sense is important in regulating emotions, specifically down-regulating stress.

Mindfulness is linked to interception (sensing your body) as well as being aware of your environment. Mindfulness practices make you aware of your senses, breathing, and your thoughts. Noticing and accepting this information is helpful in reducing stress and pain. Managing both can have a significant impact on the quality of life of people who suffer from chronic pain, diseases, traumatic experiences, and anxiety.

Keep your vitamin, mineral levels optimal, find out if you have a deficiency. Vitamin deficiency can affect core brain function and worsen memory, and even compromise your immune system. These small but taken-for-granted aspects of our biology are important for biological maintenance and healthy functioning. Vitam B, Vitamin D, Omega-3 fatty acids, Iron, Chromium, Magnesium, and Zinc have a direct relationship with mood disorders like depression and bipolar. Figuring out if there is a nutrient/mineral/vitamin deficiency^[1] can be a strong opportunity to improve physical and mental health. Deficiency may also be a reason why other efforts are wasted and the quality of life isn’t improving.