5 timeless habits for better health

A veritable avalanche of influencers, news headlines, and well-meaning friends and family offer conflicting advice on wellness. If you’re overwhelmed by fads and hype around wellness, read on. Dr. Wynne Armand, a primary care physician at Harvard-affiliated Mass General Brigham health care in Boston, recommends five simple habits to boost health and wellness in everyday life.

Five wellness habits for life

Quick fixes and fads may do little for our health, and some even prove harmful. Try to work healthy habits into your daily routines. If you’re a parent, sharing and modeling them can help children and teens embrace wellness, too.

Bring mindfulness into your day

Mindfulness and meditation are overlapping techniques proven to ease stress, improve sleep, and enhance concentration. “Anxiety and stress are very common issues in my practice,” says Dr. Armand. Worrying too often about the past or future is rarely helpful. The too-frequent release of stress hormones affects our heart, brain, and sleep, all of which have downstream consequences for our health.

Practicing mindfulness — whether simply by appreciating birds and plants on a walk in green space, or using apps like Calm and Headspace — anchors you in the present moment. This can calm anxiety, improve focus and concentration, and amp up positive feelings. When applied to eating, mindfulness may help with weight loss by encouraging people to slow down to savor meals.

Meditation knits together body and mind by focusing on sensations, such as breathing, images, or a repeated word or phrase. One exercise that works equally well for adults and younger people is box breathing. The rhythmic pattern of breathing helps regulate the nervous system, reining in anxiety and stress, lowering heart rate and blood pressure, and boosting focus. The rhythmic pattern of breathing helps regulate the nervous system, reining in anxiety and stress, lowering heart rate and blood pressure, and boosting focus.

Prioritize sleep

Sleeping poorly can leave you feeling awful — snappish, foggy-headed, slow moving — and take a toll on your health over time. By contrast, getting sufficient, restful sleep supports the immune system, helps control weight, and aids physical well-being, mental well-being, memory, judgment, and other cognitive functions. It may even extend longevity.

But how much sleep do you need? That varies with age and other factors: most adults need at least seven hours per night, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, sleep quality (a measure of refreshing, uninterrupted sleep versus tossing and turning) may be more important than nailing seven hours. And it’s worth noting that too much sleep — nine hours or more in one analysis of multiple studies — is linked to higher risk for early deaths, too.

Be aware that sleep patterns and circadian rhythms that help rule sleep and wakefulness change over time. Good sleep hygiene can help. Tips include getting regular exercise, setting regular bedtime and wake-up times, avoiding caffeine in the afternoon and evening and large meals and alcohol before bedtime, and turning off screens at least 30 minutes before going to bed.

If you have trouble falling asleep, wake repeatedly at night, or often feel tired during the day, talk to your doctor about ways to improve your sleep. In some cases, sleep apnea, which can raise risk for many health issues, or another sleep disorder may be preventing restful sleep.

Eat real, whole foods

A wealth of evidence shows that diets rich in vegetables, fruits, legumes and pulses like lentils, peas, and beans, and minimally processed foods support longevity and vitality. Plant-based and plant-forward diets are better for our health: research links them to lower rates of heart disease, certain cancers, and chronic illnesses like diabetes and obesity. They’re better for the planet, too.

When foods are processed, their health and nutritional value often decline, partly due to additives. “Industries are adding ingredients like excess salt, sugar, artificial sweeteners, colorings, and other chemicals that may be unhealthy or trigger reactions in the brain to keep us craving more,” says Dr. Armand.

Move more, sit less

The hurry of life often short-circuits opportunities to be active. So, swap out the thought “What saves me time?” for a healthier one: “What keeps me mobile, flexible, and functioning well within my world?” Polishing off exercise requirements through a 30-minute block once daily is great, but you may reap even greater health and well-being benefits if you seek out ways to stay active throughout the day.

“Stop thinking about efficiency and think instead about pleasurable or creative ways to keep your body active,” suggests Dr. Armand. Combine exercise with work or pleasure: instead of meeting on Zoom, walk and talk. Instead of sitting with friends for a meal, socialize over coffee followed by a walk.

Of course, many people experience mobility challenges due to age, illness, or accident. Look for opportunities that suit your needs or move beyond your comfort zone, possibly through adaptive sports.

Protect your body from everyday toxins

Air pollution, microplastics, and forever chemicals known as PFAS (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are difficult to dodge in modern life. Breathing in tiny particles (called particulate matter, or PM10, PM2.5, PM0.1) or ingesting microplastics and harmful chemicals affects your health in many ways.

For example, notes Dr. Armand, tiny pollutant or wildfire smoke particles travel deep into the lungs and may escape into the bloodstream, thus reaching tissues and organs throughout the body. This contributes to heart attacks, strokes, lung problems, and other health conditions. The use of gas stoves, which create nitrogen dioxide and release airborne PM2.5s, irritates lungs and is linked with higher risk for childhood asthma. Microplastics have been found in foods, water, cosmetics, and nearly everywhere in the human body. Their health impact is being investigated and may include raising risk for cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, and respiratory and vascular problems.

These tips can help you reduce potentially harmful exposures at home:

• Use a water filter to reduce your exposure to PFAS, microplastics, and other contaminants.
• Swap out kitchen plastics with glass (such as inexpensive mason jars or glass food containers), stainless steel water bottles, and lead-free dinnerware.
• Run a correctly-sized air purifier with a MERV 13 or higher filter when wildfire smoke or pollution affects air quality near you. Local news reports can help you understand when air quality is in an unhealthy range, particularly for people who are most vulnerable, such as children, older adults, people with lung disease, and people who work outdoors.
• Vent gas stoves when cooking. Opening windows can also help. Better still, cook as much as you can using electric or induction appliances.