Maximize Your Life By Focusing on These 4 Areas of Health

We all want to live purposeful lives.

But many of us are not sure how.

It’s a lot easier to come home from work and zone out with the TV on. To pick up fast food on the way home. Maybe have a few drinks.

There’s nothing wrong with this. It’s just that it’s ordinary.

And at a certain point, you have to decide if ordinary is enough for you.

If it is, that’s fine. Again, there’s nothing wrong with it. To each his own.

But if you’re not fine with this, you need to seek to make changes that will help you live the life that you envision for yourself.

But you don’t just want to level up in one area of your life. You don’t want to be a great doctor and a shitty wife. You don’t want to run your own business if it means running your health into the ground.

The way that I see it (and the way that many others see it) there are four main areas of health that you should focus on if you want to live a balanced, fulfilled life. If you work to improve these areas of your life slowly yet consistently, you will be on your way to an extraordinary life.

Physical Health

My 7th grade science teacher used to say:

Your health is your wealth; take care of yourself

Even then we knew it was corny, but she was right.

Your health is the beginning of everything else. We are not robots. We can’t run endlessly on fumes. We need to take care of ourselves.

For me, everything starts with sleep. I sleep a lot. Like, an embarrassing amount. But it’s necessary for me to stay focused and refreshed throughout the day. I don’t need coffee or energy drinks or any tricks up my sleeve. Just good old-fashioned sleep.

As soon as I wake up, I drink a glass of water. And I keep drinking water throughout the day. This is another thing that keeps me energized. It’s easy to get caught up in the day and only drink water during meals, but I think that hydration is severely underrated in our society. Drink more water. You probably need it.

Some more obvious ways to improve your physical health are proper diet and exercise.

Here is a helpful little experiment you can do:

Keep track of everything that you eat for one week and count calories.

Even if you think you know the breakdown of what you eat, your macros, your calorie intake, etc. you will likely be shocked by the real answer.

I know that I was when I started tracking my food intake. I was actually not eating enough calories for the amount of exercise that I was doing and my health goals.

Having this knowledge was crucial to my ability to reach my health goals.

You don’t have to be fanatical about it. Just track your food intake for a few days to see what your baseline is and go from there. If you like doing this and you find that it helps you, keep up with it. There are lots of apps out there that make it easy to track your food intake.

Finally — exercise. For many people, the most difficult way to maintain physical health.

I definitely go through spurts where I just don’t want to exercise. I customarily take a month off from a regular workout routine when the club ultimate season ends (which is where I’m at right now). Getting back into the swing of things can be really difficult.

Take things slow. If you work a desk job, try to get up once an hour and walk around. Do some squats and stretch. If you can, spend some time standing instead of sitting (such as when you’re on the phone or reading something). These small changes can make a big difference in your health.

If you want to start running, start small. Day one, go for a walk. Day two, run for 10 minutes. Then 15. Then 20. And go from there.

Start now. Do what you can. Over time, you will build stamina and strength. You’ll build your routine.

Spiritual Health

Not everyone is religious, but most people do have a sense of spirituality. People draw rejuvenation and strength from spirituality. It is a time for reflection, gratitude, and figuring out what direction you want your life to go in.

If you are religious, studying religious texts, praying, and attending services might be how you improve your spiritual health.

If you are not religious, practicing gratitude, meditating, and reconnecting with nature might be ways that you express your spirituality.

However you choose to express spirituality, you can get great benefits from practicing it every day. It will improve your sense of peace, control, and joy in your life.

Intellectual Health

A few weekends ago, it was cold and rainy in Chicago. I was supposed to go play an alumni game of ultimate at DePaul. Instead, I convinced the coach to reschedule. And I’ll be honest — I laid in bed all day and watched Sex and the City. And I loved it.

Every once in a while, we need those days where we let ourselves go and escape into a world where we don’t have to worry about anything.

Escapism is great, but it is not how we should spend all of our free time.

Consumption is ok in moderation. I don’t think I can ever completely give up those occasional days where I binge watch TV.

But at a certain point, you need to make a choice.

Do you want to consume, or do you want to create?

Take some of that time that you spend watching TV every night (it doesn’t have to be all of your free time, just some of it) and create something instead. You can take piano lessons, write poetry, turn your garage into a pottery studio, or test out your latest baking ideas. Whatever you’re passionate about, devote time to it. Life is too short to put it off.

Finally, I think that making a habit to read is essential to improving your life.

There is so much to learn in this world. When you crack open a book, you can transport yourself to another country, another time. You can learn from the greatest minds that have ever lived.

If you don’t read, this is a wasted opportunity.

Emotional Health

I view emotional health as your relationship with the people in your life. Personal growth is very important, but equally important is creating and maintaining deep relationships with those in your life.

Invest time in your relationships. Designate 10 minutes every night before bed to talk with your spouse. Have dinner with an old friend. Call your parents on your drive home from work.

In short, show people that you care. Confide in those who are involved in your life. Give and receive love. It will improve your well being and your sense of security.

Just One Hour a Day Can Make a Difference

Making all of these changes in your life can be overwhelming. The good news is that many of these areas of health overlap, and even small changes can have tremendous impact.

Start now. Start small.

Take one hour a day and devote it to self improvement. Go for a 20 minute walk and call your best friend from college. Crack open a book and read 10 pages. Write down three things that you are grateful for. Try something new that you have been putting off.

It might be hard at first. But in time, you’ll start to see the differences in your life. You’ll start to look forward to your one hour. And maybe it will turn into two, or three, or four. The sky is the limit.