Key components that influence an individual’s quality of life include relationships, meaning in work and life, healthy food choices, exercise programs, rest periods and self-care practices.
Quality of life should also be a key factor when making financial decisions, for instance when choosing between current quality of life and saving for retirement. A tradeoff may be necessary between both ends.
1. Get Enough Sleep
Sleep is essential to life and getting enough restful restful sleep each night is critical to improving quality of life. Sleep helps increase energy levels and support mental wellbeing while simultaneously contributing to weight management, immune strength and heart rate stabilization.
Most adults require seven to eight hours of sleep each night; some may require even more. An occasional lack of restful slumber won’t usually have lasting repercussions, but chronic sleep deprivation may increase weight gain, heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and depression among other issues.
Establish a consistent sleep routine, including on weekends. Avoid caffeine, alcohol and bright lights just before bedtime as well. Regular exercise also improves sleep quality – people who regularly engage in this practice tend to fall asleep more quickly, sleep better at night and spend more time in deep restful stages of REM sleep.
2. Exercise Regularly
Studies demonstrate the many positive attributes of regular physical exercise on quality of life. Regular activity can reduce blood pressure, lower risk for heart disease and cancer, control or prevent diabetes and maintain a healthy body weight while lifting mood, increasing energy and improving sleep quality.
Experts advise engaging in 150 to 300 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic physical activity on most or all days of the week and two or more muscle strengthening activities on two or more occasions each week, whether that means walking quickly, playing basketball, or joining a dance class. Exercise could even take the form of simple walking briskly or basketball or joining dance class classes!
If you find it challenging to set aside enough time for regular physical activity, try breaking your routine up into smaller chunks throughout the day. Any activity is better than none; what matters is starting gradually and increasing to reach the recommended amount.
4. Take Care of Yourself
Finding out what makes you happy and healthy, then making those activities a top priority, may involve scheduling regular time for relaxation or exercise or participating in hobbies; or it might mean confronting unresolved issues while learning healthy coping mechanisms and investing time in relationships.
Physical self-care includes eating healthily, sleeping well and practicing good hygiene; psychological self-care encompasses stress management, setting boundaries and expressing oneself; spiritual self-care involves meditation and seeking meaningful connections; occupational self-care involves developing your career by learning something new or returning to school; while social self-care refers to engaging in activities that nurture healthy and fulfilling relationships – volunteering or helping others may also contribute. Becoming the author of your life rather than its victim.
5. Stay Connected
Maintaining healthy social connections is an integral component of maintaining mental wellbeing. According to studies, positive relationships can significantly help ease stress and boost mood while simultaneously decreasing cortisol levels.
Unfortunately, not everyone can enjoy having close social connections; many professionals must sacrifice quality of life in order to generate high incomes.
Governments can enhance their citizens’ quality of life by passing laws that promote family-friendly policies, provide affordable healthcare that is both accessible and cost effective, invest in education and provide decent housing. They could also turn to happiness economic studies for guidance in measuring quality-of-life metrics; adding questions regarding social connection to medical intake forms/questionnaires would allow physicians to prioritize this aspect of health and well-being for patients.
