Too often, we hear phrases like, “This is just part of getting older,” or, “It’s tough being a woman.” While chronic pain can be a lifelong challenge for some, many have resigned themselves to common aches, fatigue, and discomfort as unavoidable. The good news? You don’t have to accept this as your reality. With a few adjustments to your routine, you can feel significantly better—perhaps even free of discomfort altogether. Start making small changes today to reclaim your vitality and well-being.
1. Treat the Root Causes Not the Symptoms
Naturopathic practitioners often emphasize addressing the root causes rather than just the symptoms—and they’re absolutely right. However, if you’re currently in pain or experiencing discomfort, it’s perfectly reasonable to seek immediate relief as well. It doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing approach. There’s no need to endure unnecessary suffering while waiting for long-term healing methods to take effect.
If you’re experiencing specific symptoms, there are targeted solutions available to bring relief. For example, body aches may respond well to anti-inflammatories, while skin conditions can benefit from soothing oatmeal baths and avoiding irritating products.
Similarly, if you’re experiencing vaginal dryness, it’s helpful to understand that the skin in this area is delicate, much like the skin on your face, and requires specialized care. In such cases, a gentle, targeted vaginal moisturizer can offer significant comfort. Directly addressing symptoms can greatly enhance your well-being as you work on achieving long-term balance and healing effects. Pretty much all symptoms have a solution.
The problem with only addressing the symptoms and not the root causes is that you can create more pressing issues. Prolonged use of anti-inflammatories can cause gut issues. Extended use of painkillers can lead to unwanted weight gain. Many temporary fixes are meant to be just that, whereas when you take a long-term approach, you can often solve the problem entirely.
2. Take a Good Look at Your Diet
One of the quickest ways to start feeling better is by focusing on your diet. Certain foods and substances, such as sugar, caffeine, alcohol, and fried foods, can lead to inflammation, exacerbating pain and discomfort. Smoking also falls into this category, contributing to inflammation and various health issues. Reducing or eliminating these inflammatory triggers can provide noticeable relief in a short period.
Once you’ve taken steps to limit these foods, it’s time to introduce anti-inflammatory options that support overall health and well-being. Consider adding nutrient-rich foods like tomatoes, olive oil, nuts, fatty fish such as salmon and tuna, and fresh fruits like berries. These foods not only help reduce inflammation and ease pain but can also keep your body hydrated and promote healthier skin, hair, and tissue. By making these dietary shifts, you’re nourishing your body from within and giving yourself a solid foundation for lasting wellness.
3. Move Your Body and Lift Weights
In addition to changing your diet, you should also pay attention to how much you’re moving your body. When it comes to physical health, a good adage to remember is that if you don’t use it, you’ll lose it. This rule applies to physical health and wellness perhaps more than any other aspect of your life. As you age, you will naturally lose muscle, bone density, and collagen. These losses will make you weaker and off balance, and they can even affect your brain.
To counter these biological impacts, you can dedicate some time each day to exercising. Daily walks, hikes, or bike rides can help you stay strong, lean, and fit. Lifting weights will help you increase your bone density and stimulate collagen production. Yoga can improve your balance. All of these exercises will contribute to a strong, healthy brain and improved cognition. Being sore from a day at the gym is better than the aches and pains that come from inactivity. Aim for 150 minutes of exercise per week.
4. Get Outside
You want to feel great? Get outside into the fresh air and sunshine. The pandemic sent so many people indoors, behind screens, and away from the healing powers of the sun. It should be no surprise then that rates of depression and anxiety shot up in those few short years. Indeed, lack of sunshine and fresh air can lead to negative feelings in even the most upbeat person. For people already prone to depression or anxiety, it can make things even worse.
If you dedicate just 20 minutes each morning to getting sunshine, you can dramatically improve your mood. Another benefit of the vitamin D you get from the sun is that it helps your physical health. So, you could take a morning walk as the sun comes up, do some yoga on your patio, or even just sit and read a book. As a bonus, exposure to early sun will help you sleep better at night because it resets your body’s hormones, including melatonin. All of these results will help you feel better!
5. Prioritize Sleep
Sleep is one of the most important markers of health, and it seems to be the one Americans try hard to do without. You’ve surely heard the boast that, “I’ll sleep when I’m dead.” For some reason, Americans feel the need to prove they don’t need to get their seven or eight hours of shut-eye. In fact, they do. You might not even feel tired, but lack of sleep can lead to feelings of listlessness, brain fog, and an inability to focus. You could also be cranky or depressed.
The good news is that as you change the other factors listed here, your desire for a good night’s rest will likely increase as well. The more you exercise, the more you’ll want to recover from physical activity. The better you eat, the better your sleep will be. And exposure to early morning sunlight helps your body charge up during the day and then wind down at night. So, as you follow each of these tips, your sleep should naturally improve.
Each step on this journey supports the others, creating a cycle of positive change. Start by addressing your immediate symptoms to feel better now. Then, gradually incorporate life-changing habits that support your overall wellness. As you weave these tips into your routine, you’ll likely notice a genuine improvement in how you feel. And who knows? You might just find yourself fully embracing and even enjoying the pursuit of wellness. In the grand scheme of things, it’s one of the best habits you can have.
