Moderation and Mindset: Learning To Stay Healthy Despite Vices

With life being so hectic at every turn we can't help but fall back onto things that keep us comfy. But we live in an age where we've got to be perfectly healthy, and this means that, technically, there is no room for vices. However it's important to have a little bit of what you fancy. With this in mind, how can you live a life where you can allow yourself a vice or two while still being predominantly healthy? 

In order to make sure that you are being predominantly healthy,  you have got to pick your vice. Wisdom dictates that vices are not healthy at all but it's important to remember that we have to choose something that can make us feel like we are being a little bit naughty. So when you pick your vice, make sure you choose the right one. It all depends on the thing that you really crave. 

But when you choose something that is unhealthy, for example, smoking cigars, one of the best ways to to bypass this is to choose a higher quality brand. Companies like Ashton Cigars are marketed towards luxury individuals and this is one of the best ways to ensure that you are enjoying a vice without actually investing too much in it. It's always about quality rather than quantity. 

We all find ourselves struggling from time to time, and this is why we don't begrudge ourselves a glass of wine at the end of a hard day, but it is so important to understand that point where we are on the precipice of going into really unhealthy territory. Ensuring that we are looking after ourselves in every other part of our life could give us permission to enjoy a vice guilt-free. And this means that we've got to find the pillars to our health. 

There are people who are always in the gym, and they enjoy a glass of alcohol or two, especially if they've got very busy jobs or run their own business but these are people who understand that in order to earn these unhealthy treats, they absolutely need to be healthy in every other part of their lives. A good way to think about it is to be 90% healthy, and allow 10% for the things that you like. When you start to focus on limiting your unhealthy habits so they make up 10% of your overall approach to health, you are playing the numbers. There's a lot of focus on being 110% healthy, but this is not realistic, and also, it can force us into unhealthy habits, for example worrying about our health. 

A little bit of what you fancy is so important for your mindset as well. Additionally, a lot of people are now utilizing other components to take control of their health. A very good example is using intermittent fasting. Many of us are using intermittent fasting as a way to be healthier, but it also means that when we are in a feeding window, we focus on having good quality food because it will stop us from slipping into bad habits. Intermittent fasting is a very useful tool in the modern world, especially as we have so much choice. Intermittent fasting makes everything simpler, so you do not feel like you should indulge in unhealthy foods or habits constantly. It is a perfect way to streamline your life, and it ensures you are playing the numbers effectively.

Many people choose to have a treat at the end of the day because they had a rough day, week, or even longer, and if we are to enjoy unhealthy things from time to time, we've got to make sure that we do not crave them. Partly it's about making sure that you consume things that keep you satisfied so you don't go for unhealthy and overly sugary treats all of the time, but also you've got to look at what stress there is in your life. 

If you are constantly working yourself to the bone you will find that it's far easier to give yourself permission to have a bottle of wine at the end of the day. You feel like you've earned it. And while you may have had a very bad day, it is about keeping limits on the stresses so you don't feel like you need to have a little bit of what you fancy. And this is especially true when it comes to alcohol. While wisdom dictates that we can have a glass of wine a day, we also need to remember that we shouldn't binge on the weekend if we are trying to be healthy throughout the week. And if you had a very bad week and you are just saving up your stress for a big blowout on the weekend, this is just as bad for your health as constantly indulging in unhealthy habits. 

Instead, learn the right practices to keep your stress levels low so you don't feel like you are reaching for something to medicate your stresses. This is why it's so important to learn how to calm down and avoid feeling pressure in our lives. Of course, it's easier said than done, but this is why it's vital to start practicing being calm. If you are running a business and you are in charge of a family, you might feel that there is no time to waste. The great thing about self-care is that it really doesn't take long. There are apps like Reveri that can give you a quick one-minute hypnosis session, but there are also plenty of ways to relax throughout the day. 

Looking after yourself doesn't need to take a lot of time. In fact, if you start to do a little bit of self-care throughout the day, and a minute here and there, this feeling of wellness will accumulate, so you are able to have control over your day. And this means you will not feel the temptation to have unhealthy things all of the time as a reward. It's important to remember that rewards are good, but if we constantly think that we deserve rewards, this can be a very unhealthy habit for our minds. Because we subconsciously start to crave these rewards.

Everybody has a vice, and we all need to remember that when we are experiencing stress in our lives, or we feel there is no time to be healthy, a little bit of what we fancy is going to help us in the long run. It will give us more confidence to make choices that support us rather than hinder us. Because many believe that our health should be constantly perfect, which is commonplace in every part of our lives. And when we are constantly being told that we've got to be healthy, and we have to avoid anything that can cause us the slightest bit of harm, we become fearful of anything unhealthy. 

Instead of operating like this, it's important to operate with the mindset that everything in moderation is fine. So many of us demonize unhealthy things that it feels like we have got into bed with the devil when we are just consuming a little bit of chocolate. A little bit of what you fancy is not bad for you at all. And in fact, it can be very good for your mindset.