Exercise

Our bodies are made to move, we function our best when we are moving, both mentally and physically. That’s why daily physical exercise is the first and the most important pillar of all. I recommend everyone to get at least 30 mins of exercise everyday, including both cardio and resistance training. There’s no perfect exercise, so it’s important to find exercises regimen that fits your body and your schedule.

Diet

We are what we eat, so it’s important to eat nutritionally balanced meals everyday. It’s also important to know how to read nutrient facts labels on food and understand exactly what we consume and take out what’s unhealthy and add or replace them with healthier alternatives. Start by focusing on the basics, like protein (animal and plant-based), carbohydrates, and vegetables, try to eat food that are least processed as possible and closest to their natural, organic form.

Sleep

We all should know by now how important sleep is to our health and happiness. A poor night’s sleep not only affect our physical condition and makes us more tired and groggy, but we’re also more prone to be moody and seek our sugary food and drinks and will further negatively affect our health and wellness. To improve quality of sleep, make sure to get plenty of exercise during the day, and stay away from food that can negatively affect your sleep such as caffein, sugar and alcohol, and create a nightly routine to prepare your body for a good night sleep.

Stress Management

Stress is one of the deadliest yet silent killers of modern society and often the hardest to work on because it’s mental and not physical - like exercise, diet or sleep. It’s also often internal and a lot of people have developed a skilled to hide it from others until it’s too late. To better manage your stress it’s important to dig deep inside to find where they’re originated and focus on the controllables and letting go of the uncontrollables. This is where Buddhism has been a tremendous help for me and I’m sure will help you understand and appreciate the world better.

Overall Lifestyle

This includes everything else in your life that affects your health and happiness that isn’t already covered. Do you drink or smoke excessively? Do you work long hours everyday and spend all of your time sitting down? Do you have healthy relationships with people around you? Everything that we do during the day can and will effect your health and happiness. Focus on living a simple, clean, and honest life that you can be proud of, and practice setting a healthy boundaries to protect your happiness.