Truthfully, the teen years are the most carefree years of your entire life. It is time when you have to live to the fullest, enjoy new experiences, and invest in life-long friends. At the same time, these years are a time of growth spurts, puberty changes, and emotional developments. Hence, the habits you adopt during this time are likely to continue forever. So, why not develop a few healthy habits?
Believe it or not, developing a healthy lifestyle doesn’t mean you must start behaving like an adult. It is more about maintaining discipline and looking after yourself. That includes consuming a nutritious diet, eating timely, getting proper sleep, and, most importantly, reducing screen time. Similarly, pay attention to wellness and mental peace. Are you stressed often? Do little things make you feel anxious? If so, look for ways to calm and relax your brain.
In today’s fast-paced world, teens face undue pressure from parents and teachers. Thus, it is crucial to adopt healthy practices to enjoy your teen years and remain motivated to achieve your goals. If you don’t know where to begin, have a look below. Here we have highlighted six ways to develop healthy habits during your teen years.
Don’t Fall into Peer Pressure
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As a teen, you have to do things because your friends are doing them. Truthfully, this peer pressure can be hazardous. You don’t want to upset your friends, but that doesn’t mean you say yes to everything. After all, it is essential to set boundaries. No matter how many friends are smoking or abusing a substance, don’t follow. These habits develop in no time and have serious health consequences such as lung disease, gastrointestinal ailments, and life-threatening problems.
If your friends have already developed these bad habits, help them get out of them. Perhaps, you can advise them to seek help from serenityatsummit.com or go to rehab. Distinguishing these bad habits during your teen years can go a long way in living a healthy life. Hence, avoid alcohol, drugs, and cigarettes since these temporary pleasures can be life-threatening.
Incorporate Physical Activity
Undeniably, teenagers always feel lazy, but you have to get moving. Physical activity should be a part of your daily life. It could be playing sports, walking to school, or doing chores. It will help manage weight, boost muscle strength, and improve flexibility.
Ideally, teens should be physically active for at least 60 minutes daily. Most of the 60 minutes could either be moderate or vigorous; anything you comfortable to you. For a moderate workout, try brisk walking or jogging. However, you can opt for some physical activity such as jogging, biking, or dancing. Remember, you don’t have to exert your body; stick to relaxing physical activity instead of soring your muscles.
Practice Yoga & Meditation
Meditating or doing yoga might not seem like teen activities, but it leads to an active and fit lifestyle. It enhances physical and psychological health, helping you handle stress better than usual. And the best part about yoga is that it is not physically demanding. It is more like music, relaxing your mind and body. Simultaneously, it strengthens the muscle while building flexibility.
According to research studies, practicing yoga and meditation in the teenage years is much more beneficial than workouts at the gym. It helps with child development while giving a direction to life. In addition, meditation aids in maintaining a calm nature, ensuring teens don’t panic in stressful situations. Thus, it will teach how to deal with demanding situations peacefully.
Look Beyond the Digital World
Internet addiction is no longer a myth. Not only teens but a handful of adults have become addicted to gadgets. Being away from their laptops and mobile phones even makes them feel anxious. While the internet might be productive, excessive screen time can be damaging. It can lead to impaired cognitive functions in adolescence and adversely affect vision. Therefore, look beyond this digital world and enjoy some real-time activities.
Instead of chatting with your friend for hours, invite them for dinner. Likewise, you can have football or basketball tournaments rather than playing FIFA on PlayStation. These real-time experiences are more productive and conducive to learning. Therefore, look for alternatives and reduce your screen time on your journey to develop healthy habits.
Get Enough Sleep
Undeniably, teens must juggle academics and extracurriculars while maintaining a social life. In all this, they often compromise on their sleep to make the most of their time. It might help them get things done but eventually, not getting enough sleep will lead to exhaustion. Therefore, you must maintain a proper sleeping routine despite your demanding schedule. You can follow a bedtime routine and complete your tasks beforehand.
You will have to turn off your gadgets at least 30 minutes before bedtime, so your eyes can relax. You can use that time to take a warm bath or listen to soothing music. It helps the brain cells calm and muscles relax, letting you fall asleep quickly.
Develop Healthy Eating Habits
As a teenager, your body undergoes massive changes through adolescence. As a result, you might notice an increase in your appetite. After all, it would help if you had more calorie intake to grow. Your busy schedule, combined with an increased appetite, can lead to quick decisions based on convenience. It means you would better consume chips and cookies or grab a pizza.
During this time, adopting healthy habits is crucial. You require a good balance of protein, carbohydrates, dairy fats, and minerals. In addition, you have to get the correct number of vitamins, including vitamin D, zinc, iron, and calcium. Besides healthy food choices, you have to follow a healthy eating routine. Therefore, eat breakfast before you leave for school and don’t ditch lunch for sports during break time.
Likewise, give yourself ample time to finish the meal instead of finishing food in a rush. Lastly, drink plenty of water to maintain kidney health, nourish skin, and energize muscles.
Final Thoughts
Teen years are quite different. Teenagers want to be independent and take control of their lives, but at the same time, they need emotional support. During this time, their habits remain forever, making it crucial to stick to healthy practices. But remember, developing new habits takes time. Therefore, make changes, figure out what is holding you back, and set realistic yet challenging goals.
