Category: Health

7 Vital Wellness Habits

Decluttering and simplifying our lives may reduce stress and increase satisfaction. While minimizing material possessions is vital, we should alfocus on cultivating essential habits: prioritizing sleep, nutritious food, meaningful connections, generosity, physical and mental activity, and genuine communication.

updated May 8, 2026

Articles, blog posts, and social media messages suggest we have too much stuff and that our lives would be better with less stuff. This philosophy goes by different names- decluttering, simplifying, and minimalism.

These idea promise less stress, more peace, and more time to enjoy activities that give us pleasure and satisfaction.

I could not agree more and am trying to apply the idea to my life and home. But there are some things we need more of.

We need habits that promote renewal, energy, fitness, and well-being. By decluttering, simplifying, and changing our priorities, we will have more time to develop them.

 

SLEEP

Too many of us treat sleep like a luxury or a waste of time rather than as a necessity. Some of us need more quality sleep; many people are chronically tired due to undiagnosed sleep disorders, such as obstructive sleep apnea .

FOOD

We need to eat more nutritious food- fresh vegetables and fruits, lean meats, dairy- anything that isn’t processed or full of unnecessary sugar or excessive fat.

Eat a variety of fresh foods every day
Eat more fresh foods every day

 

vending machine with junk food
And eat less of these, if at all.

 

CONNECTION

We need to spend more time with our family and friends, keeping in touch physically and emotionally.

family playing a card game
We had fun learning a new board game, a favorite family activity.

 

GENEROSITY

We need to cultivate generosity and give more, whether it’s of our money, time, talent, or possessions.

Contact the veterans' crisis line for help.

 

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

We need to move often, including sports, exercise, chores, walking, and even just standing up more than we sit. Here are guidelines recommended by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Man climbing up a rock wall
Rock climbing may be too extreme for you, but we can all find something we can do and enjoy.

 

MENTAL ACTIVITY

We need to read, learn new skills,  start or resume a hobby, learn another language, maybe even start a blog. You might even want to read about health; here are some suggestions.

statue of boy reading a book
Children and adults can develop a reading habit.

 

CONVERSATION

We need authentic communication with other people.

Social media, phone calls, text and email messages substitute when necessary, but they don’t replace face-to-face time with others.

2 young men, one white, one black, talking, smiling

 

 Which habits do you need more of?

Which of these resonates with you?

What will you need to change to make room for any of these in your life?

What will you gain if you have more of it in your life?

 

 

Exploring the HEART of Health

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Obesity and pain- you can lose both this year

Whether it’s extra weight gained from holiday eating or excess weight you’ve carried for years, the new year is the perfect time to lose it.

 

I’ve written before about reasons to maintain a healthy weight  at Why Obesity matters. Multiple health conditions including diabetes, heart disease, even cancer can stem from excess weight.

But here’s another reason to shed those excess pounds or kilos- pain.

Obesity increases the risk of chronic pain especially back pain , and weight loss leads to significant decrease in pain, sometimes more effectively than medications and surgery.

 

 

Pain in the spine , hips and knees may worsen with excess weight. (skeleton display at the Museum of Natural Science in New York City)

 

Pain management specialists discussed the relationship of obesity and back pain at the American Academy of Pain medicine annual meeting. Medical research studies conducted at the Mayo Clinic linked obesity to back pain. Other studies implicated obesity in cases of arm, knee, hip and back pain in adolescents as well as elderly people.

 

A study from Norway of 64000 people showed

people with a BMI greater than 30

were more likely to develop low back pain

than those with a BMI under 25.

Body mass index chart
A BMI OF 30 or more represents obesity. BMI Chart created by Vertex42.com. Used with permission.

 

And an Australian study showed that both

obesity and smoking  are related to back pain.

No Smoking sign with pumpkins
sign posted at a produce market in rural Georgia

 

So  don’t just resolve to lose weight,

set a goal

make a plan

put it into action

Here is a recap of this blog’s obesity related information to help you get started.

How achieving emotional healing can lead to weight loss

How a woman kicked her addiction to junk food and now helps others to do the same

Comparing different weight loss programs

How attitudes affect weight loss efforts

 

 

Please  share your goals and how you plan to make it happen.