Headaches: Causation, Treatment & Prevention

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While the science behind headaches stems from a biochemical disorder, psychological influences can play a key role in the onset or maintenance of a headache. Research has shown that there is a comorbidity between psychiatric symptoms and headaches, particularly that of anxiety and depression. Due to biopsychosocial factors, headaches can have serious influences on a person's overall quality of life. In this post, we are going to take a look at the causation of headaches and ways you can treat/prevent them.

Primary Headaches

There are 2 types of headaches that a person can experience- primary or secondary. Primary headaches happen when there is an issue with the pain sensitivity structures or they go into overdrive. Nerve or blood vessels around the skull, head or neck muscles, or chemical activation in the brain can all play a role. One of the most common types of primary headaches is a migraine.

Migraine

Symptoms can cause intense pain or throbbing typically on one side of the head. While the verdict is still out on the causation, researchers believe that the causation is related to unstable nerve cells that overreact to different triggers. These triggers can include...

  • Issues with sleep

  • Depression, Anxiety or Stress

  • Hormonal changes in the body (including PMS)

  • Fatigue or hunger

  • Alcohol Use or caffeine withdrawal

  • Bodily strain related to posture

Secondary Headaches

These headaches are typically related to a secondary cause, such as a medical condition. These can include...

  • Head Injury (such as a concussion)

  • Infection

  • Overuse of medication

  • Congestion of the sinuses

  • Tumor

  • now COVID-19

Treatment of Headaches

As there are many ways to treat a headache, I will touch on a few common and not-so-common treatments.

Over-the-counter

Anti-inflammatory medications (such as Aspirin or ibuprofen) and acetaminophens (i.e., Tylenol) are what many individuals use for pain relief. These medications either block the production of chemicals that cause inflammation or elevate pain thresholds to relieve pain and reduce fevers (in the case of acetaminophens). If you see a primary care provider or specialist, they may recommend other types of medications which call for a prescription.

As we stated before, because there is a psychological aspect that can onset headaches, there are other forms of treatment that don't require medication (but an appointment with a psychologist or therapist). These include...

Stress management

Using learning relaxation techniques- such as deep breathing, muscle relaxation to manage stress which can reduce headaches. Additionally, Cognitive Behavior Therapy can teach coping skills to manage pain.

Acupuncture

Some research shows acupuncture to be effective in the treatment of headaches by restoring the flow of energy in the body and removing negative energy related to pain by dividing the body into zones and pressure points (typically near the nerves).

Feedback Treatment

Biofeedback is a common modality used in headache treatment. It involves sensors placed on different parts of the body that monitor physiological changes in the body (including muscle stress, heart/ respiratory rate and skin conductance). In turn, instant feedback is provided to the specialist who helps teach the individual how to gain control of these bodily processes.

Additionally, neurofeedback is another feedback modality where sensors are connected to the head to determine neural activity levels in specific brain areas. This information is relayed in real-time, and the specialist provides techniques to teach the individual ways to control brain activity responses.

These feedback modalities can decrease psychiatric symptoms like stress or anxiety, reduce pain and muscle tension, as well as strengthen brain activity.

Headache Prevention

As we've discussed, there are many things that can cause a headache and while some of these may be out of our control, there are still preventative steps that you can take to either reduce some of the characteristics of headaches (duration, intensity, frequency). These include...

  • Diet changes & increase water intake

  • Healthy sleep regimen

  • Reducing stress

  • Seeking Therapy to decrease psychiatric symptoms

  • Increasing opportunities for self-care

  • Talking with your doctor


As always, this post is only to provide general information. Please consult with your provider regarding treatment for your specific needs.

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How Your Home Can Impact A Healthy Lifestyle

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You might be wondering already from the title how your home can impact your healthy life. You probably just thought that your home was a simple place for you to rest and enjoy yourself, which is true. However, you also have to be careful with your home, otherwise you could seriously impact the healthy lifestyle that you are looking to lead. In this article, we are going to be looking at some of the ways that this is possible, so keep reading down below if you would like to find out more.

Asbestos

The first problem that you might have is asbestos, which is a material that builders used for insulation decades ago. However, this was banned in the late 90’s, but there are still homes and buildings that contain this substance, even though it can be toxic. Asbestos can be dangerous if it is disturbed, and has been linked to certain types of cancer, so if you live in an older construction, it may be beneficial to get a surveyor to come and check your home just to be on the safe side.

Too Hot/Too Cold

Another health issue that you might face is the too hot/too cold issue. If your heating or air conditioning unit isn’t working, then you need to get it fixed. When you get too hot, you are looking at issues such as dehydration, dizziness, sickness, and even confusion if you aren’t careful. You know that it is going to get hot again, so call an emergency ac repair technician to come and see to your issue. The same goes for when the weather is too cold though. You are putting yourself at risk of catching a cold, or even worse if you don’t have working heating. 

Your Mental Health

Finally, mental health is hugely important if you want to live a healthy life. The state of your home can massively impact your mental health. If you have a messy house, you are more likely to have a “messy mind”. If there are issues that need repairing, this is going to cause you stress etc. As soon as one area starts to become affected (in this case your mental health), the physical may likely follow.

There is help and support out there that you can access if you want to.


Hopefully, you have found this article helpful, and now see how your home can impact your healthy life. Where possible, you want to make sure that nothing can get in the way of your lifestyle and the way that you want to live.

How Your Home Could Be Damaging To Your Health

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While we are progressing in the pandemic “Safer At Home” shut down order, and we have been secluded to our homes for weeks now, I thought it would be important to talk about how we can really be SAFER at home. We are all trying to maintain our sanity at this point from finally putting those healthier lifestyle goals to work (by exercising and eating clean) to ZOOM and chill nights with our friends. However, have we really taken time to make sure our homes are safe to do these things?

Our environment has a big role to play in our health and if you are not careful, your home could be damaging your health in a lot of different ways. These are some of the potential ways that your home could be harming your health.

Photo Credit

Photo Credit

Moving Home 

When you initially move into a new home, this can have an impact on your health, but a lot of people don’t consider this. It is a very stressful process and that can negatively impact your mental and physical health. That’s why it is so important that you plan your move carefully and try to find ways to reduce stress during the move so things don’t get on top of you. 

Poor Air Quality 

The air quality is becoming superb outside due to the shut down, but have you ever thought about the air quality inside your home? Most people haven’t and it can be a big problem. In fact, the air quality inside your home is often worse than it is outside because the air does not circulate. Things like cleaning products or certain types of candles can release a lot of chemicals into the air, and breathing all of that in is not good for your health. It is important that you try to open windows and circulate air as much as possible and switch to green cleaning chemicals where you can. An air conditioner can help, but only if it is cleaned and maintained properly or it will make the problem worse. You should also consider getting more plants in the home to help purify the air as well. 

Dangerous Materials 

If you live in an older home or apartment building, there may be dangerous materials like lead or asbestos in your home, and these can lead to some serious health problems. Asbestos is the main cause of a type of cancer called mesothelioma, and if you are exposed for a long period without realizing, you may be at risk of developing the condition. If this does happen, you may be entitled to some compensation, so get in touch with a mesothelioma lawyer right away. If you suspect that there are dangerous materials in your home, make sure to call in some professionals to test and remove materials if necessary. Never try to do this yourself because you could be putting yourself in more danger.

Missed Spots When Cleaning 

We all like to think that we have a clean home, but are there spots that you are missing when you clean? Most people don’t realize, but there are a lot of common spots that get missed when we are cleaning, and this can lead to a buildup of bacteria over time. Things like light switches and door knobs, for example, are touched a lot and carry a lot of bacteria, so they need to be cleaned properly on a regular basis. 


These are just some of the ways that your home could be harming your health, so you need to be careful.

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Taking Care Of YOU (the easy way...)

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Sometimes even though we want to make changes and feel better, we don’t really know where to start. When it comes to taking care of yourself, you can do smaller things in the beginning and slowly over time build it up. 

It takes 12+ weeks to build or break a habit, and if you overload yourself with too many at once, it can begin to feel like a chore, not something that you want to do. So here are a few simple things that you can do to take better care of yourself, without the pressure or stress. 

Food

Have you took a look at what and how you are eating? Chances are there’s room for improvement. Don’t worry, though, you don’t have to make a lot of drastic changes all at once. Instead of thinking about a diet, think about a healthy eating plan instead. Find foods that you love to cook, try new fruits and vegetables, and try new recipes. If you find that you snack a lot, then try swapping out your usual snacks for a piece of fruit or some salad. Much about healthier eating has to do with preparation.

Supplements

Taking a supplement can change a lot. If your diet isn’t incredibly well balanced (and even when it is), there are some things that you are probably pretty lacking in, and everyone needs something different. This is where Hundred supplements are ideal. Instead of paying for a standard multivitamin, you can have something that is designed for you and your lifestyle. 

Tech-Free

We spend so much time on technology. Our mobile phones are in our hand almost all of the time. Between that and work laptops we are plugged in nearly all of the time. Using technology too much has been shown to have a negative impact on us. So making a conscious effort to turn off the laptop, leave the phone on the side and get some technology-free time. 

Start Working Out

You don’t need to head to the gym for long, intense workouts. You can do more gentle exercise at home. Starting with Yoga, or even the 30-day shred. A few times a week will improve your energy levels, and the other perk is that you will naturally be more thirsty. So you will be drinking more water - perfect! 

Rest

If you are busy most of the time, you might not notice your stress levels creeping up. Over time these can become dangerous and cause a range of other issues too. Learning to rest properly, or going to bed a little earlier can improve your mood, your energy levels and your productivity. 


If you struggle to sleep, then consider using an app like the Calm app or Headspace to help you drift off to sleep, or to learn other relaxation techniques. 

Work Free

If you run your own business, then this might be more difficult, but making sure that you have strict work-personal life hours will mean that you aren’t working when you should be relaxing. 


Smaller changes add up to a more significant difference over time, and they are more likely to be permanent changes too. 

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Forget the Dieting Gurus: Go the Traditional Route

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There are thousands of people out there pushing diets and making promises all around the world. If you get on their plan, they tell you, you’ll be able to lose weight, tone up and get rid of those love handles you loathe. The problem with diet gurus is that (at the root), they’re trying to sell a product, be it a book, supplement, or online course. While there’s nothing wrong with this per se, it creates a conflict of interest. Does the guru want to make you healthy, or do they want the money? In reality, it’s probably a bit of both. 

Fad diets, however, are often unsustainable, and sometimes they can lead you to eat foods that are dangerous to your health, all in the name of weight loss. Many, for instance, advocate high fat and high meat consumption - two food categories associated with shorter lives and more disease. 

The key to the puzzle is to look at what thriving populations ate in the past and what worked for them. The inhabitants of Sardinia in the Mediterranean, for instance, had long lives and lived practically disease-free. They ate a diet of beans, whole grains, and vegetables, with the occasional peppering of nuts and seeds. Meat, fish, cheese, oil, and sweets were rare treats - not a part of the everyday diet. 

The following infographic details some of the most popular fad diets and talks about the dangers of going on one of these programs. It then describes the kinds of foods we should adopt if we want to live well for a long time. 


Infographic by USC

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Amazing Health Hacks to Take Control of Your Life

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You need to be in the driving seat when it comes to improving your life. Seize control of your destiny and start working toward the future you’ve always wanted. The first step in the process is figuring out exactly how you can improve your health and take charge of a healthier and happier lifestyle in the process.

These are some of the best health hacks that you can use to take control of your life today.


Look After Your Body

Looking after your body is something you need to keep in mind right now, and there are a lot of things you can do to achieve this moving forward. You have to make sure you boost the way you look after yourself and try to keep your body in the best possible condition. For example, if you find yourself trying to work through addictive behaviors, you could look into something such as PHP treatment to help keep you clean, sober to allow for you to do the things you’ve been wanting to do.

Positive Mental Attitude

Positive mental attitude is so important, and one of the biggest factors you need to get right in your life. Stop judging yourself too harshly, and instead focus on what is good about you. Having a positive outlook on your life is something that can really help to improve your mental health and well-being, and will make you happier. It is so easy to get caught up in negativity, and this is something that you need to change if you want to improve your life.

Use A Personal Trainer or Join A Gym

Keeping yourself in shape and boosting your physical condition is something that so many people need to work on right now. This is something that plays a big role in helping you improve your physical health and well-being right now, but it can be tough to keep up with working out. Hiring a personal trainer or joining a gym is a wonderful way of being able to keep yourself motivated, and know that you are doing the right workouts to help maximize your fitness. 

Change Careers

A lot of people don’t realize that there is a correlation between their career and their health. A lot of us work high-intensity jobs that require a lot of dedication and are very stressful, and this is not good for our health and well-being. We need to look at the best ways of being able to keep ourselves in good condition, and this might mean considering a career change for the sake of our health.


As you can see, there are so many things that play a role in helping you seize control of your life and improve your health and well-being. The more you can do to improve this, the better you will feel .


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Why Quitting Bad Habits Is So Hard

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Of course, nobody is perfect. However, not all bad habits are equal. Some just might be irritating to the people around you, while others could put your health at risk. Nevertheless, bad habits have something in common: They usually are hard to quit. As a result, many of us feel demotivated and weak when it comes to creating a self-improvement journey. It’s not that we don’t want to become a better person. We don’t know how to make it work! Here are the top four reasons why quitting bad habits is hard: 

Because it’s a habit

The first clue is in the name. It’s a habit, and therefore, it is an integral part of your routine. As a result, quitting cold turkey and without any preparation can be incredibly difficult. Instead, the best approach is to mentally prepare yourself to turn a page by setting a quit date. Keep your goals realistic, though. If you’ve been a smoker for the best part of your adult life, you probably don’t want to quit tomorrow. Instead, you can use your quit date to gradually reduce your intake of nicotine until it becomes bearable for your body to sustain low quantities. 

Because it helps you cope

Why do we develop bad habits? Your habit is a response to a situation. Some patterns are learned, such as copied from your parents as a child. Others are chosen to fill a void. Destructive habits that put your health at risk typically act as a coping mechanism that helps you deal with stressful events. Highly functional drinkers, for instance, don’t drink because they like the taste but because they can’t function without the relief of alcohol. As a result, sober living centers have developed dedicated support to help people not only identify the underlying problem but also manage it more effectively. The same principle applies to a variety of harmful habits. You need to focus on addressing the triggering issues first. 

Because it’s part of your social image

Some habits are developed to facilitate social integration. Social drinking, for instance, is a natural behavior for people with an extended circle of friends. After all, friends who drink together stay friends forever (or so they say). Consequently, it can be difficult to build healthy habits, as you might worry about social isolation, whether you want to quit alcohol or junk food – two of the most prevalent unhealthy behaviors among friends. 

Because it needs replacing

You can’t just drop a habit and hope for the best. When the habit disappears, it leaves a void you need to fill. Smokers, for instance, have an established routine, from the first cigarette in the morning to the last puff before bed. If you don’t build a healthy replacement, you are more likely to give up and return to your bad habit. Introducing a new habit helps you to create a new gesture and pattern to rely on in your day-to-day life. 


Can you quit your bad habits tomorrow? If the answer is no, you needn’t worry. Nobody can quit without notice, because your habit is part of your life. You must detach yourself from this side of your personality to create room for something positive in your routine.


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3 Ways To Modify Your Environment For Your Well-being

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When people think of self-improvement, they often think of stuff that happens "internally" rather than "externally," strictly speaking. For example, they'll work on reducing their negative self talk, setting productive goals, becoming more "motivated" to perform particular tasks, and so on. Interestingly enough, some of the most significant ways to transform your life for the better, actually rely on changing your environment, rather than just your thought process.

As human beings, our internal mental and emotional domains are always liable to be impacted to a significant degree by the surroundings we find ourselves in, and since we all spend so much time in our own homes, restructuring your home can easily be one of the most effective ways of creating that kind of change.

Here are just a few ways you can modify your environment to transform your life.


Overhaul your bedroom, and bedding, to experience a new world of deep sleep

People often underestimate the incredible degree to which the quality and length of their sleep impacts everything else in their lives. The research on this topic is crystal clear, though- when you get a good night's sleep, you're simply a better person across the board. Your emotions are more well-balanced, your mind works faster, your memory is better, and you're healthier.

Many people these days experience insomnia and other sleep conditions. Often, simply overhauling your bedroom, and bedding, can radically transform the quality of your sleep. Specially designed bedding, such as Tencel bed sheets ensure your sleep is refreshingly comfortable and the less crowded your bedroom is, the more likely you are to sleep properly at night.

Reshape your space, to increase or reduce resistance, and manage your habits

Writers Charles Duhigg and James Clear, have both written very successful books on the art of habit management. One theme that both men cover is that establishing good habits, and dissolving bad ones, largely comes down to managing "resistance." In other words – since people are typically inclined to follow the path of least resistance, making it just a bit harder to engage in negative habits, and a bit easier or more rewarding to engage in positive ones, can completely transform how you behave on an everyday basis.

In many cases, this is largely a matter of restructuring your home, and office environments. Such as by removing distractions, putting healthier food in the fridge, et cetera. Our habits define us to an enormous degree – so getting this right can really turn you into a new person.

De-clutter your home to enhance your attention and focus

It's inevitable that if your home is cluttered, your attention will be perpetually drawn in different directions, and you will find it very difficult to focus and maintain your attention on one thing at a time. There's a good deal of research to suggest that this particular state of affairs leads to chronic anxiety, and underperformance in work, hobbies, etc. Decluttering your home can help you to enhance your mental clarity, and simply lead to enjoying a better life.

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Ready to Stop Yo-Yo Dieting? Keep Reading...

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Are you a yo-yo dieter? If you are, you are indeed not alone. The process of losing a significant amount of weight, before regaining all or most of it, and then repeating the process time and time again is a frustrating experience shared by people all over the world (trust me, I know firsthand!!)

Just as you feel like you are making progress and getting somewhere with your weight loss, you find yourself slipping back into bad habits, and before you know it, you are back where you started. In some cases, people end up even heavier than they were initially. Managing your weight in this way is neither healthy nor sustainable, and will not do your self-esteem much good either, as you may feel like you are continually failing yourself. If you are ready to break this cycle, here are a few tips to help you on your way.

Think about your attitude towards food, and any issues that you may have

When it comes to weight loss, this is one of the most important things that you can do. You will never be successful in losing weight if you haven’t considered your feelings and attitudes towards food and diets, and if you don’t deal with any underlying issues surrounding it, nothing will work in the longer term. It may be something simple, but more often than not, there are a variety of factors which, when combined, have made you gain the weight or stopped you from losing any. Perhaps you comfort eat, or eat out of boredom? Are you disorganized, so end up grabbing that calorific takeout on your way home from work? Maybe you are an inexperienced cook and don’t know how to prepare healthy meals. Working out the reasons behind the problem will help you to gain much more control over the situation. If you feel like you have some extreme emotions or issues when it comes to food, you may want to consider speaking to a counselor or therapist to help you regain control and deal with them.

Clean Out The Kitchen

It can be incredibly difficult to follow any healthy eating plan if your kitchen is full of unhealthy and high calorie/carb or nutritionally devoid snacks and food. If you have a family or roommates, get them on board too, so that you can’t use the excuse that they are available for them. Dispose of anything that isn’t providing your body with nutritional goodness - anything overly processed, salty and prepackaged, or full of added sugar or preservatives. Ready meals and jars of sauces may be convenient after a hard day at work, but they, as a whole, are relatively devoid of nutrition. Do a big grocery shop and fill your cabinets and refrigerator with fresh fruit and vegetables and healthier alternatives. Don’t completely deny yourself a treat - a piece of chocolate here or slice of cake there isn’t going to hurt, and in fact, can be a part of a balanced diet, but make sure it is an occasional treat.

Research Healthy Eating Plans

There are hundreds of thousands of eating plans out there, and it is essential to do your research and find one that is suitable for you - some will only make yo-yo dieting worse as they aren’t sustainable for more than a few weeks. Others can be implemented as a life long healthy eating plan rather than a short term diet. This noom review gives you an idea of one such plan you may want to take a look at. However, speaking with your doctor or a nutritionist that can tailor a plan specifically for you is always a good way to go!

Learn To Cook

For many people, especially these days where we rely heavily on convenience foods, an inability to cook is one of the main reasons why people struggle to maintain a healthy weight. Learning to prepare exciting, yet healthy meals, means you are less likely to pick up Chinese takeout or reach for the cookie jar just because you want something satisfying to eat. Invest in some herbs and spices and learn how to use them in your everyday meals and slowly build up your repertoire. Look for healthy swaps where possible - can you swap that heavy cream out for natural yogurt? If time is an issue, as it is for lots of us, could you invest in a slow cooker so that you can walk in after a day at work to a hearty and healthy home cooked meal? Experiment with flavors and recipes, and most importantly, have fun with them.

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How To Achieve A Balanced State Of Well-being

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You can probably attest to the fact that a long-term healthy routine is hard to achieve. Most of us fluctuate when it comes to our physical and mental well-being. You might put on a few pounds, go running for a few weeks, lose the weight, and then go back to a sedentary lifestyle. Or maybe you get into a good sleeping pattern only to ruin it all when you take a summer vacation or see your family at Christmas. After that, it takes a few months to get back into a good rhythm. Obviously, nobody’s perfect, and we’re all allowed occasional treats or lazy days when it comes to our health. In fact, being able to relax is important for your mental health, but you should strive to maintain some semblance of balance and structure in your life. These are some small steps to achieving a balanced state of well-being.

Think about your diet and level of physical activity.

The first step to consider when you’re trying to achieve a balanced state of well-being is improving your diet. The food you eat has such a big impact on your physical and emotional well being. If you’re struggling to stick to a healthy diet then try making meal plans at first. As mentioned in the introduction, the key to achieving a lasting healthy routine is to find some semblance of structure in your life. The other component of a healthy physical lifestyle is regular exercise. You need to strive for daily physical exercise in a healthy routine.

Rather than simply going for a run when you need to lose a few pounds, as was discussed in the introduction, you should try going for a run every day. Maybe you’ve never felt the motivation to do that because you don’t have the time or energy for a strenuous workout routine. However, you don’t have to push yourself too hard at first. Even 10 minutes of jogging around your local area on a daily basis is better than doing no exercise at all. You’ll feel the difference in terms of your physical and mental health. Moving your body releases endorphins in the brain, and that’ll improve your motivation. You’ll be able to gradually increase the intensity of your workout routine.


Cut down on unhealthy habits.

Living a balanced lifestyle is about more than adopting healthy habits; you also have to cut down on the unhealthy habits in your existing daily routine. We’re all allowed occasional treats in life, as mentioned earlier, but you need to recognize the habits that have developed into something more excessive. Whether you drink too much alcohol, eat too much junk food, or engage in some other bad habit, you need to wean yourself off these things if you want to achieve a balanced state of well-being. You might even want to look into residential drug treatment to get some professional assistance. It’s a smart idea to get support for unhealthy habits that are starting to spiral out of control.


Prioritize a regular sleeping pattern.

This is one of the most important components of a healthy lifestyle, but it’s something that so many people in the modern world dismiss. You might think that a cup of coffee is the solution for a sleepless night, but that isn’t the case. A lack of energy is only one symptom of a larger problem. Sleep deprivation weakens your metabolism, immune system, muscles, and mental health. All of the healthy changes you’re making will be impeded by a poor sleeping routine. Get enough rest every night if you want to achieve a balanced state of well-being. If you’re struggling to get 8 hours of sleep because you can’t shut down your mind then try avoiding stimulants such as coffee and phone screens before bed.

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