Many people are busy with work and housework and spend their days wondering, "I want to live an ideal life where I can cherish my personality more, but can I just keep going?"
In this article, we will consider the important factors to get closer to the realization of an ideal life and introduce an example of a daily schedule.
4 major factors to get closer to your ideal life
Do you know what are the essential elements of an ideal life? In this paragraph, we will take up four factors that you should be aware of in order to get closer to your ideal life, and introduce each in detail.
1 - Make your own time
The first is to make time so that you have time for yourself. If you continue to be busy with housework and work every day, you will run out of rest time and get tired.
Not only that, but if you don't have enough time to do what you like, such as your hobbies, you won't be able to relieve or refresh your mental stress. Such a life is far from ideal. "Time" is indispensable for an ideal life.
In order to make time for yourself, you will need to review and improve your existing methods, such as improving the efficiency of work and housework.
2 - Get enough sleep
In order to lead an ideal life, it is essential to maintain good physical and mental conditions. The most important factor for that is getting a good night's sleep.
To improve your sleep quality, first lead a regular life. Waking up at the same time each morning and basking in the sun will awaken your head and body and enter active mode. Moderate exercise during the day also helps to keep your body rhythmic.
About 14 to 16 hours after waking up, your body will lean into sleep mode, so keep in mind a lifestyle that makes it easier for you to fall asleep. It is effective to turn off the lights in the room, finish dinner at least 3 hours before going to bed, and avoid looking at the LCD screen of your computer or smartphone for several hours before going to bed.
3 - Eat a nutritionally balanced diet
A nutritionally balanced diet is very important for maintaining good health. In addition to staple foods such as rice, bread, and noodles, try to eat as many items as possible every day, such as proteins such as meat, fish, and bean products, and vegetables. In particular, green and yellow vegetables tend to be in short supply, so it is important to take them consciously. If you use hot vegetables, the bulk will decrease and it will be easier to eat.
Also, some people may need a little alcohol or cigarettes as a way to relieve stress, but it's not good for you, so be careful not to overdo it.
4 - Exercise moderately
Living long and healthy is also an important factor in living an ideal life. A lifestyle that exercises moderately enhances immunity and leads to healthy longevity. Some people may feel that they don't want to move because they are tired, but there is a theory that it is easier to relieve physical and mental fatigue by moving the body lightly rather than staying still.
When it comes to exercising, you don't have to spend time and money going to the gym. There are many opportunities to exercise comfortably in everyday life, such as using the elevator to use the stairs where you were going up, or walking the section you were traveling by bus or train for just one station. You can find it. Moderate exercise also leads to good sleep, so try to incorporate it into your life to the extent that it does not burden you.
Ideal daily schedule example
The ideal schedule is different for each person, but here is one example. Use this example as a guide to arrange the time and order to suit your lifestyle.
6:30 Wake up & breakfast
The time of sunrise depends on the season, but even the latest sunrise is bright around 7:00. The ideal habit is to wake up naturally in the morning sun and wake up. In addition, the average wake-up time for Japanese people is said to be from 6:00 to 7:00, which is a schedule that suits the lifestyles of many people.
It is also important to get up early and have time to prepare for work as the beginning of the day. In addition, eating a good breakfast raises your blood pressure and puts your mind and body into active mode.
8:30 Walk one station to work
If you have time to go to work, it is recommended that you walk a distance of about one station to commute to work. If you walk about one station, it will take about 30 minutes. If you don't want to be late, you can walk with the star, so it's an easy exercise method to incorporate into your daily life. It may be easier to continue walking for 30 minutes every day as a habit than exercising in the gym only twice a week.
12:00 Eat homemade bento
Frozen foods and retort-packed foods can help you in your busy life, but for your health, don't rely too much on processed foods. Processed foods are said to lead to coldness and gradually damage your health.
For your health, try to eat foods that warm your body as much as possible. For that purpose, home cooking using seasonal ingredients is the best. It is better to bring a handmade bento for lunch at work. Bento also has the nice effect of saving money and dieting.
19:00 Return home and have dinner
As with lunch, try to have a nutritionally balanced diet at dinner. For that purpose, self-catering using fresh seasonal ingredients is suitable.
Keep in mind that dinner should be less voluminous than breakfast or lunch. Overeating not only causes obesity, but also reduces the quality of sleep by using energy for digestion, as you only sleep after eating. If possible, finish your dinner at least 3 hours before bedtime.
20:30 Bathing
It is said that the timing of bathing is important for getting a good night's sleep. If you raise your body temperature temporarily, you will become sleepy when your body temperature drops, making it easier for you to fall asleep. Ideally, you should take a bath not only in the shower but also in the bathtub 2-3 hours before bedtime. It is better to use warm water of about 38 degrees for about 30 minutes, but if you do not have time, you can expect the effect of improving sleep even for about 5 minutes by using hot water of about 42 degrees.
21:00 Free time
You can get a sense of fulfillment by spending even a little time in the day doing what you like. You can read a book, watch a movie, or study to improve your skills. Alternatively, you can give yourself more time in the morning by completing household chores such as washing and cleaning during this time.
A light stretch after taking a bath is also effective for getting a good night's sleep. Stretching leads the mind and body to a relaxed state. Also, by making stretching a habit before going to bed (sleep-onset ritual), it will be easier to switch your mind and body to the "sleeping now" mode.
23:00 Go to bed
Let's get into the futon early for the next day. There are individual differences in the amount of sleep required, and it is generally said that it is about 6 to 8 hours, but there is also a theory that there is no problem if you have enough sleep time to avoid getting sleepy during the day.
To sleep comfortably, it is also important to make your pajamas and pillows suitable for your body. Also, you can sleep better by shutting out the light and sound as much as possible.
What you can do for an ideal life
I introduced the ideal daily schedule above, but some people may find it surprisingly difficult to actually follow the schedule. In this paragraph, we'll show you four things you can do to achieve your ideal schedule.
Don't use your smartphone and computer before going to bed
In order to get a good night's sleep, it is said that you should refrain from using your smartphone or computer for several hours before going to bed. It has been pointed out that the blue light contained in the LEDs used in smartphones and personal computers causes strain on the eyes and also has the effect of disturbing the body clock.
Specifically, blue light is said to stimulate the suprachiasmatic nucleus, which controls the biological clock in the hypothalamus, and suppress the secretion of melatonin, a hormone substance that promotes sleep.
Use the stairs as much as possible
If you find it difficult to get into the habit of exercising in your life, just trying to "use the stairs as much as possible" can significantly increase your physical activity. Let's use the stairs only for the 1st and 2nd floors in the place where we used to use elevators and escalators.
It is also recommended to "walk and move as much as possible". Let's walk only a part of the section that was moved by bus, train, taxi, etc.
The more you get used to a convenient life, the harder it is to exercise. Even small things are fine, so changing your lifestyle will lead to diet and health.
Make side dishes
It is difficult both in terms of time and physical strength to cook for yourself every day in a busy life. Therefore, we recommend that you use your spare time, such as weekends, to make side dishes and use them for lunch and dinner. Alternatively, you can shorten the cooking time by cooking multiple side dishes at once when you stand in the kitchen. Some side dishes can be stored frozen, so they can be used even in the summer.
Sometimes I don't do housework
Even if you want to set aside time for yourself, there are many cases in which the day ends due to being overwhelmed by household chores. Housework is endless, so the more you try to do it, the more time you lose.
Occasionally, it is recommended to leave the housework to a housekeeping service. Let's make some time to replace daily routine work such as cooking, cleaning, and washing. You can also request shopping, pick-up and drop-off for children, procedures at government offices and banks.
Summary:
Indispensable elements for an ideal life are good lifestyle habits such as healthy eating, exercise, and sleep, and plenty of time to spend in your own way. How about reviewing your lifestyle, such as setting up a daily schedule, and aiming for a healthy and ideal life?