Hopefully following from my last blog post you’ve written your goals. If you have, clap for yourself – well done! If you haven’t what are you waiting for?

One of the most common goal or resolution (remember there’s a difference) people tend to make is determining to live healthy. For some this could mean loosing a few excess kilos; gaining a few pounds; getting more exercise; better quality sleep; making healthy food choices; stressing less…

If there is one thing I’ve observed about living healthy, it’s that starting early in life pays. Not only is it easier to form habits at a younger age, reversing some of the “damage” caused is much harder as one grows older. So as we decide to make better lifestyle  choices, let’s not forget to help our younger children and encourage the older ones to live healthy too. Here are a few tips to help:

ACTIVITY

Encourage physical activities that your child enjoys. There are so many to choose from – walking, cycling, swimming, dance class, football, aerobics, gym etc.

With the amount of time spent looking at a screen, it’s very easy to lead a sedentary lifestyle. Limit screen time and get them moving.

DIET

Let’s get our kids to eat healthy. Cut back on the sugar, unhealthy carbs, fat and junk food. Encourage them to eat fruits, veggies and drink water. Being mindful of the nutritional value of what our children consume will go a long way in helping them stay healthy.

STRESS MANAGEMENT

Have you ever heard a child say “I’m stressed” and you wondered what in the world could he be talking about? Well, it turns out that children can actually be stressed and it’s important to properly manage stress in children. A good starting point is planning and getting organized. Teach them to avoid procrastination. I believe in the age-old adage “never put off till tomorrow what you can do today”. Teach them not to leave assignments till the last minute, create a schedule, prioritize and develop effective time management skills.

SLEEP
Not getting enough sleep can take its toll not only on our child’s wellbeing but also on their academics. Inculcate in them the discipline of going to bed in good time so that they get at least 7 hours sleep regularly.

RELATIONSHIPS

The sort of relationships our children form and how they interact online and offline, in school and at home, is also important for their total well-being. Developing a healthy self-image, avoiding toxic relationships, building meaningful real life relationships, putting “likes” and “followers” in proper perspective and not allowing it to dictate their mood or define their self-worth is also key to living healthy. Showing kindness and doing other acts of charity can also be very uplifting.

We also owe it to our children to let them know the effect alcohol, smoking, drugs and casual sex can have on their physical, mental and emotional well-being.

I’ll be bringing some more tips your way but let’s get started with these ones.

Here’s to a healthy 2017!