Living a healthy lifestyle seems like an easy thing to do. Diet, exercise, no smoking, less drinking, better stress management, and you’ll achieve that healthy lifestyle that you’ve always wanted, right? Well, in reality, living healthily is much more complicated than that—there are a lot of variables that come into play, and there are many things that can prevent you from having a holistic approach to health.
So, what could be the reasons that are preventing you from living a healthy lifestyle? Here are several that you may want to consider:
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You have a health condition that is making it harder for you to eat
Eating right is an essential part of living a healthy lifestyle. However, if you have a health condition that is making it difficult for you to eat properly, not are you probably not eating enough—but it could also be affecting your relationship with food.
For example, if you have a severe misalignment in your teeth that prevents you from eating or chewing properly, eating may feel like more of a chore rather than an enjoyable activity. Jaw alignment surgery is the best option for cases like this, but for other health conditions, the solution is not as simple as that.
Take Chron’s disease, for example. It’s an inflammatory bowel disease characterized by the inflammation of the digestive tract. This can cause a variety of symptoms that range from mild to severe (e.g. diarrhea, fatigue, anal fissures, malnutrition, etc.). If you have such a condition, you would have to modify your diet significantly in order to avoid symptoms, and this is something that can be difficult to do without professional help.
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You have mental health problems
Our mental health greatly affects our day-to-day choices, including what we eat, how much we eat, how often we exercise, and how clean we keep ourselves. That said, if you are living with mental health problems, it may be more challenging to keep up with the demands of healthy living, let alone find the motivation to pursue them.
However, mental health problems should not prevent you from living a healthy lifestyle. Along with professional help, taking small steps to improve your diet, exercise more, and reduce your stress (along with other key factors to a healthy lifestyle) can eventually bring you to where you want to be.
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Your job is too demanding
No matter how much mediation you do or how many aromatherapy candles you light at your desk, a stressful job will always be a stressful job. Unless you go completely numb to everything around you, it can be difficult to disconnect from such a big part of your life, even if you fully recognize the importance of a good work-life balance.
We’re not saying you should quit your job. As long as you can find effective ways to manage your stress, you should be able to get by and focus more on your health. But at some point, you should be able to recognize when it all becomes too much.
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You have an addiction
It’s not just drugs, alcohol, or cigarettes. It could also be social media, gambling, video games, and even healthy things like counting calories and exercising. Whatever that thing may be, it is no longer healthy if you develop an obsession with it.
Naturally, an addiction to an unhealthy substance entails the need for professional help (the earlier, the better!). On the other hand, if you are addicted to dieting and exercising to a point where it becomes excessive, it is highly advisable that you try to reel in your habits as soon as possible. If doing this on your own is not feasible, it may be time to consult a professional.
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You need to move somewhere else
There are too many fast-food joints near your apartment. The city does not have enough places for exercise. Your roommates are constantly asking you to eat out or drink alcohol. All of these reasons may seem like excuses to not start living healthily, but they sometimes become valid hindrances. After all, the environment that you live in significantly affects how you live.
If you live in a place that is not conducive to a healthy lifestyle, then it may be time to move somewhere else—ideally somewhere you can pursue your healthy endeavors easily and more efficiently.
Sometimes, these reasons may feel like excuses. However, there comes a point when they are no longer excuses but instead valid reasons why you have trouble keeping up with a healthy lifestyle. If these reasons apply to you, then it’s high time to find solutions in order to pursue the type of life that you want to have.
