It can be tough to maintain healthy habits during the winter months, especially if you live somewhere that sees all four seasons. Fortunately, there are a few simple things you can do right from the comfort of your own home to help maintain a healthy lifestyle while winter persists. Here are a few ideas to help you get started.

Take a Day Off

If there’s one thing you need to do for your health this winter, it’s taking a day off. Mental health is just as important as physical health, especially during the winter months when seasonal depression is at its peak. Add a pandemic on top of all that and you have the perfect recipe for burnout. Not to mention the very real physical effects that stress has on the body! Ordinarily, the average person loses about 100 strands of hair every day. When you’re extremely stressed, it’s possible that you may start to experience severe hair loss as a result. Aches, pains, and migraines may also accompany hair loss if your stress levels are too high. Taking a day off just to relax has more benefits than you know! In doing so, you’ll be able to take a minute to breathe and take care of your whole self — mentally and physically.

Make a Medical Appointment

Whether it’s time for your annual checkup or there’s something specific you’re struggling with medically, don’t hesitate to call your doctor. Taking care of yourself and staying healthy means more than eating well and making time to relax, after all. Recognizing and tending to your very real medical needs is a crucial part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. A good working relationship with your primary care physician can make a world of difference in regard to your physical health, too. When you’re more comfortable speaking with your doctor, you’re more likely to call when something feels off. Not sure about your doctor? The profession has grown in popularity by almost 300% over the last 30 years. It’s likely that you’ll be able to find someone who understands your medical issues and can treat them with ease. If you’re experiencing pain or you’re worried about some aspect of your health, calling your doctor to make an appointment is the best thing you can do.

Be Mindful of What You Put in Your Body

When it comes to cultivating a healthy lifestyle, thinking about what you’re putting into your body can make all the difference in the world. This is important in terms of food, alcohol, and even medication. Almost 85% of legal cannabis consumption is for pain treatment — would you rather treat pain with artificial opioids or natural substances? Have a craving for something sweet? How would your body react to a chocolate-covered strawberry over a slice of cheesecake? The answer will differ from person to person — no two bodies are alike, after all! The key is being mindful of what you’re ingesting. If you know something is going to make you feel bad or bloated, why eat it? Changing the way you think about what you consume can bring a whole new meaning to health.

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle doesn’t have to be an uphill battle. Instead, you can take it one step at a time and gauge how you’re feeling from there. With any luck, these tips will help you on your journey.