Four Ways Living Simply And Sustainably Improves Your Health

Living simply and living sustainably often go hand in hand. Both involve paying more intention to nature and to the things that truly matter, which brings numerous health benefits. Here are just a few of them.

1. Stress reduction to improve your health
Being overwhelmed by too much stuff, too many activities and too many worries can drastically harm your health. Stress weakens your immune system, prevents you from getting the restorative sleep you need and can even cause high blood pressure.

In addition, it's all too easy to cope with stress by eating too many unhealthy foods, and it can keep you from making time for things like exercise and intentional relaxation. Living simply and sustainably removes unnecessary possessions and processes from your life, reducing your stress levels and increasing your overall health.

Sometimes this happens in psychological ways, but other times it's in very practical, physical ways. For example, introducing solar panels for home use can cut down on your energy bills, thus reducing your financial burden and the worry that comes with that.

In addition, cutting down on the number of possessions you have will make your home a more relaxing place to be. While some stressors are just a part of life, living simply and sustainably can help remove some of the unnecessary ones.

2. Physical fitness to improve your health
Simple living often means you have more time to be active. Whether it's going to the gym or getting outside and moving, your body will thank you for the exercise.

Not only will this strengthen your muscles and increase your endurance, but regular exercise will also increase your energy, mood, and immune system, as well as facilitate weight loss. This is even truer if you can enjoy nature while you do so.

Getting some good time in the sun allows your body to produce enough vitamin D; spending time in fresh air improves your immune system. Plus, being outside can help you clear your head and inspire you with new ideas and motivation. Even simple activities such as gardening or lawn work can help improve your physical fitness while furthering your sustainable lifestyle.

3. Better nutrition to improve your health
Living simply and sustainably often means that you cut down the number of processed foods you consume. Purchasing produce from your local farmer's market is a way to not only cut down on the number of trips you have to make to the grocery store, but it's also a way to support local farmers and their sustainable practices.

As a result of eating these and other whole, healthy foods, your body will experience reduced inflammation, more energy, and a lower risk of diabetes and heart disease. You may even notice additional health benefits as a result of cutting out foods you didn't realize were harming your body.

Even if you don't notice a huge difference, though, eating sustainable, minimally processed foods will get your body better nutrition, making it stronger and better able to withstand diseases and infections.

4. Stronger relationships to improve your health
Simplifying your life allows you to focus on spending time with the people you love and strengthening your relationships with them. Having a strong support system is vital to overcoming challenging times, and it makes the good times that much sweeter.

It may be obvious that this improves your mental and emotional health, but it may surprise you that it also adds to your physical health. Having strong relationships reduces your stress levels, which means you get all of the health benefits that come with that.

It also means you have more motivation to take care of yourself and people to keep you accountable to do so. It's amazing what having a workout buddy or someone to swap recipes with can do for your motivation to continue your simple, sustainable lifestyle.

Sustainable and simple living has many benefits, but one of the biggest is to your health. Putting the time and energy into focusing on the things that matter can have a surprisingly large impact on your physical and mental wellbeing.

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Written By:
Finnegan Pierson loves business and has a passion for Health and technology. Even more interesting is the combination of the two. As a freelance writer, Finn hopes to influence others so they can have positive life experiences.

Reviewed By:
Founder Ray Spotts has a passion for all things natural and has made a life study of nature as it relates to health and well-being. Ray became a forerunner bringing products to market that are extraordinarily effective and free from potentially harmful chemicals and additives. For this reason Ray formed Trusted Health Products, a company you can trust for clean, effective, and healthy products. Ray is an organic gardener, likes fishing, hiking, and teaching and mentoring people to start new businesses. You can get his book for free, “How To Succeed In Business Based On God’s Word,” at www.rayspotts.com.

Photo by Febrian Zakaria on Unsplash