Mental Daily creator Joey Florez shares tips on staying healthy this winter

Your health is important throughout the year, and the change of season is a great opportunity to implement a new plan to stay healthy.

The creator of the online psychology site Mental Daily, an avid writer on health and digital culture who has been featured in news sites such as the International Business Times, Postimees, El Destape, iHeartRadio, The Week, and Glamour, compiled several efficient tips that can help you maintain well-being during the upcoming change of season.

Here are five tips on how to boost and maintain well-being this winter, according to Joey Florez.

Estimates from world population studies have suggested that more than a quarter of the world's adult population is not active enough in their daily lives. Up to one in three women and one in four men do not get enough physical exercise each day to stay healthy. Staying physically fit not only helps reduce the risk of physical health problems, such as high blood pressure and diabetes, but it also reduces stress, anxiety and depression.

Recent studies in medical journals have demonstrated that a persistent exercise routine can improve cognition while also improving thinking, memory, and learning skills in both young and older adults. But its effects, however, are more significant when it comes to improving well-being.

Experts recommend light to moderate-intensity aerobic exercise each week, with only about 30 minutes a day as a feasible duration, according to most leading health organizations. Walking, biking, yoga and sports are examples of physical activities that can reduce the risk of disease and promote healthier well-being. Besides staying fit, a good nutrition plan can also yield tremendous benefits when implementing a new lifestyle.

Resilience is the ability to adapt in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, and severe stress. Many empirical studies in scientific journals have attributed low resilience to the development of negative well-being, such as depression and anxiety.

Building resilience can be an effective approach to improving well-being and life satisfaction. Maintaining a healthy level of resilience begins with developing and executing healthy "emotional, spiritual, intellectual, physical, environmental, financial, occupational, and social habits," according to the Mental Daily article.

The most effective ways to build resilience include making lifestyle changes, taking a break during times of exhaustion, building a social support network, and taking care of your physical health. Having great resilience can also promote a positive self-image and esteem among adults of all ages.

Sleep is vital to maintaining optimal physical and mental health. Lack of sleep is linked to an increased risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Its psychological implications include fatigue, anxiety, depression, and poor cognition.

Increasing the duration and quality of sleep to sufficient levels can increase productivity and concentration during the day. It can also reduce the risk of weight gain, as well as increase social and emotional intelligence. In addition, it can help prevent the development of affective disorders, such as depression.

The world's leading health organizations and institutions recommend at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep a day for adults. Strategies for getting enough sleep include going to bed, and waking up at the same time every day, getting similar sleep hours on weekends as during the week, using the hour before bedtime to relax, turning off bright artificial light, and avoiding any large meals a few hours before bedtime.

For many people, spending time alone is crucial for creativity and inspiration, but spending quality time with friends and family is just as important.

As Mental Daily's founder notes, research studies have found that spending time with friends and family can increase happiness and well-being. Humans are social animals by nature, so survival involves companionship with others.

Spending time with your loved ones can help you cope with stress. It can also have substantial effects on your physical and mental health. Recent studies have even suggested that strong social relationships can lead to a longer, healthier lifespan.

While some studies have entertained the notion that light alcohol consumption, such as red wine, can lead to positive physical and mental health outcomes, many still argue against the consumption of alcohol.

Drinking alcohol regularly can affect brain chemicals that are responsible for maintaining good mental well-being. Since the potential risks outweigh the benefits when it comes to consuming alcohol, it may be best to avoid drinking alcohol altogether.

For people with an established drinking habit, approaches to help curb the habit include guarding against temptation, asking for support, setting a drinking goal to cessation, and being persistent and resilient.

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