About a year back, I went through a lot of professional and personal upheavals in my life - irregular sleep pattern, stressful work hours and a bad diet turned me into a living wreck.

There are times in our lives when we lose track of perspectives and don't pay attention to something we should focus on more often - OURSELVES.

Yes!
You need to take care of yourself first.
Before you can take care of others. Before you can conquer the world.
You should give attention to yourself.

I had forgotten that my mind and my body needed some self-love. So I decided to take control of my life and put it back together piece by piece.

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This is my personal learning of the 5 steps with which one can live a healthy, happy and fulfilling life:

1. Eating Healthy Food (Diet)

Food acts like fuel to a vehicle, without fuel a vehicle can't move or function. Similarly, without food our body machine ceases to function properly and we start facing a lot of issues. But as important as it is to eat, we also need to keep in mind that we should select the right food. Asking appropriate questions will help you decide what is best for you, like - Is the food nourishing and nutritious enough to keep me going? Is it giving me enough supplements? Is it helping me build my bones and muscles?

In short, the food should be able to care for you and help you build your body well. Follow a simple and feasible diet pattern.

2. Exercise Regularly (Especially Walking)

Walking is the most easily and readily accessible exercise to all of us, as it needs no particular setup nor does it require expert supervision. If you walk regularly, you can bless yourself with an agile and active body which will be devoid of any problems. But you need to remember to never over do it. The normal speed guideline for all age groups is ten minutes for a kilometer.

Don't rush, do it slowly and at your own pace. Walking gives an overall exercise experience and it strengthens all parts of the body. The best way to go about it is to increase the speed gradually. Finish your walking session with stretching exercises like stretching the lower body muscles (calves/thighs) and the lower back.

3. Beauty Sleep

To keep yourself healthy and happy, sleep is a must and the age old adage "Beauty Sleep" is not a myth. Lack of sleep can result in irritation, stress and increase in chronic diseases. It can also have severe health effects like fall in immunity levels and increase in blood pressure which can be detrimental to the body.

Sleep helps in maintaining and rejuvenating the body. 8 hours of sleep per day is ideal, if not then 50 hours of sleep per week is okay. Do not keep awake late in the night as it will do more harm than good.

4. Positive Thinking

Positive thinking helps in maintaining a good, healthy lifestyle. If you think good, you will feel good. A positive attitude will help you face life and it's problems in the right manner, allowing you to live in stress free, optimistic manner.

Inner beauty comes from goodness of the heart. Some people even say that the glow of the skin comes from pure thoughts. The world will be a much happier place if people start acting and thinking positively.

5. Relaxation (Hobby)

A hobby or pastime helps in diverting the mind from regressive thoughts and even helps in fighting depression. You can do anything of interest to you, from painting, gardening, writing on Steemit, cooking, reading, keeping pets, watching films, listening to music, etc. - the list is endless and so are the ways in which you can unwind from the daily wear and tear of life.