Building Long Term Wellbeing and Healthy Habits

Would you like to be making long term healthy habits in your life? Many adults who are living with a disability (and even their carers) can find it overwhelming when they begin to look at changing their habits to make healthy changes. It can feel as though you are learning a whole new way of life.

It doesn’t have to though. In fact, research shows, to make change and habits last it is best to take small steps one at a time. To help you on your journey to building long term wellbeing and healthy habits, we’ve broken down the first few steps you can be taking. Small steps which you can take one at a time.

Eating Healthy Food

A healthy diet is important for your overall health and wellbeing for many reasons and has lots of benefits. From a physical perspective, making healthy food choices creates more energy, helps you to maintain a healthy weight and prevents the increased risk of illness or disease.

Our home delivery meal service is one option to ensure you are having healthy, nutritious and tasty meals. Depending on your NDIS plan, NDIS will fund your meals by covering the cost of meal preparation and delivery. All you have to pay is a small co-payment for the raw material cost.

Other options for eating more healthy food would be to take a cooking class. A cooking class could help you (or your loved one with a disability) to understand what foods go well together to make for a tasty meal. A class will also build up new cooking skills that may even inspire a new hobby!

Exercise

We all have a different level of ability when it comes to exercise. You don’t need to be signing up to run a marathon next week. You want to be taking small steps one day at a time to make exercise part of your daily routine. Introducing daily exercise should start with something as simple as a short walk to the shops, a few arm raises or even a gentle swim.

Making exercise a small daily habit can boost energy levels and over time can improve overall body image, strength and wellbeing.

Lifestyle

We want you to be living your best life! Good health isn’t just about diet and exercise. It’s also about having a positive attitude and a healthy lifestyle. To help you achieve your best healthy life, we put together our best tips on living an all round, balanced lifestyle which you can read here.

Household duties

Household chores are life skills and habits which we should all be doing as part of our daily routine. This responsibility contributes to one’s overall wellbeing. Having responsibility and playing a role within the household as well as the added benefit of learning new skills can help you gain confidence. Washing, ironing, cleaning or gardening - there are duties and skills at varying degrees. We recommend making these part of your daily routine.

Hobbies

Having a hobby or playing in a sport are a huge part of a fulfilled lifestyle and something every adult should partake in. Getting involved in a sport or having a hobby can be a great way to develop new friendships, improve communication skills as well as staying fit and creating healthy habits.

Community

By spending time in our local communities one becomes more attuned to social interactions and communicating with others. Whether we’re out shopping, playing sport or just going for a walk or taking a bus around town. Participating in the community shapes the way we live our life. The more we interact and engage with the local community the more opportunities there are to develop skills and confidence.

Developing healthy habits in adults with disabilities isn’t necessarily about living a more independent lifestyle. It’s about wellbeing and having more fun. Living your best life!

Staying healthy, taking up new hobbies, getting involved in the community, building relationships and making habits that will stick – all of these things contribute to a meaningful lifestyle for any adult.