Creating a healthy lifestyle starts with making better choices. A better lifestyle can mean a better you, and if you can improve each of your habits by 1% for the better, you should expect to experience an 100% increase in performance!
It can be hard to maintain a healthy lifestyle. With so many new fitness and health trends circulating the internet right now, it will seem more complicated to incorporate new habits that are too sick with the ones you are used to. Forget the noise, and keep things simple. In this blog post, we will share some of the minor yet effective lifestyle changes you can add to your daily routine to encourage a much better version of yourself. Take a look at the following suggestions:
Go for a walk first thing in the morning
First things first, you need to stop going on your phone first thing in the morning. How you start your morning can determine how the rest of your day will go. Avoid falling into mindless scrolling, and make the first thing you do in the morning a walk. A walk out in the fresh air is one of the best ways to prepare your body for a great day and get the oxygen flowing around your body. If you have some nature near your home, it would be even better to take in nature, and watch the sunrise as you begin to wake up. This is a much healthier and sustainable way to prepare yourself for the day, whilst incorporating low-intensity exercise into your day.
Drink a glass of water before anything
Secondly, you should make sure that you have hydrated your body before engaging with your day. After sleep, our bodies are extremely dehydrated, even if the symptoms are not evident. First thing when you wake up, you should drink at least a pint of water first thing in the morning. This will cleanse your gut, and make sure you are hydrated enough to get started with your day. Prepare a pint of water next to your bed before you go to sleep. There will be less friction to stop you from drinking enough water in the mornings as the water will be right there.
Have a sugar-free breakfast
Speaking of digestion, if you wish to have a good breakfast, you should avoid all processed sugars and stick to whole-grain carbs and protein. Carbs store the most amount of energy, and having carbs in the morning can give a slow release of energy as you start your day. However, you should steer clear of sugars in your diet that can be found in cereals and other high sugary carbs as this can give you a spike of energy that will quickly leave you feeling depleted. Stick to an unprocessed breakfast, such as eggs, whole grain toast, and maybe avocado as a healthier fat element.
Eat everything moderation
Another small change you can make to improve your lifestyle is to start eating everything in moderation. Strict restriction is not a long-term solution, and can lead to a more serious problem. Instead, try to eat everything in moderation. This might be for all meals if you are looking to lose some weight, but if you are looking for a balanced change, try having any cheat meals in smaller portions to minimise their unhealthy impact.
Take some time to breathe
Many people underestimate the power of the breath. Breathing exercises are great for grounding your thoughts and bringing yourself back to a steady breathing pattern if you have spurts of anxiety. Whenever you can find a quiet space free from distractions, spend some time focusing on your breath. Let any distracting thoughts pass by, but then let them go and let your breath continue to inhale and exhale. This is a great way to spend 2 minutes of your day focusing on yourself and bringing yourself back to awareness.
Read and reduce screen time
As we touched on in the beginning, reducing the time spent on your phone should become a priority. A problem we could not have predicted 20 yeast ago, screen time is becoming a national epidemic that is affecting the health of many people. Instead of spending precious hours on your phone, consider reading and enriching your mind with books. Reading is proven to greatly improve your cognitive abilities, which can have a positive impact on your overall health and well-being. Start by reading as little as two pages a day, and as you get further into the book, your interest will build and you will find yourself reading more and more of the book until it is finished!
Make healthier swaps for your treats
Another small way to make better choices is to make healthier alternatives to the usual treats you have. If for example, you like to have chocolate after your evening meal, you might consider swapping the usual milk chocolate to dark chocolate which has been recognized as a better alternative. Also, you may consider swapping your usual Friday night cocktails for ready to drink cocktails that have a much lower calorie count and lower sugar amount. These small changes are so minute, yet in the grand scheme of things you can collaborate with your other habit changes to create a much healthier lifestyle.
Unwind at night
Last but not least you should also make sure that you prioritise unwinding in the evenings. This is a key part of preparing your body for a restful night of sleep, so make sure that your evening routine involves avoiding bright lights, getting cosy, and avoiding any stressors if possible. If you struggle to sleep at night, consider reading, or listening to a sleep soundtrack that includes relaxing noises to guide your drift into sleep.
Bottom line
Overall, health is wealth, and making even a small 1% change to each of our habits can increase our overall health and wellbeing by 100%. Only when our health deteriorates is when we recognise the importance of keeping a balanced lifestyle. Implementing habits such as going for a walk in the morning, drinking enough water, avoiding too much sugar, and alos getting enough sleep are key metrics for an all round healthy lifestyle. Take action today to be a healthier version of you, and your future self will thank you for it.