I’ll Sleep when I’m Dead
Somehow sleep is seen as a thing you do when you don’t have anything else to do – time to make sleep a priority! Without enough sleep your body goes through a cascade of health consequences. Not only do you not think as clearly but you don’t have as much energy as you do after a good sleep and you actually end up feeling hungrier as your body looks for energy – which tends to lead you to eating all the wrong kinds of foods. Aim for a solid 8 hours sleep a night.
Leave the House
Sometimes a difficult one – especially for us introverts who like to sit in front of a computer writing all day – but make the effort to get some actual person to person time every day. Not only does it get you moving about and putting some fresh air in your lungs, but even chit chatting to a random stranger on the table next to you for 10 minutes will give your body and soul a breather. If you have the chance to give out hug that is an added bonus – you would be amazed how that one simple gesture can boost your mood for the whole day!
Sit Down to a Meal
Just one meal a day, eaten without distractions allows you to enjoy your food more. Gather the family around to talk or if you live on your own set the mood by making the effort to lay the table properly and arrange the food on your plate. Sit at the table, switch off the TV and enjoy the flavor, texture and smell of the meal in front of you.
Just Chillax
Easier said than done, I know! But just taking 5 minutes time out of the rat race to sit down, breathe, and not worry about anything. Just forget it all. Believe me, life will go on and it will all still be there when you’re finished so just let it go for a few. If you’ve been sat at work all day, go cat like and give yourself a big, full body, all you have got type, stretch. You’ll come out feeling refreshed, energized, and ready to tackle that killer game of Candy Crush…or work project or kids killing each other over Minecraft.
Stop Being So Efficient!!!
We put so much pride in how efficient our lives are we don’t realise that we are actually making keeping fit and healthy a harder goal. Park further away from the supermarket or work, don’t try and carry everything in from the car in one go, physically go to a co-workers desk instead of just emailing them, take the stairs – all these small steps add up!
Uncork the Bottle
Calm down, I don’t mean the wine bottle! I mean your bottled up emotions. They can sit and stew and ferment in your body and soul and do all kinds of nasty things. Let it out! If you don’t fancy venting at someone then just grab a pen and vent away at a piece of paper. If something is particularly hurtful or hateful then you can go one step further – write it down and then destroy it. Burning is a good way but tearing it up or flushing it down the toilet works pretty well too. Just the act of doing it lightens the weight.
Plan Your Meals
It is all about preparation when it comes to eating in a healthier way. You can’t just wonder around the supermarket and select as you go – you will end up with a trolley full of random things that don’t combine and junk food! Give yourself 10 minutes to write down the meals you want to make for the week, the ingredients you need for them, and what foods you can prepare ahead of time. It can be a pain to do at first but making this a weekly habit will end up saving you so much time, and make sure you are set up for success when it comes to eating right each day.
Read the Labels
Pro or novice at this healthy eating lark getting into the habit of reading labels is a must. No matter what life changing, too-good-to-be-true mantras are plastered all over the front of that shiny and glowing of health package a food product is in, flip it over to see it’s true colors. Read the ingredients, if you don’t’ know what something is, do you really want to eat it? Also reading what is in some of your favourite packaged foods in a great way to learn how to make them yourself and avoid all those nasty hidden sugars and preservatives.
Water!!!
Yes, yes. I know you know! Drink more water – but how much water are we actually supposed to be drinking? You can drown yourself if you drink too much and let’s face it there are plenty of tastier things to spend all day thinking about drinking! Your body gets water from many sources, not just a tall glass, so a good rule of thumb to make sure you are getting enough is to just make the majority of what you drink water instead of say, tea or fizzy pop.
Keep Temptation Away
We all have that one thing that is our undoing – extra salty crisps, chocolate, freshly baked bread or in my case, pepperoni pizza. I would never suggest to keep these treats completely off your menu – all that will happen is one day you will crack and binge and life is not about denying yourself the things you love. But if you make sure you don’t have these foods in your house then it becomes much less of a temptation. You really have to want it to leave the comfort of your sofa at 10pm to find a shop to sell it to you. If you truly have a craving for it then honor it, but eat it with intention and enjoy every bite.
Blow the Blooming Trumpet
It’s not being conceited; it’s not being big headed – you are in fact an awesome being and allowed to take credit for it. Making the simple step of wanting to better your health is exponentially the biggest small change you can make. Pat yourself on the back, tell yourself how awesome you are, and keep on keeping on.
Tip: Whenever you hit speed bumps or road blocks in your journey to better health, remember why you started, and thank yourself for going in the right direction. Staying positive will make every setback seem smaller.