Boosting your energy and happiness levels doesn’t require making over your life. These 9 simple practices will give you a total mood and energy boost.
Can we all agree that health can be kind of complicated. Somehow something super primal and instinctual, like how to eat, has become so confusing. Foods get praised and shunned pretty much on the daily. Then you tie in fitness, gut health, hormones, skincare, self-care, meditation, relationships, personal growth, spirituality the list goes freaking on and on and yeah there’s enough gurus and experts to make your head spin off.
I go through cycles of curiosity, obsession, frustration and defeat on the regular when it comes to wellness. When I’m in that “ugh what’s the point” mode it usually means I’ve gone and made things super complicated (when they don’t need to be.)
And when that happens, my favorite antidote to the craziness is to remember my “why.”
Why does this even matter? Why do I want to “be well.”
And for me, wellness and health all come down to 2 things.
Those two things are: to feel joyful and to feel energized.
That’s it!
If I’m joyful and energized, then really I have the spirit and physical ability to do all the things that make me the person I want to be. When joy and energy are aligned, everything else falls into place.
Your definition of healthy might be a little different and that’s ok, in fact it’s awesome. But I think for everyone, at the core, health is about how we feel. Because how we feel will dictate our reality. I think on the whole, with exceptions for life highs and low, we all want to feel good.
My goal with this whole “healthy living” thing is simply to be able to enjoy my life. Not one I curate online or one that’s lived just for vacations and escapes. But my daily life. The little things. Health, is a vehicle that can help us truly savor our day to day. Because, that’s what we’ve got, really.
So I put together this list. It’s a list of 9 crazy simple things that, when done often/daily/on the reg, make a huge freaking difference. Notice, I said simple, not easy.
It’s not about removing all the things you love from your diet (again)
or adopting some crazy supplement routine (again)
or doing an intense workout regime (again).
It’s just about taking some simple steps that prioritize feeling good, physically and emotionally.
So here they are:
Feeling joyful and energized doesn’t have to be complicated.
Click To Tweet
9 Shockingly Simple Practices That Will Make a Big Impact on Your Daily Energy
1. Not checking your phone in the morning
On average, I probably do this about 50% of the time. When I don’t check my phone in the morning, I feel like me. I feel creative, energized, focused and excited. When I do scroll through Instagram first thing, sometimes I’m fine, and sometimes I get triggered by something tiny. I feel anxious and jealous and I waste a shit ton of time. Note to self: take your own damn advice.
2. Drinking more water (try to aim around 64 oz)
I give my boyfriend 100% of the credit on this one. He’s the king of drinking lots of water and after a year it’s finally rubbing off. No I don’t have a study that says it helps with X, Y and Z , but I’m sure there are plenty out there.
In my own experience, when I drink 64 oz and up a couple things happen:
- My skin (if I’ve done this consistently) looks brighter and smoother
- I have more energy – I feel less fuzzy
- I’m peeing all. the. damn. time. (it’s annoying, but hey it could be worse)
- I’m less likely to snack mindlessly
Pro tip: get a cute water bottle
These are my favorite (yes, I’m an affiliate, and also a genuine fan)
3. Eating at least one meal that’s heavy on the greens
Whether it’s sneaking a mountain of spinach in a morning smoothie, making a meal worthy salad (plenty of fat & protein) or loading up on seasonal veggies at dinner, having a least one green meal a day just feels better. It helps move things along *ya feel.*
I can always tell the days that I haven’t had enough greens. While I don’t beat myself up about it, the next day it’s a priority. I’m a big believer that the more you add in the positive the less you have to worry about the negative. More greens, less stress.
This is my go-to salad for when I’m craving greens
4. Going for a “Pod-Walk”
I pretty much spent 3 months of my life walking around listening to podcasts and audiobooks in London and it was simply wonderful. My life motto these days is: when in a rut, walk it out.
Back in my “run 30+ miles a week” days I used to look down on walking, now it’s one of my favorite was to move. Something about the combination of listening to something engaging while walking is the perfect balance of stimulation and relaxation. I have so many ideas and notes on my phone that came from “pod walks”
If you’re looking for some good podcasts here are some of my favorites: 6 Podcasts for Health, Happiness and Self Improvement
Also, I have a podcast… (You can listen to it here)
5. Chatting with a friend
In the health and wellness world I believe the most underrated, not talked about enough, topic is relationships. I honestly believe a positive relationship is one of the healthiest things a person can do/have. From my own observations no matter how well things are going other areas, relationship struggles, or lack of relationships will bring you down.
It’s amazing what talking to your best friend can do for your mood. I’m guilty of not being a great reacher-outer, but when I do spend some face (or in long distance, phone) time with a girl friend I feel 1000x lighter and happier.
6. Getting a Hug
Having a good day? Give a hug.
Having a bad day? Get a hug.
I was never a hugger until last year and honestly my life has changed. Do not underestimate the power of a good hug.
7. Playing outside
Walking, running, hiking, rollerblading, swimming, chilling, however you play, go do it. Vitamin D is a magical thing. Plus the outdoors have a way of reminding you of your relationship with the universe.
8. Doing something creative
If the word creative is giving you anxiety just replace it with “growth oriented” or “curiosity driven.” I can’t tell you how different I feel before and after doing something creative in a day. Whether it’s journaling, drawing, reading, photography, writing, trying a new craft, whatever, it just feels so good to make something regardless of who sees it.
Bonus points if you mix up doing something you’re awesome at and trying something totally new.
9. Wearing something you love
I was going to write “get dressed” but I think that one is mostly a me thing. Now that I’m working from home, I often wait until like 2pm to get dressed and it’s shockingly draining.
Instead I’m broadening it to wear something you love. I can’t exactly explain it, but there’s something powerfully mood & energy boosting about rocking your favorite jeans, or that pair of earrings everyone compliments, or those shoes that just feel like you. Whatever it is, make an effort to incorporate at least one “damn girl” piece into your daily outfit.
I’d love to hear if you try these and they work for you!
The post 9 Shockingly Simple Practices That Will Make a Major Impact on Your Energy and Mood appeared first on In it for the Long Run.
from In it for the Long Run http://ift.tt/2tUDX5l
No comments:
Post a Comment