I think we would all agree that 2020 has been a challenging and crazy year. What better time than now to reevaluate our schedule and to start working on healthier habits.
Many of us need a total transformation, but too many drastic lifestyle changes at once usually isn’t the recipe for long term success. Start small: pick one tiny health habit at a time, until it’s a natural part of your routine.
To help you kickstart a healthier lifestyle without too much stress and effort—here’s a list of 7 simple habits that can make a big difference.
1. Go for a Walk in the Neighborhood or Park
Going for a 20-minute walk every day, especially in green environments, has many health benefits. Besides the more obvious invigorating effects of physical activity, moving around outdoors provides you with fresh air and exposes your skin to sunlight, which helps your body to produce vitamin D. A walk is an effective way to ease brain fatigue and boost your happiness.
2. Mind Your Mental Diet
Since ‘we are what we eat’, we all know we have to choose wisely what we put into our bodies. But have you ever stopped to think about what you put into your mind every day?
Whether you’re angry or scared, your thoughts trigger neurochemical reactions in your body, preparing you to fight, flight, or make love. Even more, what you think regularly shapes your deepest beliefs about yourself and the world – and what you believe ultimately steers your actions.
Does watching the news make you feel pessimistic about the state of the world? Do you get agitated from reading the comment sections online? The first step to cleaning up your mental diet is to become aware of what you fill your mind with. Notice how the books and magazines you are reading, the articles you are browsing online or the TV shows you watch every week make you feel. Take a good look at what kind of people you surround yourself with, both in real life and on social media. Spend less time with media and people that take away your energy and focus more on those who inspire and motivate you.
3. Eat Veggies With Two of Your Meals
Eating vibrant vegetables are a key element of a healthy lifestyle. But it’s not always easy getting your five a day, especially if you have to get it all in at dinner time. So why not make a small effort each day to add vegetables to not one but two of your meals? You won’t just benefit from the wide range of health-boosting nutrients, but thinking of how you can fit veggies into your breakfast or lunch helps you make overall healthier food choices too.
4. Give Yourself a Bedtime
Waking up feeling energized after a good night’s sleep is high on most of our wish lists, and yet it can be so challenging to head to bed in time to make that happen. Just one more email to check, one last chore to do, just five more minutes of the sporting event on TV…Pinpointing when it’s time to go to sleep can help you get in sync with your body’s natural sleep-wake cycle and keep a more regular sleep schedule.
5. Practice Gratitude
Being thankful for the little things that are going well in your life is one of the most powerful techniques to feel happier. Studies have shown time and time again counting your blessings every day trains your mind to focus on the positive – and being optimistic in turn is strongly related to overall better health.
6. Schedule Buffer Time
Are you often rushing from appointment to appointment? Somehow things like getting ready for work, commuting, or meetings always take longer than we expected. But being late can be pretty stressful. Your days might run a lot more relaxed if you plan extra pockets of time into your busy schedule. Try getting up 5 minutes earlier, plan extra time just in case you get stuck in traffic (again) and don’t schedule appointments back-to-back but leave a little space between events. Less stress!
7. Develop Meaningful Connections
Modern technology enables us to communicate with friends and strangers all over the world. Technology doesn’t replace real-life interactions with deep conversations, hugs, and laughter. Our brains are wired to connect. Loneliness – whether it’s from social isolation or feeling alone in a room full of people – can weaken your immune system and set the stage for a range of (chronic) illnesses, while spending time with friends and receiving social support during tough times boosts your happiness and overall health. Make time each week to deepen your relationships with your family or hang out with your friends.