The daily habits of the happy and healthy are like gold dust to those who often feel under the weather, stressed or grouchy. But just by incorporating these 10 daily habits, maybe just week by week, one at a time, your body will thank you!
1. Get Moving
I've said it before and I'll say it again, exercise is not just good for the body, but it's great for the soul. It doesn't have to be crazy hard or for hours at a time, but putting aside 30 minutes to an hour per day to do ANY type of exercise, will help you feel great. I've heard people say 8892645987 times that they don't have time to exercise, they are too busy. So MAKE time! Get up half an hour earlier maybe and go for a jog, or do some yoga stretches, or a quick workout (like my Holiday Workout that can be done anywhere with no equipment). Once you've started small, I promise you'll love the benefits and before you know it, you'll be hitting up a cross fit class or hot yoga every day! And keep it interesting! Variety is key, maybe on Mondays you run, Tuesdays you go to pilates, Wednesday you play tennis etc etc...
2. Drink Water
Let's get the obvious ones out the way. Drinking water every day keeps you hydrated and allows your body to work at it's optimum. AT LEAST 2 litres per day should be your target, and if you don't like water, throw in some berries or slices of lemon to keep it interesting. I could go on for hours about the importance of drinking water, but I've got 8 more daily habits to get through! Just do it! Bottoms up!
3. Eat Something That Makes You Feel Healthy
Be it a salad, a boiled egg, a green smoothie or a piece of fruit. Every day, make sure you eat 1 thing that makes you feel healthy and righteous! Just as the first point, if you manage to eat 1 healthy thing a day, this will slowly increase till 80% of what you're eating is healthy.
4. Eat Something That Makes You Feel Happy
Think of it as 'Food For The Soul'. Every day, eat something that makes you smile. It might be a lovely cup of tea, it might be a chocolate, an ice cream or your grandma's chicken soup. Hell, it might be your raw, vegan dinner that you constructed all by yourself! Remember that the key to happiness, health and vitality is balance. So if you're having a below average day and the only thing that is going to make you feel better is a Twix, then go for it! One Twix won't hurt, but one everyday might, so just make sure you don't get into a habit of reaching for something 'naughty' to make you happy. Maybe a sunshine yellow mango will do the trick!
5. Floss Your Teeth
Ok, unleashing the Dental Geek here. Everybody has grown up knowing that they should brush their teeth morning and night. But not everybody knows that the key to a truly healthy mouth is FLOSSING EVERY DAMN DAY. Flossing gets to places that brushing simply cannot, around 40% of your mouth to be precise. Flossing removes the plaque and bacteria that hide between the teeth, which is the most place to develop caries (or 'holes'). Removing this plaque and bacteria also improves the health of your gums, reducing the risk of gingivitis (inflamed, bleeding gums) and periodontal disease (destruction of the supporting tissues like bone and gums, from around the tooth). Recent studies have shown links between periodontal (gum) disease and heart disease, with research showing that in the presence of heart disease, periodontal disease was also diagnosed. Some believe there is a connection between the inflammatory proteins released in the body when bacteria is allowed to reside in the gums, others link it to the presence of mouth bacteria in the arterial 'plaque' that causes Atherosclerosis. But if that's too hard to understand, learn just this: after just 3 days of not flossing, the bacteria found in your mouth is the same as the bacteria found in POO. So yeah, pooey bad breath is really a thing...
6. Speak To A Friend
Social interaction is so so important. Chatting with a pal can cheer you up on a bad day, motivate you to keep going and reassure you that everything will be OK. The happiest people surround themselves with people who lift them up. Friends come in many shapes and sizes, whether it be work colleagues or team mates. When we were kids, we were encouraged to make friends because it helped us learn and grow. For some reason, many adults isolate themselves. As adults, we still have a lot of learning to do, and what better way to do so than from the people you interact with daily? Don't isolate yourself. Pick up the phone a just call someone, even if it's just your mum!
7. Laugh
Warning: this may result from point 6. Laughter releases endorphins, so find some way to giggle. Trust me, it will brighten up your day! And if you can't think of anything, search You Tube for howling puppies.
8. Get Some Fresh Air
You might want to incorporate this with point 1. But getting some fresh air into your lungs will make you feel fabulous. It is the ultimate cure for 3:30itis, so if you're stuck in an office, maybe make the excuse of walking down to the convenience shop to pick up the newspaper or a magazine. Plus, walking in the sunshine will help with your daily dose of Vitamin D3, vital to keep us healthy and strong and essential for absorption of calcium. And no, driving home from work with the window down does not count!
9. Read
Anything. A book, the newspaper, one of my blog posts. Reading gets your mind working and increases intellect, it gets you thinking. Reading a book is also a great way to take time out for yourself and the perfect pre-sleep habit, instead of staring at a TV screen or your Smart Phone. It sets you up for a great night's sleep, which brings me to my final point...
10. Catch Those Zzzzzs
Getting to bed at an acceptable, consistent time every day will improve your health tenfold. Getting at least 6 hours sleep a night allows your body time to relax, recuperate and recover from the daily grind. See point 9. for a tip for a better nights sleep, and what can also help is drinking chamomile tea before bed, making sure you've organised your stuff the following day so you can literally rest easy. Unfortunately 'catching up' on sleep over the weekend has been found to have little benefit, so being consistent during the week, going to sleep at the same time, waking up at the same time, is much more beneficial for your health and well being.
These simple things all contribute to the bigger picture - living a happy, healthy life. So give them a try!
V x
