A drastic or dramatic life change isn’t always called for to improve your well-being. Unfortunately, the opposite is what many people believe, and it hinders them from even trying. They don’t realize that by starting with small tweaks here and there, they can achieve significant results.
Tiny Steps Go the Distance
Do you want to boost your health? Again, you don’t need to overhaul your lifestyle to effect a big difference. Here are some little shifts you can apply that have the potential to make a big impact on your health.
1. Go for regular walks.
You don’t need to join marathons or even be a runner to get in shape. Walking alone can already do wonders for your health, especially if your days tend to be mostly sedentary.
Try getting up to walk for two minutes every hour. You can walk to the bathroom, the pantry, or a colleague’s desk for a quick visit. You can spend your break time going for a quick stroll outside for some fresh air as well.
Having a regular walking habit will improve your shape, boost your energy, and lift your mood. It could also help you sleep better at night.
2. Make concrete plans.
If you’re busy, which is the usual case, it’s easy to neglect proper diet, exercise, and relaxation. You need to pencil them into your calendar so you have a clear schedule for them that you can adhere to, not just a vague item in your to-do list.
For your diet, create a healthy menu that will dictate your grocery list as well as your meals.
3. Have small, frequent meals.
When you take smaller but more frequent meals, you avoid hunger pangs that could lead you to overeat. Your stomach also has an easier time digesting them. Besides these reasons, it’s also easier to come up with healthy fare for smaller meals.
4. Snack on healthy, natural foods.
Give up the sweets, chips, and other empty calorie, processed, commercial products. You can snack on nuts, sugar snap peas, alfalfa sprouts, mandarin oranges, etc.
Put some cut up fruits and veggies in clear containers and place them front and center in your fridge so they’re easiest to grab when you feel like snacking. Pack some in baggies or small travel containers so you can bring them to work or for trips.
5. Practice conscious breathing.
Take deep breaths to relax and center yourself. This is great for stress management. Just inhale to a slow count of five, hold for another slow count of five, and exhale for the same duration.
Do this periodically throughout the day for about three minutes each time. You can do it anytime and anywhere.
6. Have a conditioning morning routine.
A good tip from fitness experts for perking you up and getting your metabolism going is drinking water first thing and putting off coffee until the mid-morning slump.
You could try eating a lighter but high fiber breakfast for more energy. A heavy one could make some people feel sluggish. You should never skip breakfast, but you should also choose foods that will prime you for the day.
It’s also a good idea to pep yourself up with mantras that spur positive thinking so that you can cheerfully deal with your tasks and the people you associate with without getting overwhelmed.
7. Establish a sleep schedule and stick to it.
Make a good night’s sleep a priority. If you have trouble sleeping, do all sorts of tricks to induce it every night: scent the bedroom with lavender, drink some warm milk or an appropriate herbal tea blend, turn off all the lights to trigger your melatonin production, play a lullaby or white noise, etc.
When you are able to rest better at night, you are better equipped to face the following day. Besides this, your mind is also sharper, and your mood, more stable.
8. Pay attention to your posture.
Poor posture can lead to various health issues, including fatigue and back problems. You might want to take some steps to ensure that your back stays straight, such as investing in posture aids like a stability ball or a standing desk or doing stretching exercises a few times throughout the day.
Better posture could improve your back issues, your alertness, and your confidence.
Considerable Outcome
You don’t need to become a vegan or fitness nut to make yourself healthier. Applying one or two of the above ideas can already do a lot. You can build up from there if you wish. The important thing is to get started right now.
