Healthy and happy wellness tips

When you hear the phrase healthy lifestyle, there’s a good chance that envision an active person with a healthy body and a positive mindset. While that might be one way it might look, a healthy lifestyle doesn’t mean you have to go out and buy a kayak and hire an expensive fitness trainer. Moving toward more healthier living can be as simple as beginning to understand what healthy things you want to bring into your life. From there, you can make gradual small changes to your daily routine that will make a big impact in making that healthy lifestyle a reality.  

Here’s a list of wellness tips that can support on this journey: 

Eat healthy: One of the easiest ways to maintain your wellbeing is by eating healthy. Try to stay away from frozen processed foods and fast food, as well as things with a lot of added sugar. Almost all of us could stand to add more fruits and green vegetables to our diet. Fruits and leafy green vegetables are a wonderful source of natural fibers, minerals, and vitamins and if you’re trying to figure out a way to incorporate more of them into your diet, why not give juicing a try. Not only do you get all the nutrients from the fruits and vegetables, it’s also delicious.

Exercise: Exercise is all about movement—whether it’s walking around the block or running a marathon, that movement is exercise and every time you move more than you normally do, it counts! Sometimes we make the goal too high when it comes to our exercise routine and then we get discouraged when we are unable to meet the goal. So, start small. Lace up those sneakers and start counting your steps. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Park further away from the store you’re going into. One of my favorite things, is my Garmin watch to track my running miles and my steps I take per day. It feels good to see your process with a Fitbit or a watch.

Smile often: Lots of studies prove smiling boosts your physical and mental health. Life is like a mirror: smile at it and it smiles back at you. When I walk my dog, I make a game of smiling at everyone I pass. It’s so much fun when people smile back, and it brings such good energy to our walk. Find ways to smile as often as you can and see how this affects your mood.  

Sleep well:  Sleep is just as important as eating healthy and exercising.  From improving your productivity and concentration to helping support your overall health, getting the recommended hours of sleep per night can have a major impact on your wellbeing. To help support good sleep, having a good sleep schedule is key. Going to bed and getting up at the same time every day and being consistent helps reinforce your body’s sleep-wake cycle. Also pay attention to what you eat and drink before bed. A large meal or caffeine right before bed can disrupt a good night’s sleep.

Stay hydrated: Your body goes for quite sometimes without hydration as you sleep at night, so drinking a full glass of water in the morning can help digestion, flush out toxins, and give you a boost of energy. Since water is the most important nutrient for your body, drinking enough of it every day should be a priority. The exact amount you need depends, but you should aim for at least eight 8-ounces of water per day, which health experts recommend.  One of my tricks is filling up a large pitcher of water on my kitchen counter, then finish the pitcher by the end of the day. It helps me to have a visual. 

Spend time outdoors: We all spend a lot of time indoors but making time to be in nature is great for your health. Make sure you spend a little bit of time everyday enjoying the outdoors. Walking or jogging is one of the best ways to do just that, and you are getting some exercise, too. Mother Nature helps us in so many ways, including strengthening our immune system, providing us with vitamin D, making us feel happier, and of course, lowering our stress. 

Practice gratitude: Oftentimes, we focus on what we’re lacking in life instead of focusing on the things that we do have. Start measuring your worth by your wins rather than your losses by keeping track of the things that go well in your life.

Listen to music: Research has proven listening to music releases dopamine – a chemical that improves mood and reduces anxiety and stress. The bonus to that is, listening to music you like can also help improve cognition and memory and enable you to exercise better. I created a playlist just for my running, and it makes quite the difference in my running routine. 

Cultivate a positive mindset:  The only difference between a good day and a bad day is your attitude. It’s true—mindset is everything. Cultivating a positive mindset by recognizing negative thought patterns and countering them with positive thoughts can be challenging at times. One of my go-to tips for a positive mindset is using affirmations. An affirmation is really anything you say or think—but it is positive. Much of what we normally say and think is quite negative, so we have to retrain our thinking and speaking into positive patterns if we want to change our lives. It’s important to say your affirmation in the present tense. Such as, ”I have” or “I am.” Example: I am grateful for my healthy body. As you say your affirmation, feel it, sense it, and picture it manifesting in your life. Today . . . at this moment . . . you can choose to change your thinking in a positive way.

Choose less toxic products: Conventional household cleaning products are full of harmful chemical ingredients that are not good for our health. Switching to healthier alternatives is a simple way to reduce your exposure to environmental toxins in your home. One of my favorite websites is Gimme the Good Stuff.  It’s full of non-toxic lifestyle tips and products.

So, there you have it—wellness tips that can add happiness to your healthy life. I suggest you pick one wellness habit or practice you want to focus on, and do keep in mind that any lifestyle change is a work in progress. Lasting changes take time, so be patient and loving with yourself. The trick to having a healthy lifestyle is making small changes. Like taking more steps each day, add fruit to your cereal, having an extra glass of water, or saying no to that second cookie. It is important to be mindful of the choices you make for your personal health and wellbeing. Nothing is more important than taking care of you.