By Ann Musico
Here are seven habits that you can easily adopt into your daily life that will create more balance and better health as a result. They’re practical, easy-to-do, simple and surprisingly effective.
1. Start your day speaking well of yourself.
How you view yourself and your life first thing in the morning sets the stage for the rest of the day. Create a short list of positive, faith-filled statements about yourself and your life that you can speak out loud, with enthusiasm as you get washed and dressed for the day. It sounds too simple and silly but it is a powerful practice. Some examples to start you off: “I expect great things to happen for me today” “I am calm and confident” “I love people and people love me”
2. Take baby steps.
Don’t try to change everything all at once! Make one change for a week or two and then add in another change once it’s become part of your life.
3. Drink adequate water.
Dehydration is the number one cause of fatigue. Dehydration not only halts weight loss but also hinders effective processing of emotions! Gradually work up to one-half your body-weight in ounces of water daily and try to include ¼ tsp. natural, unprocessed salt (sea, pink or Himalayan crystal) for every 32 oz. You will experience increased energy almost immediately!
4. Spice up your life.
One of the easiest and tastiest ways to boost the nutritional value of your meals without adding calories is to include a variety of spices.
5. Slow down.
Make it a point to slow down and intentionally enjoy your meals. Take a few deep breaths, pay attention to the aromas, textures and tastes. Chew thoroughly. Your digestion will thank you and you will avoid inhaling food without even tasting it – which leads to overeating.
6. Practice periodic movement.
Even if you exercise daily at the gym, sitting for hours at a time has been found to be more destructive to health than smoking! Set an alarm on your phone or a kitchen timer if you need to, but get up and move your body every 30 minutes or so. Stretch, do a few squats or wall push up, take a short walk – just get up and move periodically.
7. Practice an Attitude of Gratitude
No matter what kind of day you’ve had, you can find something to be grateful for. Gratitude is an extremely potent emotion that turns on your parasympathetic, healing, rejuvenating system!
Improving your health doesn’t have to be difficult or complicated! Just make small changes, gradually and before you know it you will see great results!
– Ann Musico is a holistic health coach who helps women, at every age, to exemplify lives of vibrant health and wholeness – spirit, soul and body. Her mission is to show women how to adopt a healthy lifestyle in a way that is simple and achievable, empowering them to take responsibility for their own health in order to be a positive influence on their families. You can visit her website at threedimensionalvitality.com