Healthy Daily Habits That Have Changed My Life

Leading on from my previous blog post (https://chapterbychapman.blogspot.co.uk/2017/08/ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-changing.html) where I talked about how small changes in your life equate to big changes here is a collection of a few things that I have realised have made me really feel like I have my life on track. Whether I do or not, that’s a different story. But these habits make me feel like I’m looking after myself, learning new things every day and that I’m bettering myself.

Your daily healthy habits may look similar to mine, or they could be the complete opposite. But even if you don’t practise them every day ensure that you allow yourself practise self-love, mindfulness and gratitude as often as you can. Only then will you notice an increase in your self-confidence and be able to align the other aspects of your life with what you want as you will be happier and more content with yourself. Do what you believe you would do if you were the best, most together version of yourself that you could possibly be.

Being healthy means different things to everyone, so it’s about finding what makes you feel accomplished and productive. A unique colour on each individual, but here is mine.

1.      Drink a litre of water before breakfast.

I really like to start my days off with this. I’m a very active person so I always make sure I drink between 2-4 litres per day and this immediately gets my day off to a good start. It gets your metabolism going and sets you up for a hydrated day. I make sure I have a glass of water or a bottle on my bed side table the night before so it’s the first thing I see when I wake up. Water is so so important - it composes 75% of your brain, 83% of your blood, 22% of your bones and 75% of your muscles, it regulates your body temperature, helps to convert food into energy and helps your body to absorb nutrients to name just a few of its perks!

2.      Meditate everyday.

If you think about the hours you are awake for, your mind is constantly ‘on’. Your brain never gets a break and sometimes you can get stressed, over-worked and get stuck in a cycle of over-thinking all simply because you forget to give your mind a rest. Just 10 minutes of meditation a day can help you to clear your mind and give it the well-deserved break it needs to thrive. As a result your thoughts will be clearer and more concise, you will be more focused and this can improve your mental clarity. My favourite app to use is Headspace, an easy to follow, beginners guide to meditation, and it’s free to download. Hashtag not sponsored.

3.      Make your bed before you do anything else.

By straightening your duvet and pillow when you get up, you start your day off organised and in control, which will only feed into the other aspects of your day. See the video linked to see a naval officer’s take on the impact a small task such as making a bed can have on your day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgzLzbd-zT4

4.      Eat a healthy balanced diet.

I am vegan and have been for the majority of 2017. With this I have noticed a complete shift in my energy levels, my fitness levels and my general mood. I eat an abundance of fruits and veggies but a large part of my diet is about feeding my soul - eating what I enjoy eating to make myself content. I try to eat nutritiously to fuel my body as an athlete and a dancer but have been told that I should stop eating my favourite breakfast: peanut butter and sliced banana on toast, as it is extremely unhealthy. But I would be more unhealthy being miserable from restricting myself from doing what makes me happy. So I eat it. I also really like cake, and take aways, and Starbucks. So I eat them. Albeit I eat less healthy options in moderation, but life is too short not to eat what you want to. Discover what you enjoy to eat and bloody eat it! Treat yo’self! Give yourself enough credit to know you will acknowledge when it gets out of hand and need to treat yourself a little less often until you’re at a sustainable level of balance again.

5.      Tidy 10 items away at a time.

When you feel like your life is messy, and it’s reflected in the state of your room, it can seem daunting and you just don’t know where to start. A lot of the time, you just choose to ignore it rather that tackling it. But my parents taught my brother, my sister and I a way to tackle mess head on. Stand within the mess, reach for the closest item to your feet, and let that be the first thing you tidy away. Take it 10 items at a time and eventually you will have tidied everything!

6.      Have a private dance party.

Inspired by Grey’s Anatomy, put on some music and dance it out. Whether you’re feeling happy, or sad, or scared, or excited, if you’re fully clothed, in your underwear or butt naked, just dance it out. Put your speakers on their max and allow the vibrations to carry you. Put on your headphones, shut your eyes and the world out of your mind, and just move your body. Shake it off, or stamp it out, or just celebrate! There’s something freeing and refreshing about expressing your mood in the privacy of your room by moving your body. No judgement, just dancing in its rawest, least technical form.

7.      Do stretches for 15 minutes.

As a dancer, stretching is very important to ensure my flexibility doesn’t detract from my level of dance. But even for a non-dancer, stretching everyday can be revitalising, especially if you’re tired. Stretching your muscles improves your mobility, reduces muscle soreness and increases your oxygen intake which helps to clear your skin and your mind and it releases endorphins to make you happier overall.

8.      Be creative!

Similar to number 2, give yourself the time to use your mind creatively! Get your focus away from your work or your phone and let your imagination flow. Write a poem, or a novel, or if that’s too much of a task, focus on the opening to a novel. Use the time to spark an idea using a mind map or write a blog post! Play an instrument, or learn how to play one, spend your daily 10 minutes working out the first bar of a song. Sing your favourite song at the top of your lungs or write an original one, choreograph a dance, paint a picture, complete a page of a colouring book. Do whatever you love to do, just allow yourself time to be artistic and original. Every ingenious idea came to the creator at a specific moment, and yours could happen today, but only if you allow yourself the time to nurture it.

9.      Practise gratitude every day.

Gratitude helps to rewire your brain to think positively about what you already have, rather than wishing for what you don’t. I write down three things I am grateful for in my gratitude journal whenever I get the chance. This allows you to recognise and appreciate the little things that bring you joy that you may have otherwise overlooked. Recalling things that made you happy can never be a bad thing and can shift your brain to think optimistically about all aspects of your life. If you are feeling down, you can look back on the things that made your day before and try to recreate those things to bring your mood back up.

10.  Spend time outside.

Fresh air equals fresh ideas, fresh outlooks and feeling refreshed. A lot of the entries in my gratitude journal include feeling the sun on my face, cloud watching, spending time walking dogs or exploring new places. Get moving, bring a friend and have a chat, and if you’re coming along with me, then it’ll probably include getting coffee afterwards. Go for a bike ride, go for a walk, even without a dog, sunbathe in your garden, wash your car or have a picnic. Sit on the chairs out the front of a coffee shop, or park slightly further away from your destination to spend an extra 5 minutes walking there getting in that Vitamin D!

11.  Exercise regularly.

Now everybody knows that exercise is key to staying fit and healthy, but not everyone gives themselves enough time to do it in the way they love. Everyone will have a different preference of how they like to exercise. But a mismatch of styles will help to keep your muscles alert and versatile giving you the best results. I enjoy a mixture of outside cardio (long dog walks or cycling), yoga classes, weight lifting and dance classes. No matter which you choose, it will boost your wellbeing and mood due to the release of endorphins, you will feel accomplished every time you complete a work out and you will develop less health problems, all whilst destressing from the tensions of life. It’s a win win!

12.  Turn off your phone!

My generation is particularly renowned for being addicted to social media and I hold my hands up, I am completely unhealthily addicted to mine. Set yourself time each and every day to put it down and gradually increase your time without it as you continue this practise. Hopefully you will increase your productivity along with it too. There is so much life beyond your phone screen and it’s up to you to realise this. I’ve recently seen wooden boxes specifically being sold as a hideaway for you to put your phone so that it is out of sight. I am definitely making a conscious effort to break my mobile phone addiction, and despite the fact that 80% of you reading this will be on your phone right at this moment, you need to put your phone down and live your life.

13.  Plan ahead!

There’s nothing worse than feeling unprepared. So sit yourself down and write a to do list, set your intentions for the day. Fit everything in you need to do and prioritise the most important so you know you’ve completed the hardest, more stressful tasks first before you allow time to be creative and nurture your soul. Leave extra time when going to appointments, be early and spend your newly freed up time having a quiet moment with yourself in a coffee shop while you wait. Being organised and planning ahead significantly reduces stress in your everyday life which allows you to free up thinking time for new ideas and adventures, rather than having to focus your mind on the stresses of disorganisation and panicking about uncompleted tasks.

These are the daily habits that Annie, in her purest, most productive form would hope to accomplish every day. But I am just Annie, doing my best with the challenges life throws at me, and even if I don’t manage a single item on this list today, I know that I may be lucky enough to be given a fresh opportunity tomorrow.

What are you healthy daily habits? Are they similar to mine or completely different? Leave me a comment below, I’d love to read them!