9 EASY WAYS TO BE A HEALTHIER (AND HAPPIER) PERSON

I believe that being happy and being healthy are two things that go hand in hand. There are habits we carry with us day in and day out – some of them are good for us yet some of them are really bad for us.

The way we see the world is merely a reflection of what is happening in our minds and bodies. While we cannot control what happens out there in this great big world we can choose to find the good in it. But, in order to be somewhat successful at that we must first start with taking care of ourselves mentally and physically.

The list below is things you incorporate into your life that will bring more wellness and happiness into your life.

Have a glass of water

Start your day with a glass of water. This simple act will re-invigorate and energize you’re your body from the inside out. You will feel better almost instantly and have the energy to start your day off on a positive note.

Go outside

Make it a point to intentionally breathe in some fresh at least once a day (weather permitting, of course!). Taking in fresh air can be done by taking a walk in a park or a trail or maybe even just sitting in a park – that is the easy part.

The most important part is to do it intentionally, meaning, that you are fully present with your surroundings and that you cherish every breath you take.

Reduce stress

Find your stress reliever a do it whenever you need to reduce stress. I have two stress relievers – cleaning and yoga.  Yes, cleaning. Whenever I am feeling somewhat stressed or feel my mind cluttering up with all sorts of things I need to do I turn to cleaning. There is just something about a freshly cleaned home and good smelling candle that give me the space and clarity that I need.

The second is yoga, I do yoga at home from time to time but if I am ever really feeling stressed I do like to go in to a yoga studio. The calming environment and soothing music does the trick for me.

Get some sleep

Make sleep a priority and always strive to get the amount of sleep your body needs. Some people only need 5-6 hours while other need 8-9 hours of solid sleep – I fall right in the middle of that and need somewhere in between of 7-8 hours a solid and good quality sleep every night. Making sleep a priority means that you back track the start of your day.

For example, let’s say you need to be at work by 8AM and it takes you 30 minutes to get to work – that means you need to need to leave your house by 7:30AM. Now, let’s suppose it takes you an hour to get ready – that means you need to get up at 6:30AM. This means that you need to be in bed and ready to sleep by 10:30PM at the latest.

Which means you need to have everything on your to-do list checked off for the next morning by 10PM. This will allow you 30 minutes to wind down and get mentally ready for bed.

Exercise

Getting your body moving (aside from eating healthy) is probably the most obvious way to be a healthier person. There are many benefits to exercise and one of them is getting your blood flow moving which helps your internal organs do their jobs. 

Eat mindfully

Eating mindfully is one thing I am working on. While I know the importance of focusing on JUST your food while you are eating I can sometimes find it difficult to put my phone away to not be distracted by YouTube videos, shows or podcasts. Eating mindfully is about relaxing yourself while you are eating and savoring whatever you are feeding your body.

Stand more often

For those of us who sit for long periods of time at work it is very important to stand up and walk around throughout the day – I find this especially important after eating lunch.

Relax

Taking a few minutes here and there to relax your mind and body will only have great benefits. I do this by sitting down and reading a book for 20 minutes or so and I know that relaxes me and gives me that little break I need on a busy errand filled day.

Choose happy thoughts

Think happy thoughts – I know, easier said than done. But your mind is a muscle you need to work on a train and over time the not-so-positive thoughts will become very few and far between. 

What healthy habits do you have now? And which are you working on incorporating into your life? Do share below!

The Do’s and Dont’s of Keeping Your Body Hydrated

In order for us to all lead happy and healthy lives we need to keep our foundation strong and healthy – that being our bodies. On that notem a few weeks ago I wrote a post How to Start Your Day Off Right which offered up some tips on things we can incorporate to our daily routine whichcan potentially improve our overall lifestyle. Back to water…I am sure you already know but just in case I will state it again – our bodies are made up of about 70% water. Yes! Way more than half of what out bodies are made out of is good old water. Now, we are always told to drink water all…the…time and don’t get me wrong I love water. My liquid intake consists of two things coffee and water – I do not drink soda (let go of that bad habit many years ago) and I have never been a fan of juice. Sometimes I’ll have natural freshly squeezed juice or a fruit smoothie but none of the processed juice we can find at the grocery store.

What a lot of people may not be fully aware of is that we can also hydrate our bodies from sources other than water. Below I will outline the foods we can have which will supplement our water intake along with a few things we should steer away from.

1 | Fruits

Yep – fruits. Fruits are a great source for fluids - fruits like watermelon (92%), oranges (87%), canteloups (90%) , pineapple (87%), strawberries (92%) to name a few have a very high water content. Note: a fruit whose water content of 80% + is considered to have high water content.

2 | Veggies

Veggies typically do not have as high of water content as fruits do but they do have a substantial amount. A few that are top of the list are: brocolli (91%), carrots (87%), celery (95%), spicnach (92%) and  cucumbers (96%) – quick side note on that, I always tought that they were a fruit!

3 | Tea

Drinking a warm cup of tea may not seem like it’s a water source but it is! I am not a huge tea drinker (I usually only gravitate towards it when I am under the weather) but if you do enjoy drinking tea consider upping your intake.

Just as there are things we can do on a day to day basis to make sure our bodies stay hydrated there are also things that we may be doing that lead to dehydration. A few examples of those are:

1 | Hunger

If we allow ourselves to get hungry our body will start getting to our water source to regain some energy. This is why is is so, so important to have healthy snacks on hand if you are ever too busy to have a healthy meal.

2 | Stress

We allow ourselves to feel stressed out from everyday pressures of life and work but many of us do not see the correleation between the stress and the harm it can cause to our health. One of the direct side effects of stress is dehydration.

3 | Drinking Alcohol

But you already knew that, right? Yes, alcohol dehydrates the body. Ever notive when you drink alcohol your body immediately responds by having to use the bathroom? Im not saying you hae to nix alcohol, but I am saying to follow one simple rule – for every alcoholic drink you have drink a glass of water.

My main message here today is to take care of your body. After all it is the only one you have. Pay attention and listen to it, realize what it needs and does not need. Your busy will repay you with good health and abumdant energy. Stay healthy!

Do you already follow the do’s and how do you deal with the don’t’s? Share your approches to staying hydrated below!


HOW CLUTTER AFFECTS YOUR MENTAL WELL BEING AND A FEW TIPS TO START DECLUTTERING NOW

AHH clutter! I have to admit I have given in to clutter. If you take a look at my home everything is clean and neat, you will almost always smell the scent of a soothing candle burning. BUT once you begin to dig a little deeper and open my closets, drawers, containers under my bed, office/storage room you will notice that it is all pretty cluttered with items I have accumulated throughout the years. In this day and age we can all admit to being guilty of purchasing items we want (but do not need); we will use (but never really do). And the cycle goes on – we purchase, and purchase and purchase but we do not get rid of items we no longer use. The problem is that for the majority of us, our dwellings are not getting any bigger, in fact they start feeling smaller as the years go on.

Chaos and clutter go hand in hand and when there is chaos there is little or no control. Meaning that if clutter in your home is not addressed it can, overtime, take over your life.  Having a clutter around you can cloud your thinking, it can stress you out and it can leave you feeling anxious and not in control of your own home.

One of my problem areas is my closet and drawers – as I have mentioned before I am not much of a morning person because of that I need to prepare EVERYTHING I need to get ready for work in the morning the night before. I pack my lunch and leave it ready in the lunch bag in the refrigerator, I prep my Nespresso machine, leave my travel mug ready next to the machine, I leave my purse, keys, outerwear shoes by the front door and last but not least I leave my outfit (down to the underwear) ready. All of this in the name of sleeping in an extra 20 minutes in the morning! I say all of that to say that picking out my outfit has definitely become a stress point in the last couple of years and I do not look forward to this activity on a nightly basis. The reason for this is because it has become a nightmare to go through my closet and drawers – I have pajamas, workout clothes, casual clothes, work clothes (along with winter and summer) versions of these scrambled all over the place with no rhyme or reason. Once upon a time I had a pajama drawer, a workout clothes drawer, an underwear drawer and my closet was organized by work clothing and non-work clothing. Overtime something went awry and it has become unbearable! So, at least for me, I know exactly where my de-cluttering will begin.

Here are a few tips on how to begin decluttering your home. If you can, I would suggest you set aside an entire weekend to tackle as much of your home as possible. My home will not take more than 1 ½ - 2 days since it is a small 2 bedroom apartment but bigger homes will require more than one weekend. Also, know that you NEED to get in the mood to get rid of things and this is probably the hardest and most crucial step in de-cluttering. Another small pointer is to apply the following rule: if you have not used it in the past 6 months then it needs to go either in the donation pile or in the trash – anywhere but your home!

1 | start where you feel it the most

For me it is hands down my closet. Maybe for you it could be your mud room, basement, garage, office or bedroom. If there is one particular area of your home that quickly come to mind when you think of clutter then that is where you should begin. When you start de-cluttering an area of your home you have to finish it! It will be very tempting to give up but please trust me when I say that the end result will be so worth it. This will also give you the motivation to move on to another area of your home.

2 | visualize what you want the room to look like

Take a couple of minutes and just stand in the room you will begin de-cluttering and visualize what you want the room to look like after it has been de-cluttered and organized. Think about how you want to feel the next time you walk in the room. This should instantly give you a boost of motivation and determination to complete what you just set out to do.

3 | get ready to be brutally honest with yourself

The reason we accumulate things is because we tend keep items that have sentimental value. I recently found not only my high school cap and gown but I also found the cap and gown I used for my Bachelor’s degree graduation and the one I used for my Master’s degree. But for what?! There is no reason for me to hold on to these – I will admit that it will be hard for me to part ways with them but I know that I will not make any use of them at all. This is the hardest part of decluttering – old memories sweet and bitter will return – which may make it difficult to continue but you need to get through it!

4 | get your supplies ready

Make sure you have boxes, containers and trash bags ready to divide the items that you will keep, donate and get rid of. Also, I recommend having cleaning supplies handy to clean off drawer and shelves as you go through the room.

These tips should help get you started in your decluttering endeavors. Remember that 50% of the work happens in your head and once you understand the real reasons having a clean and organized home matter and the negative impacts having a cluttered and messy home can have on your overall life getting started will be a no brainer !Happy cleaning!

Have you attempted to declutter rooms in your home? Do you have any tips to make this an easier endeavor?