Have you been planning on finding ways to improve your health and looking for the best time to start? It can seem overwhelming at first, but don't stress, there are a few simple changes you can make to start.
When is the best time to start?
When starting your wellness journey the best time to start is RIGHT NOW. Putting it off until a certain date denies you the changes you could make in the meantime. How often does the phrase "I will do it tomorrow." come up when a specific task is to be done. Well your health is not one of those things. Start making small changes today and they will lead to a happier and healthier version of yourself that you deserve.
How do I Start?
Taking on the idea of improving your health may seem daunting, but it doesn't have to be. Just choose one aspect of your health you would like to improve the most. Try using one of the three pillars of health; Sleep, Nutrition and Movement/Exercise, and focus on ONE you would like to improve on. Start with small steps that you can keep consistent, that is going to be the key...Consistency. Here are a few daily changes you can focusing on each of the three pillars of health...
1. SLEEP.
- Stop screen viewing 1 hour before you go to bed. This will allow your mind to wind down and get into a restful sleep.
- Create a pre-sleep routine. Once your body recognizes the routine it will begin to prepare for sleep.
- Stop consuming caffeine 6 hours before bed. Your body takes 6 hours to fully burn through caffeine, so consume your favorite caffeinated beverage to the early hours of the day.
2. NUTRITION.
- Add more whole foods to your daily meals and snacks. Whole foods contain less calories and more nutrients helping keep your body functioning well without excess weight gain.
- Add more water to your daily routine. Adding more water will help with digestion, make you feel more energized and allow your body to function more efficiently.
- Eat until you are %80 full. When eating your meals pause every so often and allow yourself to feel when you are satisfied and not full. This will prevent you from overeating and adding excess weight.
3. MOVEMENT/EXERCISE.
- Stand for at least 30 minutes after eating. Standing puts your digestive system in proper alignment and will aid in digestion. When we sit, our digestive system is compressed making it harder to fully digest our meals.
- Find ways to add more movement to your day. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, park further away from your destination when driving, take a short walk after dinner, start a fitness routine. Find something that you can keep consistent and gradually build on it.
- Switch from a seated desk to a standing desk. Standing burns more calories, is more of a natural position for your body and allows for less tension in the body.
Once you have been able to keep that one daily change consistent, for at least two months, then gradually build upon it. When enacting these new changes always add something and don't take anything away, that way you won't feel as if you are sacrificing anything. Over time you will notice how much better you feel and function and it will be simpler to make more health-conscious choices. This is not an all or nothing process, meet yourself where you are at, everyone has to start somewhere. Afterall "Rome wasn't built in a day". Be patient with yourself and don't let the little setbacks through you off your path. You owe it to yourself to be the happiest and healthiest version of yourself you know you can be.
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