Wellness wins through making small daily changes

Here are my top 10 small daily habits that lead to big wellness wins. If like most people you’re wanting to make a big difference to how you feel but don’t have a huge amount of time and or money these tips are for you!

Start your day a calmer way

If you’re used to being blasted out of bed by a shrill alarm clock, or a radio alarm clock set to come on on the hour when they’re reading the news, maybe try getting it to come on at 15. 30 or 45 past the hour instead. This way the first thing you hear in the morning isn’t a shrill noise or bad news. If you’re used to a noisy radio channel, maybe try putting your favourite playlist on instead, or a calming radio station like clasicfm calm.

Take a few minutes to arrive into the waking world.

For the first few minutes after waking up, don’t touch your phone or your iPad. Take time to open your eyes gently, maybe stretch before getting out of bed, allow yourself time to notice the sound of bird song, or the buzz of the traffic outside.

Take a minute to see how you feel, enjoy the peace for a few minutes.

Meditate, or at least take some deep breaths

If you’re able to, try spending 5 minutes taking some deep breaths, observing your breath and noticing any thoughts you might have that are distracting your focus away from the breath.

If you catch your thoughts wandering off, gently bring them back to the sensations of the breath going in and out of your nostrils. If you are able to you could spend longer, but even spending 5 mins on this can bring your whole body into a state of calm, ready to face the day.

Eat a healthy protein rich breakfast

Ensure you have something filling and protein based for breakfast. Avoid having just toast, or sugary cereal. Breakfast can be a great way of getting extra portions of fruit and vegetables into the whole family. Add fruit to porridge, tomatoes, mushrooms, sliced or smashed avocado and wilted spinach to a cooked breakfast

Do a short workout if you can to get your body moving

There are loads of great short yoga, pilates and 10 minute morning workouts on youtube, and these are great ways of getting your blood pumping and your body moving again.

Alternatively try going for a short walk around the block even if it’s only for 10 -20 mins. Monikafit does some good 10 min workouts, link here

Tell yourself that today will be a good day, no matter what happens.

By this I mean that whatever happens today, you will respond calmly, and not let it affect the rest of your day. The Mindset Mentor has a fabulous podcast about this on Spotify to listen click here

Make your bed and tidy your room

Leave the covers off your bed as you take your shower as this helps any moisture created overnight to evaporate a little, but then once you’ve had your shower and your breakfast, make your bed.

Leave your room looking tidy and inviting so that when you come home after a long day it’s there looking nice and like a sanctuary to relax in.

Keep a journal

Julia Cameron, author of The Artist”s Way suggests that we start each day by writing down three pages of stream of thought writing.

The idea is to get all those floating thoughts and ideas out of your head. Journaling can be a really good way of releasing unhelpful thoughts in a safe way. I find journals useful for saying all the things you’d like to say but can’t, or for working through problems.

Find glimmers of joy each day

Look for glimmers of hope, the sun shining through the trees, the way the light shines on a glass, beautiful sunrises and sunsets, the taste of your first cup of tea each morning. Relish the compliments you receive (and give others heartfelt compliments too!)

Stick to a regular sleeping and eating pattern where possible.

Your body relishes routine and likes to know what is coming next. Try going to bed at the same time each night and waking up each morning. Eating meals at a similar time of day also helps.

Have a calmer end to the day

Lower the lights, take an evening walk. Try having something to do that doesn’t involve the tv. A jigsaw puzzle, magazine or a book, some art, craft, crochet, knitting, or a notebook and pen and put on some gentle music in the background.

Reset the sitting room and kitchen before you go to bed so you can come down in the morning and not feel grumpy at the mess.

Further Reading

https://www.sarahcooper.co.uk/easy-ways-to-upgrade-your-life/ 

https://www.sarahcooper.co.uk/12-little-things-that-changed-my-life/