We always say we’re going to start a health regimen on a specific date or time. A thirty-day cleanse starting in April or one month before a vacation before we have to wear a bathing suit. My thing is I will quit my bad habits after I graduate grad school or it is time to start a family. But, what can we do now, right this second to start living a healthier life?
Oh, you may think that there is no way we can flush our system of toxins right away but that is not the case. There are so many little things we do, physically, mentally, emotionally, and healthily, that can be tweaked just enough to make a dramatic change. Here are five to start living your best life now!
1. Drink eight glasses of water!
I rely heavily on coffee to get through my day as a web editor/blogger/tutor extraordinaire/social media maven/grad student but my New Year’s resolution was to start drinking more water. Benefits: increases energy and lowers fatigue; flushes out nasty toxins; promotes weight loss; improves skin and overall complexion (saving on skin care—score!); boosts the immune system, and is a natural headache remedy. There are so many more benefits to drinking water but you will just have to find them out yourself. Water is free and if you don’t trust your tap water, invest in a Brita filtration system. I personally find myself drinking more water when I buy the sports bottles so I can grab and go and refill them whenever I am at the office. Replace that extra snack or soda with a few glasses of water and not only see but feel the results.
2. Positive Affirmations
It is easy to get inside your own head and start to feel like you are not good enough. Take twenty minutes to write down five of your best achievements or positive quotes and place them in your bathroom or bedroom, even your kitchen; the places you visit the most. Look at them, internalize them, repeat them, and it will be a mental boost to get you through your day. Just taking time for yourself is the most important thing you can do. You can do it while drinking your first glass of water.
3. Forgive yourself
Take today to say, “I cannot change or fix the past, I can only control my future actions.” This is the first step to letting go of whatever is holding you back and breaking the chains of the past.
4. Do a quick workout in the morning
There are so many on the internet that is about six minutes long and a workout is just the beginning of a fitness journey you may want to embark on.
5. Gather all your loose change and put it in a jar
This is how you start a savings account, believe it or not. Money is one of the biggest stressors in life but by collecting random loose change from your pockets, purses, drawers, anywhere in your home, you could start to see it is far easier to save than you ever imagined. Eventually, you might find it a fun challenge to save up change intentionally and set a goal for a trip or a cute item you’re dying to buy.
These are just starter steps. You won’t change overnight but you can wake up tomorrow and say, “Today, I am changing for me.” And a little bit truly goes a long way. Good luck!