Ready to make life easier? It all starts with finding ways to be healthier. Being healthy means it all feels less stressful and more simple to do what you need to – and here are 13 easy ways to give a try today.
Yes, this is a blog about getting your home organised first and foremost. But it’s also about living a balanced life that you enjoy – as that really and truly makes everything easier to face – so today I wanted to chat about ways to be healthier in day to day life.
I’m no health guru – far from it – but I do know that the healthier I am, the happier I am, and the more I can get done. I am also a nicer person to be around!
I struggle with anxiety from time to time, and I really feel a difference in how I can keep on top of it when I am healthier. I feel less overwhelmed and more in control.
So – although at first glance health doesn’t link to getting organised – it really and truly does.
If you look after yourself, you can do more (decluttering is hard work at times!) – you’ll be more motivated, and you’ll have energy to do what you want.
Sounds good, doesn’t it!
So, without further ado, here are my top 13 ways I like to try and incorporate into my own schedule as much as possible.
Your Challenge…
Why not pick one from the list below and make a promise to do it every day for a month.
Just one.
Easy, right?
You can then add in another each month once that previous one has become a habit for you that you don’t have to think about any longer.
Just think how amazing you’ll feel this time next year if you can include all these ways to be healthier into each day!
QUICK ASIDE – Some of this list will be things that you no doubt know already – but there’s a big difference in knowing about them and DOING them – just saying ;o) – and that’s why they’re included…
13 Ways To Be Healthier – Starting Today
#1 – Walk 10,000 Steps A Day
I was curious a couple of years ago about how many steps I really did in a day. After all – most days I’m sitting in front of my laptop writing posts like this one – so my lifestyle isn’t that active.
Yes, I go to the gym, and I walk to town/school etc… – but how many steps would that actually make each day?
So – I downloaded a free app on my phone and saw….
I averaged a pitiful 3-4,000 a day – and this was truly a shock.
If we should be walking 10,000 steps a day then I was falling short by a LONG way.
So – I started to be mindful about steps I took: –
- Used the stairs instead of lifts or escalators
- Walked into town rather than hop in the car
- Went for more walks throughout the day to break up my screen time
- Walked around the house more in general (random, but it works!)
And being mindful made me life my average up to around that elusive 10,000!
I now have a FitBit and love it because it’s on my wrist all the time (I didn’t like having to carry my phone around all the time), and I’d recommend this as a way to get you used to checking what you do each day.
#2 – Eat More Fruit And Veg
In the UK we have a recommended 5 fruit and veg portions a day (roughly 2 fruit and 3 veg), but in other countries this is even higher.
Basically – getting more fruit and veg into your diet can only do you good! I
I find that my blender (I’m a Vitamix fan) helps me like nothing else to get my fruit and veg intake higher.
Having a smoothie in the morning, and making soups for lunch and tea – are always a great option, and you can hide loads of goodness in both. Here are a few ideas for things that I’ve found work really well:
- Frozen cauliflower in smoothies – adds creaminess
- Frozen spinach in smoothies – makes it go green, but is tasteless
- Blitz up a variety of veg as a soup base, and then add the flavours of what you want. You can hide MANY veg by blending rather than leaving them whole.
#3 – Do Something You Love
Whether it be a hobby you’ve let slip as you’ve got older, a sport you’ve wanted to try for ages, or anything else – just get started TODAY.
You could join an evening class, join the gym, get supplies you need in your home – and just spend some quality time on what makes you happy.
This is truly the best thing to feel great, as you are making time for you, and prioritising it – and it’s usually the first thing that slips from our schedules when life gets busy.
This blog started as a hobby, but over the years it’s become a full time thing and I love that I love my work – but now I have started to do other things as hobbies instead (adult colouring books, specific classes at the gym etc..) and it’s made all the difference!
#4 – Meal Plan
Health starts with eating well – and it’s all too easy to get back from work or from being out all day and either calling for a takeaway, or eating rubbish.
With just a bit of planning, you can ensure you have great food each and every day – without becoming too busy in the process.
Take a look at my meal planning posts to get started, and you’ll be surprised at how much of a difference it makes!
#5 – Create Some Me-Time Each Day
The holy grail if you are a mother, or just plain busy – is some ME TIME.
It feels like a luxury, doesn’t it?
But it shouldn’t be.
After all – if you’re not rested/happy and healthy – you can’t look after your kids nearly as well, and you won’t enjoy life half as much.
So – make time each day – even just 5 minutes – to do something for yourself, and savour every moment.
For some ideas, take a look at THIS POST I wrote a while back.
#6 – Have Regular Tech Free Time
This one can be really tricky for a lot of people – myself included. But the fact is, our brains and health will thank us for switching our phones & computers off for a while.
Whether it be one day a week, a specific time slot each day, or another variant – try it and see how you feel.
#7 – Connect To Someone In Some Way Every Day
I am an introvert through and through.
I’m known for the fact that I rarely pick up my phone when it rings because I simply don’t like it (apparently this is a common trait for introverts).
So – when I say to connect to someone each day, this may seem strange when it’s coming from me.
But having contact with people is crucial to our wellbeing – and you can do it in so many ways, some of which you’ll love and some less so – but pick whatever works best for you: –
- Text ‘Hello’ out of the blue to someone
- Call a friend for a catch up
- Write a letter / email
- Have a coffee / walk / run with a friend
- Make conversation with a stranger when you go shopping (I like to do random acts of kindness like treating the person behind me to a coffee when I’m buying myself one. It takes seconds but the interaction is amazing!)
- Ask how someones day is going when you see them, rather than just a quick hello.
- Spend 1-1 time with each of your family (maybe one a day, or a little each day with them all, depending on how much time you have and what you’d prefer of course).
#8 – Listen To Music Each Day
Music really does feed the soul, and my husband is great at this one. There is always music playing in the background when he’s at home, and it lifts the whole feel of the house.
When I’m by myself, I forget, and it feels different as a result.
When I do remember, then I feel more motivated, happier, and I move better (dancing would be too strong a term, but I’ve definitely got a spring in my step!). I’ve even been known to do Karaoke for fun and this really blows away the cobwebs!
So – get a playlist of your favourite songs, and play it daily. Listen first thing in the morning, while you’re doing your chores, when you’re eating – whenever works best for you – and I will hazard a guess that you’ll feel great as a result!
#9 – Say NO More
Sometimes we feel we HAVE to say yes when asked to do things.
It feels selfish not to.
But often, this means we end up busier than we should be, stressed, and overwhelmed.
And who wants to live like that?
If you can start to say “NO” to things that you really can’t fit into your schedule, or that you simply don’t want to do – then you will start to feel more balanced, more in control – and yes, healthier as a result.
#10 – Drink More Water
Does coffee count?
I wish!
Just plain water is the best thing you can give your body every day, as it has so many benefits: –
- Helps burn fat
- Great for your brain
- Great for your skin
- Gives you energy
- Often we eat because we think we’re hungry, but we’re actually thirsty – so you’ll eat less
Ways to drink more are as follows: –
- Invest in a drinks bottle so you always have it with you when out and about. You can usually refill easily, and then aim to drink x bottles a day. This one has markings on as well to keep you on track, and space to add fruit to make it taste nicer!
- If you’re at home – set an alarm every 1-2 hours to drink a glass
- Fill a 2 Litre bottle each morning and aim to drink it all by the end of the day.
- If, like me, it’s more fun to drink coffee or tea than water – try having a glass of water every time you drink anything else. You have to drink the water before the other drink.
- Flavour the water a little with lemon, lime, orange slices (most fruits work well) if you don’t like plain water
- Have warm/hot water rather than cold if you prefer.
#11 – Slow Down
Easier said than done, I know – but Oh so worth it if you can.
- Stop over-scheduling
- Breathe deeper
- Focus on what you’re doing at each point in the day so you’re more in the moment
- Meditate
I have started to do some deep breathing to relax each evening, and it really works and helps me to sleep well, which brings me nicely onto the next point… (it’s like I planned it!)
#12 – Sleep Well
It’s easy to forget that sleep is important for our bodies as it’s the time it has to rest and get ready for the following day.
Both body and mind works better when we get enough rest, and this can be different amounts for each one of us.
Make sleep a priority for a few weeks, and start to record what time you sleep and how you feel – and you’ll start to see what you need and what works best for you.
Of course, if you have young children this is easier said than done – so my advice here would be to rest when they do – and in the day if you need it. I always tried to get my chores done when my daughter was napping, but soon realised that actually she was better off seeing me do chores and learning that the house didn’t stay magically clean each day! – and once I relaxed if I needed to we had a much nicer day overall!
#13 – Be Grateful
Each evening I love the routine that my mum taught me many many years ago – and that was to think of 3 things that had made me happy that day.
Just the process of thinking through the day helps your mind relax, and the fact that you are looking for positive things means that even if you’ve had a bad day you will still be left with good thoughts.
(I sometimes struggle on really bad days to find things, but I am so grateful for my health and my family and my home that these are always brought back to my full attention and I appreciate them over and over again).
So – there it is! – 13 ways to be healthier and happier – and I hope you’ve been inspired!
When writing this post, it became very clear that when you are conscious of what you are doing, you are more likely to make good choices and do the right thing for your health.
We can get trapped in our bad habits (reaching for crisps is mine…), so having a goal each month to focus on can really make a huge difference, and doesn’t have to be hard.
Don’t overwhelm yourself – but take the challenge and I’d love to know how you get on.
My hope is that by increasing how healthy you are, you’ll be able to tackle all the ideas on this blog more easily, and that can only be a good thing, right!
What are you waiting for then……! (good luck x)
