Five Things That Will Change the Trajectory of Your Health
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Life is all about balance. And when it comes to health, tipping the balance in favor of good choices is the smartest approach.
Looking back, it’s funny to think about how much I took my health for granted. As a teen, I was just going through life, playing whatever sport was in season, rushing from class to practice, to whatever social event was on the calendar. In college, I felt invincible—staying up until 2 a.m. studying for all of those exams (or maybe at a sorority event or two), working, socializing and doing all the things.
But it wasn’t until I reached my 30’s and had my children, that I noticed my energy was lower. I would get sick more easily and felt overall—well—my age. Now that I’m rounding home to 40 (okay, I've got a couple of years left until then) I really understand how quickly simple things like a cold, or a bad night of sleep can wreck me for days on end. I finally decided that I wanted to really get serious about my health and incorporate some simple habits that would help me thrive, not just survive.
I’ve learned a lot on my recent health journey and want to share with you the top five things that will change the trejectory of your health.
Tip #1: Sleep
For the love of all that is holy, you can’t stay up until midnight anymore and not pay for it the next day (as I’m writing this, it’s 11:59 p.m. 🙃). Sleep is truly essential to your overall health. A good nighttime routine consisting of some down time void of screens also makes a huge difference in turning off your brain. One thing I’ve started doing recently is replacing my phone with a book.
The book I’m currently reading now is on how to be a better writer—ironic, I know—but it’s really great. If you’re interested in writing for fun, or write as part of your job, I highly recommend Everybody Writes by Ann Handley.
Not only does reading an engaging book help me learn something, it also truly makes me tired. There is nothing like a couple of chapters in a book to make you doze off into dreamland. It’s also probably why it takes me a month to finish one book.
Tip #2: Move Your Body
As the saying goes, we all have 24 hours in a day. If Beyonce can find time to work out, so can you. The key for me has been to find something that I actually like doing, not feel obligated to do. This varies based on my mood and how much energy I have that day. When all the stars align, all I want to do is listen to my go-to workout playlist, sprint and lift weights. When I’m not really feeling it, I’ll opt for something lower impact like pilates. One of my favorites things to use is this ring. You can use it for simple stretches or increase your resistance and positioning to challenge yourself. Whatever I do, I always leave thankful that I took some time for myself—and my body thanks me as well.
Tip #3: Eat Things That Make You Feel Good
What you eat has a big impact on how you feel—arguably the greatest impact. What makes you feel good differs for everyone—but generally, sticking to a diet of vegetables, fruits, lean protein and some grains creates a nice balance. For me, I’ve learned over time to follow the 80/20 rule. 80 percent of the time I’m choosing the above foods and 20 percent of the time, I’m indulging in that amazing steak dinner, Italian feast or latest flavor at Big Spoon (my favorite ice cream shop in Birmingham). I’m a foodie, so depriving myself of the pleasure of an incredible meal just won’t happen, so the 80/20 rule is the way I keep everything balanced.
Tip #4: Quit That Vice
Let’s face it—we are all human and have that one (or more) thing(s) that we know aren’t good for us. Things that are shortening our lifespan or at the very least are lowering the quality of our lives. Maybe it’s your penchant for sugar, your constant negative thought patterns, or that you partake in an occasional substance that shall not be named. For me, my vice was alcohol. I’ll share more about this in another post, but TLDR—alcohol just didn’t add any value to my life anymore—and to be honest, it never really did. So, what health benefits have I noticed since dropping my vice?
Better sleep (see Tip #1)
Improved mood
More motivated to practice other healthy habits
Increased gratitude (and my favorite gratitude journal of all time)
What’s your vice? Take it from me and go ahead and say goodbye to whatever it is. Chances are, the benefit you think you are getting from it is less than you think.
Tip #5: Positive Vibes
I’m not trying to get all “woo woo” on you—but hear me out. I truly believe that we live in a world where our thoughts, words and actions all carry significant weight. The things we think, say and act on towards ourselves and others actually impacts our reality. There is a LOT of negative noise in the world that can bring you down and cause anxiety. The truth is that life is tough and we will all go through situations that cause us pain. Ultimately, we can’t control what happens to us, but we do get to choose how we react to those situations.
The tip here is to control our inputs (the things you allow into your life) and surround yourself with things/people/experiences that “vibrate” at a high or joyful frequency. The books you read should make you feel good, the programs you watch should generally be uplifting, the music you listen to should make you smile and even the people in your life should leave you feeling joyful. Take notice of those things that suck your energy and things that leave you feeling better after having been around them. This energy accumulates over time—so choose wisely.
In Conclusion
Although many things are outside of our control when it comes to our health, we do have the agency to make positive choices that can have a significant impact on we feel now and in the future. I hope these five tips will get you thinking about different ways you can create simple, healthy habits in your daily life.
HW&W Recommendations
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"Everybody Writes" by Ann Handley provides practical tips and strategies on writing well, including the importance of developing a clear voice and tone, crafting a compelling headline, and using storytelling techniques to engage readers. Handley emphasizes the importance of focusing on the needs of the audience and to write in a way that is concise, clear, and compelling. The book also covers the basics of grammar and style, as well as tips on how to optimize content for search engines and social media platforms. Overall, "Everybody Writes" is a valuable resource for anyone who wants to improve their writing skills and create content that resonates with their audience.
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Find it here.
The URBNFit Pilates Ring can be used in Pilates and other fitness routines to target and strengthen different muscles in the body.
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Find it here.
The 5-Minute Journal is a simple, structured journaling technique that encourages users to focus on gratitude, positive affirmations, and self-reflection.
The journal prompts users to write down three things they are grateful for, three things that would make the day great, and one affirmation in the morning. At night, you can reflect on three amazing things that happened that day and one thing that could have been better in the evening.
