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Nowadays, life can feel more hectic than ever before, as many of us are living fast-paced lifestyles that balance jobs, friends, family, and most importantly, our own wants and needs. But it can all feel pretty overwhelming after a certain point; our heads are so full up that they’re in dire need of clearing.
It also doesn’t help that so many of us are living unhealthier lives, not just because a lot of us spend eight hours a day behind a desk, only to spend another four or five hours in the evening on the couch, but also because we’re all surrounded by ultraprocessed food in supermarkets and in high street fast food chains, not to mention cigarettes and vapes being available on every street corner.
If you’re looking to give your mind and body a serious reset, it’s easy to find yourself in an online rabbit hole, thinking that the only way forward is to start every day with a 5 am gym session and to exclusively eat kale and celery. But that’s a load of rubbish. You don’t need to try to commit to a crazy new lifestyle. In fact, the best way to make lasting changes is to make two or three sustainable changes that will have a lasting impact.
Upgrade Your Morning Routine
No, don’t worry, we aren’t about to ask you to set that 5 am alarm! And we’re not even going to ask you to go to the gym. No, this is all about simple changes, remember?
This is all about optimising your morning routine, which means setting an alarm that gives you a full hour before you leave for work. When you wake up, try not to immediately go on your phone and start doom scrolling. Instead, get to your feet and start your day with a 10-minute stretch. I’d personally recommend a hamstring stretch, as it helps decompress your spine after a full night’s sleep.
After that, prepare yourself a proper breakfast of champions; something well-rounded that fills you up and gives you a balanced meal. Why not try a bowl of overnight oats with a selection of strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries?
After that, you should still have time to wash and get dressed.
Stop Smoking or Vaping
This one might not apply to anyone, but these days, there are an awful lot of people out there who enjoy inhaling harmful, cancer-causing chemicals. Smoking is obviously documented to be catastrophic for health, as it is a known cause of various cancers, heart disease, and strokes – just to name a few things. The evidence around vapes is a little more vague, as we haven’t yet seen the long-term health effects, but there are already numerous studies that point to damage to the lungs and even to mental health.
If you’d like to quit, but aren’t sure how, just remember that it’s almost always hardest to quit right at the start. That’s because your daily routine is still a smoker’s/vaper's routine, firmly built around smoke/vape breaks that punctuate the day. That’s why a lot of quitters get the worst cravings on their morning commutes, or at particular times of day. When you power through, and your brain starts to dissociate from the previous routine, you’ll likely have a much easier time quitting. If you’re struggling with cravings, though, you can always try a form of nicotine replacement, like nicopods or nicotine pouches.
Within 30 days of quitting smoking, people report that they can already feel the difference in the depth of their breathing and lack of smoker's cough.
Be Serious About Your Sleep
Most people don’t get the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep, which isn’t too surprising. In fact, it’s encouraging because it means that there are millions of people out there who can make a huge difference to their health and wellbeing with just one simple change. The science tells us that a steady 7-9 hours of sleep every night can improve higher brain function, bolster the immune system, and improve weight management by stabilising appetite.
Furthermore, if you don’t have a consistent sleeping pattern, then having a consistent sleep schedule can make a world of difference to both your physical and mental health. Regular sleep has been proven to support mood regulation, stabilise blood pressure, and promote a higher metabolic rate.
Closing Thoughts
So becoming healthier and happier doesn’t require a complete lifestyle overhaul. In fact, it’s completely attainable with just a few minor tweaks here and there. Maybe if you give them a go, you’ll start seeing the benefits in just a few weeks.
