Small things you can incorporate in your daily routine to live a healthier life.

The world we live in right now with many people being in quarantine gave us a lot of time to think about our own life. Many people decided to start living a healthier life to give the immune system a better position. Many supplement companies experience a real peak these days. There are many pills and medication out there as well as treatments and special diets people promote. Most of them are sadly most often claims not proven by any proper science. Therefore, I rather want to encourage everyone by implementing my TOP5 habits making every day a little more active for improving health.

1. Get a good night sleep

Sleep quality affects your day in a lot of ways. The best exercise and diet may not improve your wellbeing when you are lacking sleep. That’s why everyone should make getting a good sleep a priority. Adults require a minimum amount of 7 hours of sleep, 8 hours is optimal. Bad sleep affects us in different ways: lack of motivation for daily activities, ability to perform, mood swings, food cravings, and in the long term health problems. If you have trouble falling asleep or have trouble sleeping through the night, try incorporating an evening routine to signal your body and brain that it is time to calm down. For me, the following worked very well to get a good quality sleep and falling asleep fast:

• Staying away from food up to three hours before going to bed
• Eat some carbs for dinner. Carbs boost tryptophan and serotonin and will help you fall asleep faster.
• Eliminating sweets before bedtime.
• Eliminate TV in the evenings as the light will give your brain the signal it is not night.
• Eliminate alcohol in the evening before going to bed.
• If using the cellphone in the evening, activate the blue light filter.

Remember, your body is preferring routines. Therefore, make sure to implement a before-bed routine to prepare yourself for bed and give yourself the change to calm down. This will improve your sleep quality and affect your overall wellbeing. The effects might not spike in immediately but you will feel the difference time after time. Make sleep a priority.

2. Take a Morning walk

After getting enough sleep, have a morning routine. I found getting up and going outside to get some fresh air first thing in the morning is giving my day a big boost. After the walk, I always feel very energized, and my day is so much more productive. Listen to audiobooks or podcasts during the walk for some extra inspiration in the mornings. Try and see for yourself if it benefits you. It’s a little habit but with a big effect on everyday life.And the best thing, you are so much looking forward to breakfast in the morning and enjoying it a whole lot more after the walk.

3. Exercise regularly

I know this is a common thing to say when talking about a healthy life. Though, it is shown in many studies that regular exercise has a positive effect on health. Therefore, move your body! 🙂 If you don’t exercise at all right now, start with once to twice a week. Don’t stress it. Start slow and increase exercise consistently but slowly. The most important thing is to stay consistent. If you are struggling with starting the workout, set a date for your workout to have it fixed in your schedule. Give it a timeslot in your calendar. It will help you a lot to get it done. It might be harder in the beginning, but it will get easier over time. As said before, rather start slow but stay consistent longterm.Next to exercise, simply moving more and incorporating taking the stairs more often or cycling to work can be a little habit with also big effects on a more active lifestyle.

4. Calm down and take time for yourself

After an active day, don’t forget to take time for yourself at one stage. Time for yourself should be scheduled and made a priority. Take time to rest, calm down, and just do what you enjoy doing. This is the time when you fully relax and let loose. Give your body and mind time to fully regenerate. Try meditation or yoga as well. Find what calms you down and give yourself time to rest.

5. Listen to your body

Most importantly: listen to your body!Although you want to get more active, I recommend incorporating healthy small life hacks into your life daily. Start with one new habit a week and incorporate the next week after. Whatever you do, listen to your body. Our body sends us many signals, yet we often suppress them. We listen to doctors, to smartwatches, to fitness trackers, to things someone says in any forum online, but somehow we often don’t listen to our body. Though, our body is actually what we really should be listening to. It tells us the exact truth if we listen close enough. Make sure you make yourself the top priority in life. 🙂