Get up every day at 5 am, walk 10 kilometers daily, learn 20 foreign words… You must have come across lists of tips containing similar sentences – useful, but hardly realistic for most. We offer an alternative – a set of simple actions, the implementation of which will not take you much time. Of course, they will not change your life radically, but every day they will make it a little better.
1. Lie on your back, hang your head and shoulders off the bed and lie down like this for a couple of minutes. It is especially useful to do this before going to bed, after a day spent at your desk. Stretching in this way will open up your chest and allow blood flow to your heart and brain.
2. Turn off autoplay and leave the remote next to the TV. It’s no secret that it’s in the best interests of streaming platforms to get us hooked on their content so we watch more and more. Even if we planned to watch just one episode of the series, the next one will turn on automatically, and it will not be easy to resist the temptation to watch it. Disable this feature and leave the remote next to the TV – then you have to make an effort on yourself: get up from the couch and press the button to continue watching. During this time, you can decide whether you really want to continue browsing or still do something more useful.
3. Add the cost of your health to the cost of any “smart” devices. We are used to surrounding ourselves with things that make us lazier and immobile. Think about it: do you really need a “smart assistant” to turn off the lights? Wouldn’t it be better to take another walk to the switch? So, before you take out a credit card, calculate how many calories it will cost you to buy another gadget.
4. Every time you leave the toilet, do a few squats. Perhaps you are one of those who categorically cannot fit sports into their schedule. It is understandable: work, household chores, family… But the truth is that when we spend all day in a sitting position, our muscles atrophy. To keep your body in good shape, start squatting every time you leave the toilet or bathroom. At first, it may be as little as 10 squats a day – but it’s better than nothing.
5. Stand on one leg when brushing your teeth in the morning (and on the other in the evening). As a child, you most likely could easily run along a narrow ledge or even a low fence, but how are you with your balance now? How long can you stand on one leg? Isn’t it time to develop a skill lost in childhood?
6. Sit properly. Namely – on the entire seat, and not on its edge, and without leaving a gap between the body and the back of the chair or chair.
7. Use websites, not apps. Mobile apps are designed to make you want to use them, so you literally never let go of your phone. Everyone who used the web version of the same Instagram will surely agree that it is not so easy to get hooked on using it. This is exactly what we need! Say no to gadget addiction!
8. Follow the 20-20-20 rule. Most of the day, many of us look at the screens of our phones or laptops, and this is not at all what we were conceived by nature! Set a timer to take your eyes off your gadget for 20 seconds every 20 minutes and look at an object 20 feet away from you [1 foot is 0,3048 meters, so 20 feet is about 6 meters. — Approx. translator]. Blinking is not only possible, but necessary.
9. Going to sleep, switch your smartphone to flight mode and leave it in another room. Let’s be honest, we don’t often get calls in the middle of the night. Yes that there infrequently – almost never. So, sleeping in an embrace with the phone is not necessary (especially since the light of the screens prevents falling asleep).
10. Unfollow accounts that increase stress. It can be social networks of news publics or specific people who sow negativity and make you upset and suffer.
11. Don’t go shopping on an empty stomach. Research shows that in this case, resisting the temptation to buy something that does not fit into your usual diet is extremely difficult.
12. Take a break between the main course and dessert. It takes our brains about 15-20 minutes to process the signal that we’re full, so if you jump straight into sweets, you’re likely to eat more than you need in total.
13. Drink water before meals. Many of us easily confuse thirst with hunger, and most adults suffer from chronic dehydration. Drinking a glass of water before a meal can help you determine if you’re really hungry.
14. Before going to bed, put a glass of water by the bed. You have probably heard more than once how useful it is to drink a glass of water immediately after waking up. But do you do it? Most likely not – something invariably distracts you. So create all the conditions for yourself so that this useful habit is finally formed.
15. Drink tea and coffee without sugar. Most of us already consume more sugar than we need – it is found in almost all factory-made products today. So it’s a good idea to at least stop putting it in hot drinks. Believe me: a couple of weeks – and you will get used to the new taste.
16. Always wear sunscreen if you plan to be outside for a long time. Even if it’s cool and/or cloudy outside, UV rays can still damage the skin, not only affecting its condition, but also triggering the development of cancer. Choose moisturizers with an SPF of 30 or higher.
17. In winter, do not forget to take vitamin D. Vitamin D helps regulate our immune system and we get it naturally from sunlight. If there is practically no sun in your area in autumn, winter and even spring, you will have to make up for the deficiency of this vitamin.
18. Avoid gadgets while eating. Eating mindfully means giving your taste buds a chance to taste the food, and allowing yourself to enjoy the meal. In addition, it helps to relax and not miss the moment when we have already eaten.
19. Every time you go to the supermarket, buy a new fruit or vegetable that you haven’t tried before. As a rule, most of us eat about the same thing every week. Thus, we ourselves deprive ourselves of a variety of flavors – and, most likely, the necessary vitamins too. Make up for their deficiency in a natural way.
20. Before flipping the tape further, take a deep breath and exhale. Studies show that a modern person forgets to breathe when using a smartphone. Having received a message or notification, we seem to freeze internally. Therefore, before picking up the phone and reading the message that you received, inhale for 3 seconds, hold your breath for 4 seconds and exhale for 5 seconds. This will allow the body to be saturated with oxygen, and you will decide whether you need to check the smartphone right now.