10 Micro-habits to help change your life!
In this day and age, it can be easy to fall into the same old routine full of unhealthy habits that make us feel…let’s be honest…not our best selves! Over time we grew tired of following the same old routine and decided to take it into our own hands…and now it’s your turn! Add some excitement back into your daily routine with these 10 micro-habits to change the way you feel and look at life!
1) Make your Bed
How we start each and every day can catalyst our mood, motivation, and intentions for the day. One really easy habit that we love is to make our bed every single morning. That may seem like a silly and even annoying task to start your day with, but hear us out. It starts your day by completing a simple act of self-care that can give you a sense of accomplishment right at the beginning of your day. This can also propel you into keeping a tidy room as well as staying more productive throughout the day. It’s a nice way to also look into life’s finer details and take pride and joy in the small things in life. It is honestly a win-win all around!
2) Set Your Daily Intentions & Goals
How often do you start your day without checking in with yourself? Maybe you roll out of bed and get straight to work, or the first thing you do is start scrolling on social media. If you don’t prioritize checking in with yourself on a regular basis, you may begin to feel a sense of disconnection from yourself, your goals, and the world around you.
But how do you begin to set intentions for the day? Take a minute to think about what you want from the day. Think about what you want to get out of it. Think about the energy you want to attract from it. Some questions we like to ask ourselves when setting our intentions and goals for the day include: What kind of person do you want to be today? What would make you happy today? What do you need to do in order to live a more fulfilling life? What do you need to focus on to achieve your goals? Asking these simple questions will set your day off in the right mindset and leave you with a more fulfilling sense of direction during your day.
3) Hydrate to Be Great
There are several reasons why staying hydrated is key to feeling great inside and out. Staying hydrated is known to improve your sleep, mood, and cognitive function. Hydration has loads of benefits for our minds and bodies, but one of our favorites is that ensuring proper hydration can help regulate digestion. When you are hydrated, your body can break down food easier alongside stomach acids and enzymes, improving your digestive health. Since your body naturally seeks available fluids to help move food through the body, if there is not enough fluid available, this can result in bloating, slowed digestion, and more.
Doctor D’s is a delicious way to not only boost hydration, but also can improve your digestive health with the help of Live & Raw probiotics, electrolytes, amino acids, trace minerals, and more. So whether you're carrying around your favorite emotional support water bottle, or sipping on your favorite can of Doctor D’s, make sure to keep yourself hydrated and feeling great!
4) Breathe In, Breathe Out
Breathe-work is our bestie! We all know the familiar feeling of stress in our bodies and let’s be real…no one likes it! We love simple and easy tools and tips that can help our body feel its best. One of our favorite tips is a simple breathing technique that is not only great for improving stress levels but can also help stimulate your Vagus nerve. Your Vagus nerve is the line of communication between your gut and your brain. Stimulating the Vagus nerve sends a signal to your brain telling your nervous system that it is time to relax and unwind. This easy breathing technique is called: Diaphragmatic Breathing. This is a breathing exercise where you inhale deeply and slowly through your nose, expand your stomach, and then gently breathe out. Practicing diaphragmatic breathing has several beneficial effects on your physical and mental health, but one of our favorites is that it can regulate muscle contractions and secretion of gastric acid and digestive enzymes which is great for gut health!
5) Do More of What You Love
One of the most important things in life that we have is our time, and we love to spend it doing the things that make us happy. Falling into the routine of working all day, eating dinner, watching TV, and then falling asleep is an easy one to get into, but where are self-love and health in that? Take time for your brain and body to experience more fulfilling activities in your off time. Whether it's picking up that paintbrush, doing some yoga, or going on a hike…It’s important to take time out of your day to do MORE of what you LOVE!
6) We like to Move it, Move it
It can be so easy to fall into a simple sedentary routine, especially with the cold winter months underway. It is time to break out of those unhealthy habits by taking small simple steps in creating a routine of daily movement. Making sure you spend at least 15 minutes a day involved in some sort of physical activity can significantly increase blood flow, circulation, joint mobility, flexibility, and improve your mental health. Prioritize your overall health & wellbeing by having a dance party, taking a brisk walk, or doing some yoga. Simple movement that makes you personally happy and fulfilled is the easiest way to make this a daily healthy habit, so make sure your activities are something you truly enjoy.
7) Go Outside
A breath of fresh air, quite literally. Whether you live near the beach, in the mountains, or anywhere in between, it can be incredibly soothing to take time out of every single day to go outside and appreciate the beautiful world around us. Some activities we love to include in our daily outside time are taking walks, meditating, or playing with our kids or pets. Fun Fact! Did you know that going outside every day can help lower blood pressure, reduce stress, and can improve cognitive function & focus? Most outdoor activities can be extremely beneficial to our overall physical, mental, and emotional health & wellbeing.
8) Treat Yo’ Self
You heard us correctly...treat yourself! You are extremely deserving of small self-nurturing indulgences every once in a while. Now, we are not saying to go out on a crazy wild shopping spree or anything frivolous, but taking brief moments to allow yourself to purchase or do something small that can make you happy and fulfilled can make a big difference in your life. Treating yourself can be as simple as buying a new sheet mask or a new book. It is easier to find the simple pleasures in life when you allow yourself to indulge in them once in a while in an act known as “self-compassion”.
9) Journaling
Taking a small amount of time every day to write down your thoughts and emotions can be a great tool for releasing any possible built-up stress or emotions. Journaling can create a wonderful judgment-free zone curated just for you. A true safe place that can allow you to release any pent-up energy and feelings in a productive, constructive, and healthy way. Journaling does not always have to be for releasing negative emotions though. Consider practicing positive thoughts, daily affirmations, and intentions in your daily journaling time. Practice the act of self-love by writing and encouraging messages to yourself to reflect on. Reinforcing those positive thoughts and views on yourself can feel extremely freeing and create a more positive outlook on life.
10) Focus on Rest R&R
One of the most micro-habits of all, Rest and Relaxation. Allowing our bodies to rest is crucial to our overall health and wellbeing. Did you know that some benefits of R&R can include decreased stress and anxiety, improved sleep quality, enhanced mood, and can repair & restore the body? It is incredible what a little relaxation can do for us. It is important to note that Rest and sleep are two different things, but both are equally important to your mental, emotional, and physical health. Plus, prioritizing rest can actually improve your quality of sleep. Rest and Relaxation can mean something different to everyone, but here are some of our favorite R&R activities that we do daily: Doing a face mask, reading a feel-good book, yoga, listening to calming music, and meditation.
There you have it! 10 Micro-Habits to help change your life!
With all of these new tips and tools, you sure are ready to seize the day and live life to the fullest.
