Do you feel like your best days are behind you? Do you find yourself feeling more and more tired, less productive, and less happy with each passing day? You’re not alone! Our age often determines how we feel about ourselves. The older we get, the fewer positive thoughts we have about our situation. However, this doesn’t need to be the case! It is never too late to feel good on the inside and out. You can make a change today that will lead you in a new direction with your life, just by taking some time for yourself. Read on for more:
1. Get plenty of sleep
Lack of sleep can seriously affect your mood and energy levels. It also has a significant effect on how well you perform in day-to-day life, not to mention that it’s just plain unhealthy for the body! A lack of 8 hours of slumber may lead you to feel grumpy all day long with no relief coming from caffeine consumption.
Things that can help you to improve your sleeping habits:
- Keep a regular schedule – routine is key when it comes to matters of the body!
- Create an evening bedtime ritual that consists primarily of relaxing activities like reading or listening to soothing music without any electronics (no phones allowed!).
- Try for 7-8 hours every night; this will make sure both mental and physical rest occurs.
- Switch off main lights thirty minutes before going to sleep.
- Make sure the room is cool enough by opening windows and/or putting on a fan/air conditioning.
2. Eat healthy, balanced meals
A proper diet is vital for good health. For maximum effectiveness, it’s important that you eat healthy and balanced meals every day so your body has enough time to do what needs to be done: repair itself with all of those vital nutrients!
Healthy eating is not always easy but it can be as simple or complicated as you want. Here are some great ways that can help you eat healthy at home every day:
- Make sure to have fruits and vegetables on your plate – (filling half the plate with veggies is a great start for any meal!)
- Pack an extra healthy snack in case you are hungry when out and about. This stops you reaching for naughtier treats.
- Opt out of fast food as much as possible – find quick and easy healthy recipes to make it easier to achieve.
- Latte factor – drinks like lattes, smoothies etc can be quite calorific, so be mindful of what’s in them and how often you drink them.
- Drink lots of water throughout the day.
Make sure you allow yourself little treats too – healthy living is all about balance!
3. Drink water to stay hydrated and avoid dehydration
Drinking water is a necessity that you should not take lightly. As much as your body needs it, there are also many benefits of drinking plenty of fluids every day; which include keeping the digestive system moving smoothly and helping flush toxins from our bodies!
4. Surround yourself with people who are good for you
A 2014 study by the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that people who surrounded themselves with positive peers were more likely to have high self-esteem and feel less angry throughout life! We all know how much someone else’s persona can affect how we feel, which makes it important to curate who we spend time with. Sometimes we can’t avoid spending some time with more negative people but we need to do our best to limit that as much as possible and endeavour to spend more time with positive people, who make our lives happier.
5. Do something that makes you happy every day
It’s easy to forget the things that make us happy when life gets hectic, but you should try to do something that makes you feel good every day. You’ll be surprised by how much better your mood will become! It doesn’t even have to be a long-winded activity. A quick 15-minute walk, 10-minute meditation or quick phone call with a good friend can really brighten your day. Alternatively plan larger activities that bring you joy, like a monthly cinema trip, pudding party or trip to the theatre.
6. Exercise regularly – it will help relieve stress and anxiety as well as boost your mood!
The benefits of exercising regularly are many and varied. One way to improve your mood, fitness level or mental clarity is by increasing endorphins! When we exercise, our bodies release these powerful chemicals which provide positive feelings in addition to other physical changes you may notice like more energy for daily tasks and an improved sense of well being no matter what challenges life throws at us
7. Find a new hobby
You can inject some personality into your day, make friends and find inspiration. A hobby is an excellent way to take up time that you would otherwise spend on a TV show or scrolling through social media feeds!
It doesn’t have to be expensive: YouTube can be a wealth of information on how to learn new things, so if you’ve always wanted to pick up a camera or learn to paint, now is the time to start!
8. Spend time in nature
Spending time in nature has many benefits for your mental health. Not only does it help you feel less alone, but spending outdoor moments outdoors also boosts creativity and activates the right side of our brain which can improve cognitive function as well as increase happiness levels!
Nature provides an escape from material distractions so we can focus on what really matters: Being outside amidst fresh air with nothing else around except trees (or other forms of nature, if possible). It increases awareness without any technological devices getting between one’s self-awareness–food for thought indeed
9. Find time to relax by meditating, doing a relaxing hobby or doing a stress relieving form of exercise.
There are many benefits to finding time for relaxation. It has been shown that people who take 15-minutes every day have less stress, anxiety and depression than those who don’t! Sure it may not seem like much but over the course of one year these small amounts add up – so give yourself a little time today (or tomorrow!)
10. Make sure you eat breakfast.
Breakfast is the most important meal of your day. A good breakfast can make all the difference in how you feel during and after working hours, so it’s worth taking some time each morning for yourself to eat a little something! The benefits are endless: increased productivity levels; improved mental clarity (with studies showing people who eat breakfast perform better than those without) and less afternoon slumpiness (and who wants that?!).
What are some of your favourite tips for feeling good on the inside and out? I’ve provided 10 ideas that can help you feel better about yourself no matter what age or stage in life you are currently at. Whether it’s getting enough sleep, eating healthy meals, spending time with people who make you happy, finding a new hobby or exploring nature – there is something for everyone! If eating healthy or exercising more are things you would be interested in doing more often but need someone to show you how to do them properly, book a session today with me here at Eastbourne Pilates and Nutrition. I will be happy to provide any information needed so that we can work together towards achieving your goals.