5- Micro Habits That Will Help You Live a Healthier Life
The bare minimum. Literally.
As a self-improvement junkie, I love reading list articles on how to improve your life. I feel inspired to get up and do some of the things mentioned when I read them. But I always fall short. A few days in and I completely fail at executing each and every one of the goals I set myself. I know I’m not the only one who struggles with this. Sometimes these things just take too much time.
So I decided to write this, 5 -micro habits that will help you live a healthier life, for the average person who is too lazy or busy to meditate or try herbal remedies.
All of the habits mentioned in this article take less than five minutes to implement and can drastically improve your wellbeing and overall health.
You can thank me later.
Posture, Posture, posture
The reason why I made this the first habit Is because it is just that important. You might not think so now, but I can assure you as get older you will regret not having actively worked on improving it. Stop clicking on Facebook ads selling posture correctors and just focus on sitting up straight and tucking your chin in. After a while, it becomes second nature and you won’t even have to remind yourself, how cool is that? The Second reason why I put this at the very top is so you sit straight as you read through the rest of the list.
The most effective way of practising it:
- keep your shoulders back and relaxed
- pull in your abdomen
- try not to tilt your head
- keep your legs straight, but knees relaxed
Real evidence on how it improves your life (for the sceptics):
Reduced back pain and neck pain- This because sitting in slouching positions applies pressure in the posterior structures of the spine. This stresses ligaments and muscles, causing pain.
Increased lung capacity- Slouching compresses your lungs so that with each breath your oxygen intake is reduced. A study showed poor posture to have weakened inspiratory muscles in healthy young males.
A surge in confidence- A recent study conducted by researchers at Ohio state university showed that people who sat up straight were more likely to believe thoughts they wrote down in that posture regarding whether they were qualified for that job.
Breathing through your nose
I know- this sounds like a no brainer. So imagine my surprise when I found out that 61% of Americans breathe through their mouths. Here is a link to the original article (for the sceptics). The truth of the matter - whether your a nose breather or a mouth breather- is that we all do it. After every intense gym session that lasts over an hour, I’m left in a pool of sweat and gasping for air like I’m on the verge of death. In these moments breathing through my mouth just makes more sense: I need to take in as much oxygen as I can to make sure I don't die.
As a routine habit though, mouth breathing can actually be pretty bad for your health. Evidence has shown that mouth breathing particularly in children can result in crooked teeth, poor health and even facial deformities. In adults, symptoms include shortness of breath, bad breath and even gum disease.
The most effective way of doing it: Come on. Of course, I’m not gonna teach you how to breathe through your nose. You wouldn’t be alive if you weren't already doing it. However, committing to deep breathing exercises once or twice a day is enough to reverse any mouth breathing tendencies you might already have.
One exercise I've found helpful is to casually let your tongue rest at the roof of your mouth. This will stop you from breathing through your mouth. I remind myself to do this every so often.
Real evidence on how it improves your life (for the sceptics):
There are tons of benefits when it comes to breathing through your nose but here is a few I managed to round up:
- Better quality of sleep. Nose breathing reduced nasal congestion which is strongly associated with snoring and daytime sleepiness
- Increased airflow to arteries, veins and nerves. The nose produces nitric oxide which improves your lungs ability to absorb oxygen.
- And most importantly: The nose acts as a filter, reducing exposure to foreign substances.
Drinking plenty of water
The amount of times you’ve heard this advice directly correlates to how important it is on the scale of healthy habits. But I put this third, regardless. Because even though everybody and their neighbour’s dog has heard it before, the quantity of sugary drinks/soda’s sold is still at an all-time high. And that wouldn't be the case if everybody just drank the 8 ounces that healthcare professionals suggest.
Drinking mineral water assists in weight loss as well as youth preservation.If you want a longer lifespan: Drink more water. It’s an incredibly healthy and easy habit to incorporate into your daily life.
The most effective way of doing it:
The U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine determined that an adequate daily fluid intake for men and women is:
- 11.5 cups (2.7 litres) a day for women
- 15.5 cups (3.7 litres) a day for men
However, this includes water as well as other drinks. Most health experts say that for a healthy balance your fluid intake should be mainly compromised of water. 4 to 6 cups is what’s recommended.
Real evidence on how it improves your life (for the sceptics):
Lots of studies have been done on the effects of water consumed, some of the most notable ways it improves your life include:
- Improves kidney function. Water removes waste and filters it from the blood in the form of urine.
- Aids weight loss. A study conducted recently showed participants who drank more water consumed fewer calories and subsequently able to lose weight faster.
- Improves skin texture and complexion. Drinking your recommended water intake will help keep your skin hydrated as well as removing toxins.
Eating on time and meal prepping
This one is actually pretty personal. I have struggled with bad eating habits in the past so this serves as a good reminder to myself as well. For a few years, I never understood why I felt fatigued or why I constantly looked bloated. After reading an article 7 months ago it all started to make sense: I did not have a planned eating schedule.
After I followed the advice and created one, equally spacing out each meal by 3–4 hours, those demotivating feeling of fatigue just went away. And I'm 99.9% sure it was because I started eating on a schedule. Instead of eating breakfast at 12 pm.
The most effective way of doing it:
Find out what sort of food you want in your diet by making a goal. Are you trying to lose weight, bulk or maintain weight? Depending on your goal you should eat accordingly. A balanced diet contains low carbs, lots of greens and proteins sources like fish, eggs and flax seeds.
If you really want to save time take out one/two days in the week to cook your meals in bulk. Otherwise, try to eat each meal on time.
This is what’s worked for me: Breakfast between 6 am-9 am, lunches between 12–3 pm and dinner between 6 pm-10 pm
Real evidence on how it improves your life (for the sceptics):
Studies show that when you eat actually matters a lot in determining your fitness level- Eating at inconsistent times overtaxes your digestive system so food is not broken down as quickly. This results in bloating.
Another study conducted by researchers on freshmen showed that when you eat can also affect your waistline. Circadian disruption is the primary culprit in weight gain for the majority of first-year university students. This phenomenon was brought about with late-night binge eating, and an awkward sleep schedule. All of which was seen to disrupt the bodies biological clock. Researchers found that without a good eating schedule these students gained 15lb within a matter of months.
On the other hand, good eating schedules liking eating a filling(higher calorie) breakfast earlier in the morning were seen to improve health and also aided in weight loss. One research on obesity concluded that: ‘Meal timing has crucial implications on weight gain, appetite, and glucose and lipid metabolism.’
Journaling
Mental health is just as important as physical health. Journaling helps to de-stress and de-clutter your mind, leading to more creativity and fulfilment. Ever since I start journalling at the start of the pandemic, I realised I became less worried and more productive. Not only did my productivity increase but I can say that after journalling every day for the last year, I honestly feel a lot happier now than I was before. So of course I'm going to bang the drums and sing my highest praise for this life-changing habit.
The most effective way of doing it:
Purchasing a journal and physically writing for 5–10 minutes every day or writing in an app on your iPad/iPhone as you go through your day.
You can experiment with what works best for you. In my case, I usually journal twice every day: At the start and at the end of the day. In the mornings I write a brief outline of what I want to get done and roughly the outcomes I want. Once the day is finished, I give myself a score out of ten as well as ways to improve if I felt particularly unproductive.
Although everyone else will have a different way of journalling (Some might prefer mind mapping to freewriting) the effects are consistent for everyone.
Evidence on how it improves your life (for the sceptics):
Journalling has been shown to reduce stress and improve overall health- By recording the pressure that we are feeling, we can more readily understand ourselves and this can improve our capacity to think critically.
The study conducted by Australian researchers revealed that participants who wrote expressively(about their trauma ) rather than neutrally( about the room they were in) had a far greater improvement in both physical and psychological health, in the long run. Some short-term benefits included fewer visits to the doctor
Increases creativity- Mindmapping and freewriting are two excellent journaling methods for improving your imagination. Spending a few minutes every day writing openly has aided me in both idea generation and viewing things from a different viewpoint.
So far there has not been a study done confirming this, however, many that do journal consistently have claimed to see similar benefits to those I mentioned.
To recap:
#1 Maintain good Posture
#2 Breathe through your nose
#3. Drink plenty of water
‘#4 Eat meals on time
#5 Keep a Journal
Disclaimer: I am absolutely not a health- care specialist. If you do need health advice please consult one. The reason why I decided to write this was because all of these habits- apon implementation- have improved my health and my life in some capacity.