Seven Easy Habits You Should Practice For a Long & Happy Life
It’s the simple things that make the most impact on your life
Do you enjoy a good laugh with friends?
There is no better way to make my day brighter than having a good hearty laugh with a friend.
Life gets too serious sometimes, and there will be moments and events entirely out of our control.
We can push and shove for years, trying to make everything fit perfectly.
But, we cannot control absolutely everything, and in those instances, letting go seems like the only way to experience peace of mind.
We aren’t a failure, and we haven’t given up — this is life.
We can’t fight everything, and sometimes these lessons occur for us to practice letting go and allowing situations and uncomfortable events to manifest and then — move on.
The ability to move on from adversity leverages our mental health muscles.
Mental health is everything, and without a clear mind and healthy body, it’s challenging to see the sunshine hidden behind the clouds.
Here are some simple and meaningful ways to make a difference in your life.
One: Become more active daily
Don’t just save exercise for the gym; keep moving as much as you can during the day.
Walk, cycle or run. Whatever you enjoy, do it more often.
One thing I invested in is a standing desk.
It helps me to stand up and move around often.
I also love having the flexibility to sit and stand when I want to.
During that 3 pm slump, I usually stand up to clear away the lethargy that comes from constantly sitting in one spot.
Walking is one of the best forms of incidental exercise too, which counts for our daily caloric expenditure.
Two: When eating your meal, start with the veggies first
Then move on to your protein while finishing off carbs last (if you have any room left in your stomach).
Be mindful of how full you are, and stop just before feeling satisfied.
This is a straightforward way to help keep your calories under control and minimise your appetite.
We eat far too much food than we need to, and stopping just before you are full will help you decrease your caloric rate every day.
Eating more veggies helps fill me up a lot faster — even though science tells us that it’s the job of protein.
Protein is great, but the fibre in veggies sustains me a lot longer and eliminates cravings.
Try that alternative regularly and watch the difference.
Three: Skip the sugar in your coffee and other food items
Better yet, get rid of all forms of sugar, apart from stevia.
Sugar is just empty calories that might give you some joy at that moment but leave you dragging your feet afterwards.
It did take me many months to cut my ties with sugar.
I was obsessed with the stuff for many years, and if I had not made that one very significant alteration in my lifestyle, I would have been plagued with health issues — specifically diabetes.
Weighing up the pros and cons regarding the health benefits of certain foods helps give you a lot more clarity as to what you should keep and eliminate.
If it’s based on only making you feel good at that moment, it is more than likely not good for you, and you need to get rid of it.
Four: Have a good laugh with friends and work colleagues
A laugh and joke are all part of connecting with the people and making life a bit more light-hearted.
Take the time to enjoy the moment of joyful conversation.
Connecting with people provides us with special moments to fulfill our need for connection, which we missed during the Covid pandemic.
Five: Cook at home more often
Use nourishing ingredients; pick your veggies, herbs, and meats.
Make your favourite recipes and take leftovers to work with you.
It’s incredibly empowering to prepare your own meals that nourish and feed your body.
If you don’t know how to cook, use a service that gives you the recipe and food via delivery.
Start small, and enjoy the creative process. This is the best thing you could ever do for your health.
Six: Practice gratitude
Every day before you go to sleep, think of 3 things you are most grateful for — no matter how small.
It could be that free coffee you got or a friend listening to you in your time of need.
There is so much we could be grateful for & sometimes we might need a reminder of just how good life really is.
Gratitude can change your mood instantly.
The more you practice, the easier it gets.
Gratitude also enhances our magnetism — attracting even more abundance.
Seven: The art of forgiveness
When we keep emotions, hurt, and anger within us, it causes disease and prevents us from reaching our full potential.
It’s similar to a chain that we drag around forever.
The hurt doesn’t impact the offender — but it causes us distress.
Forgiveness is not about letting the other person off the hook.
It allows space to acknowledge what has happened — the hurt, pain and anger that resulted, give our thanks for the learnings and then let go.
It’s not easy to practice, but when you begin to forgive, you will gain part of yourself back that was bundled up in emotional disarray.
What has this got to do with the quality of life?
How do you enjoy life when you hold yourself back because of fear, hurt, anxiety and disappointment? And this resulted in the hands of someone else’s action.
Lacking forgiveness is allowing other people to take away your happiness.
Everything happening around us — in our bodies and externally in the environment, govern our health.
We need good food and exercise, but there is also the requirement for ‘soul food.”
When we are basking in good health, happiness, gratitude, and connection — the sky is the limit
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