How does a regular day in your life look? Do you start your day purposefully or do you just wake up and rush through your mornings? Do you eat your meals on time or during erratic hours? Do you have a sleep schedule or are you a night owl? More often than not, you tend to ignore these ‘little’ questions when you have ‘bigger’ things such as your work, household chores and life goals to worry about. However, these little things make a big difference and allow you to live a happy and healthy life.
When it comes to improving your health and wellbeing, you don’t need to overhaul your entire life. Small changes in your routine can make a huge impact when practiced consistently. “When changes are too big, they may be too overwhelming,” says Ellie Krieger, author of Small Changes, Big Results: A 12-Week Action Plan to a Better Life. “People don’t want to start, or they don’t know where to begin so they don’t at all.”
By making small but significant changes in your diet, activity and lifestyle, you can completely transform your life without feeling overwhelmed. If you find yourself struggling to create the changes you want in your life, start by identifying why you want that change and what it will bring you. Then try to figure the smallest way in which you can nudge your behaviour in that direction. You will be surprised how small changes can make the biggest impact on your life.
If you require some inspiration, here are seven small but effective changes you can incorporate into your life that make a lasting impact.
Eat healthy and mindfully
It is important to eat nutrition-rich foods that boost your energy and keep you healthy. An ideal diet should be easy to maintain because if you like what you are eating, you don’t need to force yourself to stick to it. Also, focus on eating your meals slowly and mindfully. Mindful eating is about being attentive and aware of how you feel when you eat something. It means devoting the food your thorough and undivided attention as you savour each bite you take. Don’t sit in front of the television or scroll through your phone when you are eating. This small change can go a long way in improving your eating habits through less binge eating, better digestion, weight management and even reduced depression and anxiety.
Stay hydrated
One often overlooked aspect of healthy living is hydration. It is necessary to stay hydrated since you lose water during the day through breathing, sweating and digestion. Also, after waking up in the morning, our bodies start becoming dehydrated. Hence, it is important to replenish the water content in the body in the morning. A study found that dehydration reduces performance in activities lasting longer than 30 minutes. Staying hydrated hand increases awareness, elevates your mood and boosts cognition.
Small changes, when practised consistently, can significantly impact your health and wellbeing.
Eat healthy and mindfully, stay hydrated, engage in physical activity, improve your sleep habits, spend time outdoors, embrace positive thinking, and manage your stress.
Mindful eating promotes better digestion, and weight management, and reduces depression and anxiety.
Being outdoors boosts vitality, improves vitamin D levels, lowers blood pressure, reduces stress, and improves mood and focus.
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