Nine habits that I believe are essential to a high quality life no matter your age, income, or social status.
#1 Move it or Lose it: Humans were designed to run, jump, crawl, and play as a form of enjoyment and also for protection. As we age our bodies stiffen if we don’t practice movement; therefore make sure you are moving as much as possible. Take the steps, park in the most remote spot, walk everywhere within a couple miles of your house, stretch out while you’re watching TV, etc. On top of that if you do an intense workout you can get some endorphins flowing, which will make you feel on top of the world. Who wouldn’t enjoy that?
#2 Step Outside: Breathing fresh air is essential to our existence, so do it everyday. Connecting with the universe is renewing, reassuring, and helps you explore the world that we live in.
#3 Sleep like it’s Your Job: Someone once said, “I’ll sleep when I’m dead.” No you won’t because you’ll be dead. Our brains are like rechargeable batteries which means they shut down when they don’t get enough charge. Sleeping repairs not only your body (beauty sleep), but also your mind. Another thing I’m sure you haven’t heard before is that people who get enough sleep usually feel happier and more energized. Make time to sleep and enjoy it.
#4 Eat Real Food: Good food is worth the slightly higher price you will have to pay for it. Have you considered the price of cancer lately? How about heart disease? Diabetes? You pay with your life. A much better trade off would be to eat high quality foods as much as possible that come from local farmers who are dedicated to your health and longevity. The environment, your paycheck, the farmers paycheck, and the animals will profit from your purchase (plus your body will thank you). Just a tip - if you stop eating out and cook all of your meals at home you can actually save money buying organic food compared to buying cheap produce or meat from Walmart and eating out often. Remember that no one is perfect and it takes time to make the transition to buying/eating organic food, alas deciding to start is half the battle.
#5 Avoid Pesticides: Pesticides can cause memory loss, slow reaction times, bipolar behavior, cancer, and they screw up your hormones which leads to even more unfavorable diseases. Avoid pesticides by making your own cleaning supplies and toiletries, buying organic/grass fed foods, and by having a no-shoes rule in the house (shoes track in lawn fertilizers). Below are a few DIY recipes.
Shampoo - 1 cup water + 1 tbs baking soda
Conditioner - 1 cup water + 1 tbs apple cider vinegar
Lotion - coconut oil
Jewelry cleaner - baking soda + water
Laundry detergent - washing soda + borax + shredded scented castile soap
#6 Drink like an Elephant:
Water makes up more than half of our bodies and about 75% of our muscle tissue. The recommended amount is 6-8 cups per day, but I would suggest about a gallon a day. You will probably have to pee a lot more than usual but eventually your body will adapt. Water also aids in digestion, endurance, and survival so drink up.
#7 Live Minimalistically: Simply put don’t buy stuff you don’t need. Do you really need a monster energy drink every morning? How about a TV? Do you need all of your old college T-shirts? Do you need 78 different pairs of shoes? These are all wants, not needs. If you feel like your items own you, I suggest you try the minimalist challenge. http://www.theminimalists.com/game/ Being freed of your material items will greatly reduce stress and make life much easier.
#8 Live Passionately: Cultivate your talents and do activities that you enjoy often, but also try a little bit of everything because you never know what will catch your eye. Don’t just follow the crowd; lead the crowd by being authentically you and not collapsing to peer pressure. Be creative and innovative. Set attainable goals and work to reach them. Never let your passion die out.
#9 Meditate Like a Monk: Get in the habit of meditating for at least 10 minutes a day. I prefer to do it in the morning because then the calmness I find stays with me throughout the day and I don’t get as stressed. No matter when you meditate it will diminish stress, calm your body, help you take control of your mind and renew yourself. Me time is especially important in the busy world we live in today.
What do you think? Are there more to add or maybe one that doesn’t fit? All comments are welcome!
-Liz
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