I recently read an article from NBC news, Better, on resolutions that can change your life. The article suggests that taking just 10 minutes of your day could lead to big improvements in health and happiness. I thought I would share some of it with you.
When making resolutions what seems to work is identifying specific and attainable resolutions, so you know exactly what you need to do to accomplish your goals. Small changes are much easier to make and usually last longer.
10 extra minutes a day or less can lead to some big, impactful improvements for health, happiness and well-being.
Here are the main points I took away from the article:
Set a daily intention. Do you feel like you are living on auto pilot? If you start your day by setting a daily intention it can help you feel like your life is in more control.
Tackle the hardest thing on your to-do list first. That way it’s done and over with and you will feel like you accomplished something and have less stress the rest of the day.
Get into the habit of belly/deep breathing. Deep breathing helps to relax our bodies therefore reducing stress and anxiety. You can do deep breathing anywhere.
Try the 4-7-8 breathing
This exercise also uses belly breathing to help you relax. You can do this exercise either sitting or lying down.
To start, put one hand on your belly and the other on your chest as in the belly breathing exercise.
Take a deep, slow breath from your belly, and silently count to 4 as you breathe in.
Hold your breath, and silently count from 1 to 7.
Breathe out completely as you silently count from 1 to 8. Try to get all the air out of your lungs by the time you count to 8.
Repeat 3 to 7 times or until you feel calm. Notice how you feel at the end of the exercise.
Be active every day. You need to start somewhere, so begin by parking your vehicle further away, take the stairs, go for a walk at lunch, and/or march in place when you are on the phone. These small changes will get you moving more throughout the day and who knows, it may motivate you to exercise on a regular basis.
Share something that went well for you with a loved one at least once a week. That helps you remember your true potential and the impact you have on the world around you.
Take 10 minutes every day to do something for you. Whether it’s playing with your pet, reading a book, meditating, or yoga. Make those 10 minutes about bringing yourself joy, happiness, decreasing your stress and improving your general well-being. You want to turn off from electronic devices and this is not about overindulging in a food. When you start to do this on a regular basis you will begin to feel a sense of calm in your hectic day.
You can certainly try to incorporate each one of these into your daily routine but, that can be overwhelming so, start with the most important to you. You can always add others once you get the first one down. Of course, if you need help you can always reach out to me.
Healthy, Active New Year!