Wellness Wednesday: Simple Changes to Improve Your Life this Spring

March 14th 2018

“Little by little, a little becomes a lot” ~Tanzanian Proverb

Spring is the time of rebirth. Days are becoming longer, trees are sprouting new buds, birds are returning after long winter’s vacation, and it’s time to swap out fluffy sweaters for light denim jackets (well, not quite yet, but soon).

I did a post at the start of the new year, where I talked about the development of healthy habits. At the end of that post, I mentioned that I have tons more healthy habits that I have picked up over the years or I am in the process of picking up. I feel that by making tons of tiny changes to your life, you will start seeing big results over time. So here are just a few more healthy habits to look into putting into practice.

1. Use your laptop at a desk or table- I am really really trying to get better at not using my laptop in bed as much anymore. Obviously I am not going to stop entirely because I love watching YouTube in bed before going to sleep, but when I am trying to get work done such as blogging or tasks for my job that I want to get done at home, I am trying to get in the practice of sitting in a chair. Right now, I am writing this post from my dining room table. I find that sitting up at a table helps me stay more focused and motivated and less likely to slack.
2. Fruit your water- In my last healthy habits post, I wrote about drinking more water, however not everyone enjoys plain water. This is why I totally recommend putting fruit in your water. Adding berries, mango, pineapple, cucumber, and even mint (not a fruit, I know) to your water could not only make it taste better, but can add antioxidants as well.
3. Stop hitting snooze- I find that when you hit snooze, you wake up a second time feeling even worse than you did the first time. This is why, when my alarm goes off, I jump straight out of bed to my feet. This gives my brain zero time to complain and try to go back to sleep. I find that this took a bit of work and practice, but has really yielded big results in how I feel in the morning and my willingness to be productive.
4. Meal Prep- I am the absolute worst at this and all of my friends know it. My friend would always laugh at me because I would either only bring bananas or granola bars to work and nothing else. Get in the habit of meal prepping so you don’t starve yourself throughout the day and you don’t reach for unhealthy choices. Meal prepping could be as easy as putting together your lunch the night before or as extensive as cooking tons of food at the start of the week to grab and go throughout the week.
5. Timer Clean- Last post I mentioned my practice of weekly tidying where I sort out my living space at least once a week instead of waiting for a deep clean to do so. I also learned another practice from a YouTuber that I have been trying out for quite some time now. This little cleaning hack is setting a timer for a speed clean. By racing against the clock, you are less likely to waste time and dilly dally. For example, if you have tons of clothes and stuff all over your floor and your bed isn’t made, set a timer for 20 minutes and get done as much as you can in that time. This avoids burnout and encourages productivity.
6. Call yourself out on excuses- This one is so important and may feel a bit funny at first, but is so necessary. I used to procrastinate blogging or doing homework or tasks at work by making excuses. “I can’t blog because I am not feeling well.” “I can’t do homework right now because I only have 25 minutes before I go out.” “I don’t want to start this work task now because it isn’t due until the end of the week.” I have gotten into the habit of taking these excuses and telling myself that they aren’t good enough reasons to procrastinate. If I’m not feeling well and think I can’t blog, then I should at least look over some drafts that I have started and see if I can add anything. If I only have 25 minutes before going out, I should use that time to get started on a reading assignment or brainstorming ideas for a paper. If a work project isn’t due until the end of the week, I should get started now so it is off my plate and I can make room for things with faster approaching deadlines. Always ask yourself “what is stopping me?” and if the reason is stupid then get going.
7. Practice saying no- I have a horrible habit of being a “yes man”. I say yes to everything because I don’t want to disappoint anyone which leads me to feel burnt out and as a result not performing at my best. Learn to say no and to not feel selfish for taking time for yourself. Saying no not only is a form of respect to yourself and your own beliefs but also a great form of self care because you are putting yourself first in order to be better equipped to handle what needs doing.

These habits mixed with the ones in my previous post are very simple and small ways to make a huge impact on your life. What change from this list are you going to try out this spring? Let me know in the comments~

Jess~