These 4 Daily Habits Will Boost Your Wellbeing
Wellbeing is complex and multidimensional and includes looking after both the physical and mental aspects of your health.
The ability to become distracted by everything around us means we forget to slow our minds down at mealtimes.
Anxiety and stress are huge factors associated with irregular meal timings, snacking, and eating without thinking about our body’s true needs.
When you reach for that snack while watching your favorite TV show or a Netflix movie, ask yourself: am I really hungry?
Inviting mindfulness into the equation helps to curb snacking, limits overeating, improves the digestive system, and helps you become self-aware.
In order the change bad habits and develop new, healthy patterns you also need to ask yourself how you eat, where do you eat, and how stressed or relaxed you are at mealtimes.
Here are my top 4 daily habits you should focus on that will keep you healthy, nourished and give you the so much needed nowadays mental strength to help you face any obstacles that may come your way:
drink water before meals
Check-in with your thirst before you eat. Slowly drink some water and if you are gulping it down, it may be more to do with not staying hydrated enough throughout the day than actually being hungry.
Food for fuel, not to overcome sadness, anxiety, or sorrows. Are you overly emotional whilst eating?
don’t rush
Slow down and chew better when you eat. Without chewing your digestive process is compromised.
Taking time at meals allows our body to work in sync with the brain to send an important message about satiety and let it know that we are comfortably full.
eat at the table
Is our mind present when you eat? Bring food to the table instead of eating whilst watching the tv, texting, emailing, or working.
Creating the right environment to eat will make all the difference. Your body is super responsive to the environment and small actions, such as setting the table for dinner, send a signal that a meal is on its way.
Set a timer so that you eat slowly to allow yourself to enjoy what you have prepared. Put your cutlery down in between each mouthful, because you can take a pause when you eat, which also then allows the signal of satiety to reach your brain.
All these tiny habits have a massive impact and help to curb overeating and the false need for seconds.
changes don’t happen overnight
Be kind and compassionate to yourself when it comes to food. It’s no good berating yourself if you occasionally make a wrong turn.
Don’t worry if changes don’t happen immediately or if it takes a while to keep consistent - work with yourself as opposed to against your own self.
Once you have established one good step decide what can be done next, each stir will then become easier to overcome and your journey will be most enjoyable.
Keeping a routine is necessary to remain calm and mindful, not only during the covid-19 pandemic but any other stressful period of time, or in general to further improve your wellness.
Here’s a quick checklist that I follow to give you an idea of a productive frame of mind that you can use to build your lifestyle around:
Get up at a regular time daily.
Get outside for a long walk and get some fresh air - it’s calming and helps you reconnect with yourself on a deeper level.
Take time to prepare food on a daily basis.
Take some time to assess yourself and think about what your body wants from you to improve your wellness. A quiet mind allows you to make the correct choices with your nutrition.
Make a list of what you have in the fridge and freezer, and commit to using all of those ingredients.
Make more time to cook from recipes or a cookbook that supports your goals and healthy lifestyle.
Make this period in your life something you will look back on with pride.
Key takeaways:
Make your NUTRITION productive.
Make your WELLNESS feel welcome.
Make yourself a PRIORITY.
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