Zenlama Holistic Wellness and Healthy Living for Body, Mind and Spirit
We all want to live a healthy, happy life. However, we don’t always have control over the things that happen to us. Although fate is to thank for many things in life, there are some things you can control each day to ensure you’re healthy and happy. If you make a habit of the following 6 simple things, you’ll have a better quality of life!
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take,
but by the moments that take our breath away. ~ Maya Angelou
Repeat Positive Affirmations
Each of us is programmed from birth with a whole bunch of scripts that prattle through our minds in an incessant chatter all day long. The problem is that as much as 75% or more of our programming may be negative or working against us. Sadly, most people do not realise the amazing power within our own mind, or that we can change our lives simply by changing how we talk to ourselves.
Affirmations work by helping you undo the damage caused by negative scripts, you know the ones, those words ich we repeatedly tell ourselves, or which others have repeatedly told us, that contribute to a negative self-perception.
As Buddha says, ‘what you think, you become’, so by making sure you avoid negative thinking patterns and choosing to repeat positive affirmations, you can feel happier and change the course of your life. Not only that, you may attract, or notice more positive opportunities and situations. You can get creative with your affirmations, and reassure yourself about anything you feel uneasy about. You can even tell yourself things that aren’t true yet, but you’re hoping will come true with continued affirmations. Some examples include:
- I let go now of beliefs that do not serve me. I am free!
- I love and accept myself completely just the way I am!
- I can do anything I want to do; I am powerful and determined!
Laugh more
We’ve all been told at one time or another that laughter is the best medicine, and it’s true! The sense of humour is a powerful tool and can be used to lessen pain, reduce stress, and more. Feeling tense? Laughter can relax your muscles and leave you feeling that way for up to 45 minutes afterwards. Endorphins are also released, which act as the body’s feel good hormone. Laughing has a plethora of physical health benefits, but best of all; it’s fun!
Exercise regularly
There are hundreds of studies to show that people who exercise regularly benefit not only with healthier bodies but healthier minds too. It’s the ‘endorphins effect’, a release of a powerful feel good hormone into your body, that gives you a positive boost in mood and lower rates of depression.
You don’t need to spend hours in the gym to get the benefits; all you need to do is incorporate exercise it into your daily life to reap the benefits. Go on a power walk, enjoy a bike ride in a beautiful place, or practice your swimming technique. You can even do home workouts with sites like http://workoutbox.com. Whatever you decide, exercise is great for us physically and mentally. Some of the biggest benefits of exercising include:
- Prevents weight gain and promotes weight loss
- Reduces stress
- Ward off anxiety and feelings of depression
- Boosts confidence and self-esteem
- Improves the quality of your sleep
Take up a hobby
Sometimes the daily routines of life can get monotonous, especially if you fail to make time for fun and diversity. Doing something different can give you a real boost and one of the best ways is to take up learning a new skill.
Hobbies give you a break from everyday life to do something you enjoy. They give a sense of purpose, and help to develop skills which can be very useful. New challenges are important for people of all ages, and hobbies can present these. You may even meet new people and friends for life while enjoying your hobby. Science has even proven that hobbies have physical benefits, such as lower blood pressure and a healthier BMI.
Spend more time in nature
People don’t spend as much time outdoors as they used to, what with working in an office all day and then spending the evening sitting in front of the TV or hanging out chatting with friends on social networking sites.
Fresh air is essential to good physical and mental heath. Experts say that taking a walk in natural settings like a woodland or in the mountains may be especially beneficial. Research shows that people feel calmer and concentrate better after spending time in nature. Their heart rate and blood pressure improve, they get a boost of the happy hormone Serotonin with every breath of oxygen they take in and the exercise of walking actually aids your digestion so you feel lighter and less likely to feel heavy or bloated after a meal. What’s more, gentle exercise taken out in the open boosts you immune system and helps to ward off winter colds and chills.
Live with an attitude of gratitude
It is so easy to feel hard done and cheated by life because we live in a society that breeds discontent by defining success and happiness as having money to burn, owning bigger homes, nicer cars and more ‘stuff’ than our neighbours but remember, more stuff does not always lead to a health, happy life.
We spend so much time chasing after the things we think that we want in life that all too often we forget to enjoy the present moment, we forget to be happy and we forget to notice how abundant we really are and we forget to say “thank you ” for what we have.
Practising gratitude or thankfulness, if you like, can dramatically improve the quality of your life. Research has shown that practising gratitude can increase happiness levels by around 25%. People who practice gratitude tend to be more creative, they bounce back from life’s challenges more easily, are more robust. have a stronger immune system and develop stronger social relationships than those who don’t. Now that is something to smile about.
In the words of Melody Beattie, “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.”
What do you think?
What are your tips for living a healthy, happy life life? What do you do that brings a smile to your face – and the face of others. We would love to hear form you, so do share your experiences.
As always, your interaction with our posts creates a reservoir of wisdom for all our readers to benefit from so please share your thoughts, stories and questions in the comments box below and remember to tweet, like and +1 ~ thanks
Additional Resources
What To Say When You Talk To Your Self
Thanks!: How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier
It’s a Beautiful Day for Love
Often times when we are dealing with that stuff we can be overwhelmed and stressed out. 12 Tips for making more happier and healthier life for yourself, because sometimes we’ve got to remember that we got to put ourselves ultimately first we came in this world on our own and we’re going to leave on our own, so we might as well make our life as great and good as it can be.
In first paragraph you wrote “… 5 things everyday…”, instead of “…6 things everyday…”. Other than that it was a really good post. I love it. That you for spending some time to enlighten us. Have a good day
Thank you for noticing the typo. We will correct it.