What if true health and wellbeing wasn’t synonym with deprivation or big decisions, but rather little things we can incorporate in our daily lives?
I am a firm believer in this mentality, because it makes sense, it’s positive and something that’s accessible to everyone.
Physical health doesn’t only happen when you’re on a detox diet. Mental wellness doesn’t only happen when you’re at a spa. They both happen when treat your body and your mind in a holistic way, and see every new day as an opportunity to tune in and add in mindful rituals. These little daily habits can make all the difference, really. It’s important for everyone to find their own, but here are some of mine which I love to integrate on most of my days, especially when I’m feeling low mentally or health-wise: some can cleanse the body and the mind, helping you start or end the day positively, some are quite basic and some are more alternative or even ancient. I find the key in feeling good is to treat yourself well, and in order to do that, it’s also important to remain curious about things. Curious about how your body works, curious about why your mind feels foggy sometimes, curious about ways to boost your energy levels, and inspired to look for things to try out, or learn from ancient methods & natural remedies. Curiosity is health. And these are just the results of being curious. Any day can be a holiday, if you let your home be your retreat.
Stretches in Bed
Try not to rush out. Make it a pleasant experience. Really take the time to extend your arms & legs, feel your body moving gently, your breath becoming more even. Happy music helps, too. Welcome every new day with positive energy, from the moment you wake up in bed.
Water & Lemon Water
Drinking about half a litre of water on an empty stomach is common practice in Japan, and it has amazing benefits for digestive issues, diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer (possible reduction of the tumor within 180 days). Read more here. You can flavour it with fresh lemon juice, which will make lemon water, an awesome thing to drink in the morning, because it cleanses the body from the inside out, containing hydration, antioxidants & electrolytes. I have noticed a boost in energy levels, a better digestion, and much clearer skin from doing this ritual every day.
Morning Yoga
Wake up a bit earlier than you normally would. It’s hard for me, but I try. Take time to roll out a mat and tune in with yourself. You can do some revitalising sun salutations to activate blood circulation & your heart, you can do detoxifying twists for activating your digestive system (this is especially good if you had a big dinner last night), or do some basic inversions if you have woken up with a headache. You can challenge yourself with a full ashtanga-style series, work some arm-balances, or take it easier with longer, heart opening poses, or chakra opening practices such as kundalini. If you’re not sure, head to youtube. Remember to be curious. Don’t be afraid to learn, discover and experiment with yourself. Dedicate this moment in the day to do just that. It changes everything. If you’re not into yoga, try new short workout routines or interval running experimentations. Just keep it interesting and fun for yourself. Get inspired.
Detox moves: Oil pulling, neti pot, or tongue scraping
Again, it’s all about being curious. I know I have an inner health geek in me, so I like to learn about all sorts of natural healing & wellness techniques that happen to be convenient and quick. I especially like to try some things that are derived from Ayurvedic medicine and have been around for years. Try oil pulling in the morning, it’s amazing to cleanse the mouth, whiten teeth and has amazing health properties for the entire body to detox. Try the neti pot. It will open up your whole nasal passage, helping you unblock, oxygenate, and therefore boost energy & brain activity. Try tongue scraping. It boosts immunity, aids digestion, combats bad breath and cleanses your tastebuds (meaning you’ll get to taste your food more, too).
Raw juice or smoothie for breakfast
Nothing else in the world makes more sense. It’s a filling breakfast. A delicious drink. You can get your daily fix of fruits & veggies out of it. Heck, you can even add in any health boosters you’re curious about, such as acai, goji berries, chia, coconut water, whatever you like. You can take it on the go if you’re in a hurry. It looks so cute in a mason jar, you’ll want to stop and photograph it. It’s raw, it’s full of nutrients your body is ready to absorb and feel the benefits of (it sometimes even gives me a slight high, so healthy it is). There are tons of recipes you can try out, whether you own a blender or a juicer. You can use seasonal produce. I love to make this immunity boosting green smoothie:
- A small knob of ginger
- Two handfuls of kale
- Small handful of parsley
- A banana
- Juice of two oranges
- Juice of a lime
Blend top 3 ingredients with a bit of water first, then add in the rest and blend again. Drink to your health!
Green tea for energy
Coffee for a mid-afternoon fix? No, better. Green tea. It has the right amount of caffeine: enough to get your energy levels up while not getting you all jittery. Contrary to coffee, it’s an alkaline-forming drink. It’s full of antioxidants, which contribute to cell regeneration (hello fountain of youth) and improve brain function. It also helps killing harmful bacteria and burning fat. Oh yeah!
Essential oils for creativity
Scents can really affect your mood and stimulate the brain. If you need a boost of creativity & ideas, try sniffing on these oils: rose, lemon, bergamot, jasmine, cloves.. Just rub some on the back of your hand, on your neck, or even use an inhalator. I love this one, by Puressentiel.
A mindful walk
We often get disconnected while we’re working, and don’t realize how quick the day passes us by. It’s important to get a break, and use it to go out, grab some well-needed oxygen. It doesn’t need to be a lot. It can be 10 minutes long. A short stroll around the block, or a longer walk in the nature, it doesn’t matter where you go. What matters is “how” you’ll be doing it: take this moment to reconnect with yourself and have a full body experience & connection. Tune in with your breath, feel your feet planted in the ground with gravity, feel gratitude towards your alive body in movement, and catch little interesting details around you, patterns, textures, colours. This is great for anyone, really, but especially for people who have creative jobs or projects.
Oil cleansing
Here’s a detox move for beautistas. All your skincare in one formula: oil cleansing. Whether you want to use it to remove makeup, clean your face or activate blood circulation for acne-prone or sensitive skin, try it. How does it work? The concept is simple: oil dissolves oil. This cleansing method requires just a couple of good plant-based oils, and will dissolve the oil that has hardened with impurities and found itself stuck in your pores. This ritual does good to your skin, your body and your mind, as it’s also very relaxing. Plus it’s all natural, of course. Who needs countless chemical based products or spa treatments when you can do this? Read more here.
Meditation & gratitude to end the day
Chances are, your day was full of informations and little events. Most people take this for granted and tend to become reckless about life. In order to cultivate this inner happiness, it is important to practice gratitude. Just taking a little moment to sit back and remember the day that just passed, and remember all the little and bigger things you are grateful for. Maybe someone surprised you today. Maybe you discovered or learned something new, about yourself or the world. Maybe something small and amazing happened, like finding a parking space when you were in a hurry. Don’t take it for granted. Remind yourself to be grateful about things, even if you happened to have a bad day. And remember the biggest gratitude of all: you’re alive and you exist, here and now. Meditation is also a great shortcut to feeling gratitude.
Deep relaxation to fall asleep
It’s important to end the day with a slower pace, and prepare your body & mind to rest. About 30 minutes before going to bed (at least), make sure there are no distractions, noises, massive amounts of information getting to you. This is the time to put any devices aside, and just lay your head down. And here, you can practice something that feels pretty amazing. Deep relaxation to fall asleep. When you’re lying in bed, do a slow “body scan” to relax your each and every muscle. Feel the weight of your body pulling you down and your thoughts getting blurry, or inexistant. Just before actually falling asleep, at a state of peak relaxation, you might feel yourself “floating”. It’s magical and the best way to end a day.
Love.
Show love to yourself, those who matter to you and everyone else. Be compassionate & kind. Notice little acts of kindness and offer some in return. Practice forgiveness and let your ego by side. It’s not easy, but in the long run, the benefits are larger than what your ego could have ever given you in return. Just live & breathe love, as hippy as that sounds, it’s a whole science.
Now I want to know. What are YOUR favourite healthy habits?
Credits: Lettering & Visuals by Linda Dieschbourg.