Looking for ways to improve your overall health, but worried it will be a huge time commitment? The great news is that you can change your overall health for the better by implementing some simple, yet very effective daily practices to help you reach your health goals. The best part? These daily practices aren’t super time consuming, so even if you live a crazy busy lifestyle, you can still find the time to give these a try.

Let’s take a look at the top 10 daily practices you can implement for optimal health and wellness.

10 Best Daily Practices for Optimal Health & Wellness


#1 Set Your Intentions Each Morning: Waking up a few minutes earlier each day to set your daily intentions can set yourself up for success to tackle each day with positivity and motivation. Set aside a few minutes each morning while you sit down with your cup of coffee to think about what you want to accomplish each day, and write a list in order of importance. Make these daily goals small enough to be realistic, but challenging enough to make you feel really accomplished each day! By the end of the day, when it comes time to cross things off of your list, you will feel amazing about what you accomplished, and ready to do the same thing tomorrow.


#2 Move Your Body Each Morning: Getting up and moving each day is an ideal way to make sure you get your exercise in for the day. It can also be a great way to help you feel your best before the busy part of the day begins. If you don’t have too much time in the morning, don’t stress too much about how much time you exercise, just make it a goal to move your body for even ten minutes every morning. Even getting out and walking the dog before you head out the door to work can help get those endorphins flowing and can spark positivity as your day begins.


#3 Kickstart Your Day With a Nutrient-Dense Breakfast: Nothing gets your day off to a better start than a nutrient-dense breakfast. You just went all night without eating, so it’s time to refuel, and balance blood sugar levels with something nutritious. Things like rolled oats, a protein shake made with almond milk, and collagen protein with some added greens or a veggie omelet are all excellent options to help kickstart your energy levels and get you out the door for a successful day.


#4 Pack Your Snacks: Snacks often get a bad rap, but snacks can actually be a healthy addition to your diet so long as you snack smart. You will want to choose snacks that are free from added sugar and artificial ingredients and choose snacks that will help stabilize blood sugar and fuel your energy in between meals. Things like fresh fruit with a side of nuts and seeds, a piece of toast with almond butter, and a sliced banana, or a smoothie made with coconut milk and berries are all great options.


#5 Get Dinner Organized Before You Head Out the Door: If you have a long work day ahead of you, it’s easy to pick something unhealthy up on the go. However, if you do a little food prep before leaving for the day, you will be more likely to put together a healthy meal when you get home. Try washing and chopping your veggies before you leave for work, and setting out your dry ingredients to significantly cut back on your food prep time when you come home from work.


#6 Remember to Take a Breath! If you find yourself getting tense with all of the responsibilities of the day, don’t forget to breathe! So many of us tense our body when we are under stress, and hold our breath. This is actually the worst thing you can do during periods of stress as it will only bring more tension into your body. Try to be mindful of your breathing, especially when you start to feel overwhelmed, and take a few deep breaths, and count to ten. You would be surprised at how this simple trick can really help you get through periods of high stress and help you carry on with your day in a more positive way.


#7 Have a Smoothie Each Day: Make it a goal to have a smoothie with lots of superfoods each day. This will ensure that even if you don’t eat all of your fruits and vegetables, you would have liked, that you at least got a super nutrient-dense shake with ingredients to help fuel your body. Try making a smoothie with berries, coconut milk, spinach, chia seeds, and some almond butter. You can also add a scoop of collagen protein powder for an added protein boost.


#8 Take Frequent Mini Breaks Throughout the Day: So many of us are used to the go, go, go of life that we totally forget to get up and take a break. The truth is that our bodies weren’t designed to go from one activity to the next without a little mental break in between. We need time to transition from one thing to the next. Even if you just take five minutes to regroup in between what you need to get done each day, you would be surprised at what that can do for your stress levels.


#9 Skip the Afternoon Caffeine: While a cup of coffee may seem like a necessity at that 3 pm hour, it can really interfere with your sleep quality, and can make you feel anxious or on edge. Try to keep your caffeine intake to one or two cups in the morning, and skip that afternoon cup. If you feel like you really need a little caffeine to get you through the rest of your day, try a cup of black tea with a splash of coconut milk, or a cup of matcha green tea for an energy and anti-inflammatory boost.


#10 Do One Thing You Love Each Day: Don’t forget about self-care. Self-care should never be optional, and many of us have to constantly remind ourselves that we simply cannot pour from an empty cup. Be sure to schedule in time to do one thing you love each day. This could be something as simple as getting to the gym for a half hour or doing a quick evening yoga routine. Do something that makes you feel good each day, it will help you be a better version of you each day.

Try implementing these tips, and see how much better you feel. If you don’t have time for them all, that’s ok! Just implement one or two, and increase from there. Remember that being healthy and achieving optimal wellness isn’t a race; it’s about making lifelong lifestyle changes, so implement these steps according to what works for your lifestyle. Once you see how much better you feel by implementing a couple, you will be excited to get started on the rest!

 

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