7 Not So Little Ways to Improve Your Wellness

We all know the feeling: a sudden rush of motivation to overhaul your lifestyle and take control of your wellbeing overtakes you, just for it to sizzle out a few days later due to overwhelming goals or the hustles and bustles of our schedules taking over. Instead of losing momentum, try making a few small changes that have enormous impact on your overall wellness. These 7 “not-so-little” ways to improve your wellness will help you hold on to that rush of motivation and will help you continue improving your health in other facets of your life as well.



1. Focus on your accomplishments
Habit trackers and fitness journals are a great way to reflect on your achievements. This will help you discover your weaknesses and strengths so you can tweak your routine and set yourself up for success.

2. Get enough sleep
According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services sleep plays a vital role in good health and well-being throughout your life. Sleep plays an important role in brain function, emotional well-being and physical health. Repeated sleep deficiency is linked to an increased risk of heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and stroke. 7-8 hours a day is the recommended amount of sleep for adults. Don’t lose important sleep due to a Netflix binge! Turn off the T.V. and get some shut eye.



3. Get your steps in
Choose to take the stairs over the elevator. Walk your dog around your neighborhood. Chase after your toddler in a game of tag. Getting up and moving around and reaching your daily steps goal has proven to decrease chronic illness like diabetes, metabolic syndromes and heart disease.

4. Put down your phone
Your phone produces "blue light" which can contribute to digital eye strain. Research has shown that it can significantly decrease the quality of sleep by throwing off your body's biological clock. In addition to decreasing the physical strains on your eyes and increasing quality of sleep, putting your phone down can also help your mental health by keeping you more present, reducing exposure to stressful news and allows your brain moments to recharge from being inundated with constant digital stimulus.



5. Pay attention to gratitude
Research has shown that people who show more gratitude tend to be healthier and overall happier. Gratitude leads to lower stress levels and reduces the risk of depression. The easiest way to shift your mindset towards gratitude is to start a gratitude journal. Whenever you get a chance sit down and write a few things you're thankful for that day.

6. Stretch
The most common reason people stretch is that you are less likely to strain or otherwise injure joints and tendons, pull muscles, or develop problems such as shin splints. Stretching helps you be more comfortable in general during and post workout. Stretching can especially help you after your workout, which many people neglect to do, it can decrease the amount of muscle soreness you experience once your run is finished. Another one of the most important reason to do it, is that stretching also increases your athletic performance. Having your muscles loosened up and ready to flex means that you can move a bit freer, pushing yourself faster and further. To learn more about stretching, click here.



7. Take a few minutes to breathe
Taking a few minutes each day to do some breathing exercising or meditation can decrease stress, help you relax and increase the quality of your sleep. Need help with breathing exercises? Check out these 10 Breathing Techniques to help.