We’ve all heard that the trick to incorporating real change into our lives is taking it slow. “Do one thing different.” One change, however, will only benefit one aspect of your health, and for overall wellness it is important to take care of your mental health as well as your physical health. (See Wellness: It’s Not Just a Body Thing). Instead, I challenge you all to adopt a “Do Two for Two” strategy. The concept is simple: do two things differently for two months. That’s it. Quick and easy to remember. Choose one change that benefits your mental health and one change that benefits your physical health, and commit to sticking with both for two months. Two months should give you enough time to cultivate your life change into a habit that remains. Ideas for Physical Health Changes:
- Replace soft drinks with tea or water
- Commit to eating one raw fruit or raw serving of vegetables with every meal
- Add 5 minutes to your exercise routine. Don’t have an exercise routine? Start with 5 minutes!
- Get more sunshine
- Learn some Pilates. It’s probably the #1 exercise system for core strength and flexibility
- Have a fruit smoothie (recipe for a quick one is below)
- Buy more indoor plants. They purify the air in your home
- When you get out of bed each morning, do five sit ups
- Instead of looking for the closest parking spot, park further away and get a walk in
- Pick up a gentle art like Tai-Chi or Yoga. It will reduce your stress and improve physical stamina
- Get a mini trampoline and do some “rebounding” while you’re watching your favourite show
- Stretch out before you go to bed
- Take the stairs
- Find a good 10 minute calisthenics routine
Ideas for Mental Health Changes:
- Make a point to get at least 8 hours of sleep 2-3 nights a week
- Meditate before you go to bed (no you don’t need to say “Ohm” and light incense. Just try to quiet your mind and focus on relaxing. A great time to do this is when you’re stretching
- Find something creative to immerse yourself in
- Learn something new
- Do something nice for others
- Make leisure time a priority
- Set time aside each day for reading
- Do a crossword puzzle
- Write in a journal
- Play with Legos
- Get more sunshine
- Build a Zen garden
- Hug someone for at least 20 seconds. This activity alone lowers stress
- Unplug from technology once a week
No better time to start than today! Now, as promised, the recipe: Super Simple Smoothie Ingredients
- Apple Juice
- Yogurt Cup
- Frozen Fruit
Instructions
- Buy a package of yogurt cups and a bag of your favourite frozen mixed fruit and leave in the freezer. This way you have the necessary tools on hand to have a smoothie whenever you want!
- In a blender, add the frozen yogurt, one cup of fruit and ½ cup of apple juice. Blend until it’s a smoothie. NOTE: You may have to add a little more apple juice depending on which fruit you use.
It’s super quick and easy, and super good and refreshing!
Source Url: http://gobelmont.ca/do-two-for-two/