What small lifestyle changes have the biggest impact to your health?
- Drink enough water
- Employ the 20-minute rule
- Cut back on social media
- Swap complaints with gratitude
Every single one of us is dedicated to improving the quality of our lives. We may go about it differently, but we all use ways that we think are best and most effective. For some, it means leaving old habits behind and giving up vices. And for others, it’s completely overhauling their lives—a complete 180, if you will. Like how meat-lovers immediately go vegan and consume only the healthiest products like Beyonde.
While both of these methods are great, they don’t always work for everyone. Actually, they only work for a select few and there’s a reason for this. Vows and promises related to drastic changes are so easily broken because they are made too suddenly. Changing too much too fast puts your body and mind under stress, so you’re forced to abandon your journey along the way.
When it comes to change, people need to take it slow and small. There are a lot of lifestyle changes on a smaller scale that can incredibly impact your life. To find out what they are, simply keep on reading below.
Drink Enough Water
There are many benefits to drinking the recommended eight glasses of water a day and we cannot overstate how important it is to always keep yourself hydrated. Drinking enough to meet the daily requirement leads to better skin, more energy, and sometimes weight loss. It also helps support our body functions such as temperature regulation, digestion, and metabolism.
Aside from just drinking the necessary amount, it is also recommended that you start your day with a tall glass of water—about 12 to 18 ounces. You don’t necessarily have to swap it for your morning coffee, simply prioritize it so you don’t get too dehydrated. Being even mildly dehydrated often leads to fatigue, moodiness, and lack of focus, so that’s one thing you want to avoid.
Employ the 20-Minute Rule
Sticking to the 20-minute rule is the best way to develop a new habit. What the rule suggests is for you to devote 20 full minutes of your day into the habit you wish to adopt—whether that’s reading a book, learning a new language, writing blogs or meditating. You then have to do this consistently for at least 30 days.
During the course of those 30 days, you’ll find that engaging in the habit will become easier and easier. And if you can keep it up for 70 and more days, the habit will turn into an automatic and unconscious behavior.
The great thing about this method is that 20 minutes isn’t too much time and everyone has at least that much to spare, which means anyone dedicated to improving their lives can do it.
Cut Back on Social Media
It’s hard to notice the passage of time as we’re scrolling through our news feeds and social media pages. What we promised was only half-an-hour of indulgent viewing can easily turn into more than a couple hours. By the end, we only feel regret and guilt that we spent our time so wastefully. And yet we never learn and do it over and over again.
Now, it’s understandable that some people live off of social media. They need constant and real-time updates to be able to do their job well. However, that isn’t an excuse to keep your faces glued to your screens.
There are instances where it’s better to stay away from social media like when we’re eating, walking down the street or trying to go to sleep. When we’re at home and outside company hours, it’s also best to interact with the people around us instead of putting up a black-screen barrier.
Swap Complaints with Gratitude
People love to complain about anything and everything. There’s not a day that goes by that we don’t utter a single complaint—small or big. We complain about the weather, the traffic, the quality of service at establishments, the lack of income, and practically everything else. Throwing out these complaints actually does nothing but ruin our days.
Day in and day out we always find things to complain about. We’re so focused on conjuring up complaints, that we forget that there are many other things and people to be thankful for and that things aren’t always bad. Gratitude goes a long way no matter who or what you direct it to.
Key Takeaway
Lifestyle changes don’t have to be drastic and sudden for them to be effective. In fact, they have to be the opposite in order to increase chances of success. You don’t have to do a 180 in a single day. Take it slow and allow your whole being to adjust to the changes that are happening—whether it’s quitting smoking or starting to eat and drink healthy with Beyonde products.
If you don’t know where to start, then try the ones listed here. Drinking enough water, employing the 20-minute rule, cutting back on social media, and swapping complaints with gratitude are all small lifestyle changes that can positively impact your life, so why not give them a shot!