6 Simple Daily Practices to Help You Live a Balanced Healthy Life

Live A Balanced Healthy Life With These 6 Simple Practices

This blog title 6 Simple Daily Practice to Help You Live a Balanced Healthy Life might cause some overwhelm for a few readers today and I will share with you right now it is not necessary to feel that way.

You see we believe that making change is about taking tiny steps rather than thinking you have to make all the changes at one time. Yes, taking action is important and inch by inch is a cinch. We wrote about this here https://www.wendybottrell.com/blog/how-to-make-big-changes-by-tiny-steps

The ideas we are sharing today are to help you take the steps for you to feel happy, joyful, fit, healthy, and productive, with these 6 simple daily practices to your health and fitness routine.

These are simple changes to make in your life, and it is one you can go about gradually so you don’t feel intimidated by too many changes all at once.

Here are some very simple habits you can add to your routine that help you live a balanced life:

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Drink Your Water

This will not surprise you since we wrote about it in an earlier blog post as one of the pillars of health and wellness. Here is our blog post https://www.wendybottrell.com/blog/the-six-pillars-of-health

But if you like many other when they begin to commit to drinking more water struggle drinking enough water, here are some tips to make sure you are staying hydrated:

In today’s world so many people are dehydrated. It is important to drink 1/2 your bodyweight in ounces of water daily.

The definition of Water for me is clear, colorless, odorless and tasteless.

I hear a lot that the reason water is not the drink of choice is because people don't like the taste.

If you use the definition provided there will be no taste.

Water will be a refreshing drink and now the practice will be to learn how to appreciate this in every sip.

The easiest way to begin getting enough water daily it to have 1 glass on getting up in the morning, 1 with each meal and snack, that would be 5 glasses of water, 2 with exercise and finally 1 before bed. (That could be an hour before).

This simple drinking water plan is doable for everyone, and you can certainly begin getting a success here starting today. No matter the time take your first glass of water now.

Now here is what you will want to consider. If you drink no water today, my suggestion is to start a bit more slowly adding water because you will go to the washroom more.

The benefit of drinking enough water for hydration is many people mistake thirst for hunger. Therefore, they are eating when really, they are thirsty. If you feel hungry drink a glass of water and wait 20 minutes. If you are still hungry then go ahead and eat.

Eat water-dense foods – You can also eat more foods that contain a high amount of water, such as lettuce, watermelon, cucumber, tomatoes, zucchini, celery, and apples.

It is also suggested that you add a pinch of sea salt to your water will make a difference for you. Here is an article that you might enjoy for more information on this topic https://paleoonthego.com/blogs/foods/add-sea-salt-to-drinking-water


Move Your Body Well

The human body is meant to move well every day. If you want to feel happier and healthier, you need to move your body.

Remember this doesn’t have to be with a structured workout plan unless that is within your own personal goals.

But if you just want to exercise to boost your mood and improve your overall wellness, then any form of movement will work great.

Here are some ideas:

• Go for a walk every morning (is best to help with better sleep https://www.verywellhealth.com/morning-sunlight-exposure-3973908 or evening after dinner to help with better digestion https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/walking-after-eating )
• Spend some time at the beach or lake
• Have a living room dance party
• Take a fun dance or fitness class
• Practice tai chi or martial arts
• Join a friend at your local gym
• Do indoor rock climbing
• Find a local trampoline park
• Start doing daily yoga

As you can see, there are many ways to get some exercise in without feeling like you’re doing “fitness”.

For some people, they have physique goals or really enjoy fitness, and that’s amazing! But even if you don’t, you can still move your body and get all the same health and happiness benefits.


Get Some Sunshine

We’ve already written above about getting daily sunshine and the benefits. It does miracles, or at least feels like it.

Why do people feel so much happier and more energetic in the summertime? For many people, it is because of all that wonderful, healing sunshine.

The sun’s UV rays emit vitamin D, which you can get naturally absorbed into your body simply by being out in the sun. More information for you on the benefits of sun go here - https://selecthealth.org/blog/2020/07/7-health-benefits-of-sunlight

Write in Your Journal

Journaling is a wonderful activity to add to your daily practice if you want to focus on a balance between health and happiness.

It not only helps with your emotional and mental health, but you can often use it to track habits related to your physical health as well. We wrote about the benefits of journaling for self-care here https://www.wendybottrell.com/blog/are-there-benefits-of-writing-in-a-self-care-journal

We believe that it doesn’t get much better than journaling when it comes to your mental or emotional health.

For holistic habits that improve your mind, writing down your thoughts and feelings is extremely beneficial.

This can be a therapeutic experience that is easily done in just 5 minutes a day.

Some things to remember about journaling:

There are no rules – Feel free to write as much or as little as you want, use any type of notebook you have on hand, and don’t worry about your spelling or grammar.

Try different methods of journaling – There are many different forms of journaling, including using prompts, brain dumps, stream of consciousness, and daily journaling like writing in a diary. Feel free to experiment with what works best.

Express gratitude – Every time you write in your journal, begin to write a few things you
are currently grateful for in your life.

We wrote Practice Daily Gratitude -
https://www.wendybottrell.com/blog/practice-daily-gratitude-for-the-mental-and-physical-vitality-benefits

Do Something Creative

Let’s get one thing clear: you don’t have to be artistic to be creative. Even if you weren’t born naturally artistic (most people aren’t), you can still be creative.

Think of any activity or hobby in your life that uses the creative part of your brain, such as making or playing music, writing, drawing, or painting, creating things with your hands, assembling things, really anything you can think of that you enjoy.


Reassess YOUR Needs Regularly

Consider reassessing your needs as part of your self-care routine. This is a habit many people forget, as they are busy trying to be consistent with their daily practices and get as much done as possible.

Yet your needs are going to change over time, so it is good to check in with yourself weekly or monthly, consider what practices are improving your life, and which you are not seeing a positive impact from.

Remember that your wellness and happiness journey is yours, and yours alone. It must be customized to who you are as a person, your own needs, and the goals you have. While it is great to get inspiration from others, what works best for them might not be best for you.

Be sure to share any ideas, comments or questions below.

Get in touch with us and let us know how we can help you.

I’ve written many times about my pure joy of getting out and walking every morning. Walking is a daily practice in my life because it allows me to move well each morning.

We would like to invite you to think about walking as a way to practice joy in self-care.

Walking helps to release endorphins and is amazing for your mental health as much as your physical health.

Walking every day for at least a few minutes, whether you prefer walking alone or with friends or family is a wonderful way to relieve stress.

We enjoy getting out in the neighbourhood for a lovely morning walk however getting out on the hiking trails really makes our hearts sing and brings joy to our lives.

Walking outdoors will help improve your mood and this alone helps reduce stress and if you can walk in the morning it not only feels good, but it helps with your sleep at night.

“Research shows that regular walking actually modifies your nervous system so much that you’ll experience a decrease in anger and hostility,” she says, especially when you're going for a stroll through some greenery or soaking in a bit of sunlight. This can be particularly helpful during the colder months when seasonal depression spikes. (source: Here- https://www.geelongmedicalgroup.com.au/2018/11/7-incredible-health-benefits-of-walking-30-minutes-a-day )

We appreciate that it never seems as if there are enough hours in the day, but it is so important to make a conscious decision to practice moving well, and we believe that walking is the most accessible form of exercise on the planet.

Taking care of your mind, body and emotional needs will help you be able to live your best life.

What we know for sure is that walking is the link to living a healthy and vibrant life. We believe walking inspires the mind, activates the body, and nourishes the soul.

Join our FREE Walking Challenge Here - This is appropriate for all fitness levels, though it is tailored to beginners. You will also get a tip a day, which gives you a little more insight into how to walk, what to wear, going outside or using the treadmill, and even journal entries about your experience. Join The Free Walking Challenge Today – Free Registration HERE 

Our resource page is here
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To learn more about us go here https://www.wendybottrell.com/

Share any ideas, comments and questions below

Be sure to connect and let us know how we can help you

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