Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Do These 4 Things to Have a Happy Day

Anxiety is something that I, and most Americans, struggle with daily. Call it over-thinking or analyzing, whatever you like, but it all boils down to worrying, which, let's be honest, is not fun. It can turn a good day bad or a bad day worse. Um, no thank you.

So, without further ado, here are 4 proven ways to guarantee a happier (and healthier) day.


Exercise - I know that it sucks sometimes. I know that you don't want to do it, especially when you are having a bad day, but it is what you NEED. Put on the clothes. The rest will happen. Here are some motivational tips!
    Meditate/Pray - It's okay and, actually, helpful to take a timeout. Your mind needs this. Forget the worries of the day. Feel them, acknowledge them, let them go. Give it to God. Free your brain for more important thinking, like deciding what's for dinner tonight. Ha! Which brings me to number 3.

    Eat healthier foods - Feed your body like you love it. I am the first person to opt in for pizza, but it needs to be in moderation with other foods that come from the earth. Foods that nourish us can feed our brains, as well as our bodies.

    Get enough sleep - Ugh, this is the one that I wrestle with the most often, but sleep is SO important! We are all different, but aim for 8 hours. I find that I function better on 9. Experiment with going to bed earlier to see when you feel the best. If you have trouble falling asleep, an hour before bedtime cut off all electronic devices. This includes TVs, phones, computers, and tablets. Try doing some relaxing yoga (here's a ten-minute session on YouTube) and/or reading a lighthearted book in bed. If that doesn't work, you can try supplements. I take magnesium (Nature Made MAGNESIUM 250 mg 100 Tablets ) every night and, occasionally, melatonin (Nature Made Melatonin Tablets, 5 Mg, 90 Count ). The magnesium helps your body relax, while the melatonin helps regulate your circadian rhythm (that thing that tells your body it's time to sleep).

    Give these a try and let me know it works for you. Do you have any rituals/routines you do every day?

    11 comments:

    1. These are great reminders. It's funny how easy it is to let things slide, especially diet and sleep for me. It's true that I feel waaaay better when I make them a priority, though.

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      1. Diet and sleep are definitely my struggles as well!

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    2. As someone who has suffered with anxiety I couldn't agree with these tips enough! When my anxiety was at it worse exercise and changing my diet helped SO much. I pray everyday, try to cut back on caffeine when I feel anxious and also try to get a good sweat in everyday.

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      1. Oh, yes, the caffeine! I limit myself to one cup of coffee or tea a day and that's only on the days I have to get up to teach. I get none on weekends! :)

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    3. Great list! I know I always feel better when I work out, and get enough sleep especially. It's so hard but also important to do!
      Annie
      www.miscellannieous.com

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      1. Yes! It seems like sleep is the hardest for most of us.

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    4. All things I need to remember to take to heart. Especially feeding my body nourishing foods. Being married to a man that can eat his weight and then some, and never gain a pound makes life so difficult! Haha :)

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      1. It's so hard for me to eat healthy, too, but I'm definitely glad when I do! I know it's hard to feed others who might not feel the same way ;)

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    5. Ugh, I seriously need to do all 4 of these things. I have a bad habit of coffee, wine, reading, and Netflix when I get home from work and not wanting to do anything else.

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      1. Those are all guilty pleasures of mine, too! Especially the Netflix! Just think a workout can be as short as 20 minutes of your day; you can read and watch Netflix (while drinking wine) the rest of the night :)

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    6. These are great tips and so true! I've found that getting enough sleep is crucial to what kind of day I have!

      Thanks for sharing! :)

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