Healthy and Happiness Practices to Incorporate Daily

By: Cheyenne Taylor

A large part of maintaining your happiness and health is incorporating healthy practices into your daily routine.  The following practices are intended to improve your overall wellness and provide restoration and balance to you throughout the day. By incorporating these practices into your day-to-day, you can help combat the more negative aspects that you may face.

1. Creating a Morning/Nighttime Routine
Starting and ending your day on the right foot, can improve your day overall, as well as your mood and energy levels. By creating a morning schedule, including things like wearing sunscreen, avoiding technology, and meditative activities, you can start your day on a positive note, improve your mental health and lower your stress levels. One key recommendation is to wake up earlier than necessary, so you are not rushing in the morning, which can set a stressful mood for the day.

By having a nighttime routine with less technology or screen use, and other healthy practices, including sleeping earlier and journaling, you can ensure that you get a great night's sleep, which directly impacts many areas of your life. If you find yourself struggling to go to sleep, by creating a night schedule, you can naturally train your body to recognize your routine as a cooling period before rest.
 
The essential part of either routine is to personalize it to your likes and needs. You know what works for yourself but we recommend trying something new and making changes as needed.
 
2. Planning Your Meals
Planning out your meals might seem like a hassle, but it is a beneficial practice and can improve many areas of your life. It also can be fun! By planning out your meals, you can control your portions, cut costs by avoiding unnecessary food purchases, and ensure that you are maintaining a well-balanced diet.  The added benefits of planning your meals include creating new meals and guaranteeing you eat. It is so common for people to become so focused on their tasks that they forget to eat, but with meal planning, you form a realistic eating schedule that accommodates your dietary needs. Also, meal planning means you can experiment with different vegetables, proteins, and desserts to open up your palate. Finding a delicious, balanced recipe is a fantastic mood booster and a fun activity!
           
3. Make time for Goals  
Mark Twain said it best, “If it’s your job to eat a frog, it’s best to do it first thing in the morning. And if it’s your job to eat two frogs, it’s best to eat the biggest one first.”  Essentially, what he suggests is tackling the most challenging task first, get it out of the way. We think that this is an excellent piece of advice in most instances. When you knock out the hardest task, you gain more confidence in your ability to handle whatever other duties you have to handle. By chipping away at the daunting task, it is not hard to overcome after a while. In addition, sometimes, the most daunting task is starting. Setting aside time in the week to work on your goals will make them easier to accomplish in the long run. Productivity boosts your morale and brings you closer to living a fulfilling life and achieving your dreams.

4. Journaling
​We have recommended journaling in the past and will continue to because it is an easy practice to incorporate into your life with numerous benefits. With journaling, you can safely express yourself without judgment or repercussions. It is a great way to gather your thoughts if you do not feel like you can confide in someone about something. It has a low time commitment and can be added to a morning or nighttime routine. Journaling lowers stress, improves mood, and helps you identify your fears, triggers, and issues.

5. Walking/Getting Outside
​Walking is an easy way to get some exercise. Walking wakes the body up and allows you to get some much-needed energy throughout the day. Also, when you walk, you are improving your overall wellness and all areas of health. Lastly, you can connect with the world around you and see the beauty in your surroundings. Walking is such a great way to start the day and reenergize. Getting outside in any way is also helpful. Even getting a breath of fresh air can help with stress levels.