Seven Ways to Feel Better

We live in a world with a quick fix.  If you’re dragging at 3 pm, you go get a candy bar.  Or if you want to catch a quick breakfast, you eat that tempting muffin or bagel.  And dare I say FOMO?  Got notifications?  Life can be sweeter without sugar, you can feel stronger and smarter with more protein, and you can turn off your notifications for the first 15 minutes of your day to keep moving your goals forward.  But, but, but, you say.  No buts.  Here are seven ways you can feel better by changing your “diet” and making better choices.

One - Give up your addiction to refined sugar

Not only is sugar bad for your waistline, it’s also bad for your brain.  It’s empty calories, and has absolutely no nutritional value.  And it can kill you.  We clearly have an epidemic and it’s called diabetes.  

If death doesn’t change your mind, here’s one - it lowers your immunity so you get sick more often.  It also depletes your bones by taking minerals.  The real bummer is that those empty calories show up later on your waistline.  It’s bad for your teeth.  It messes with your energy - the crash is worse than the sugar high.  It may cause cancer, it’s bad for your eyes, and it’s addictive.  

We have all craved sugar more than once in our lives.  We like the taste, but if you look at all of the downsides, does it make sense to keep eating it?  If giving it up entirely is out of the question, consider eating it mindfully and sparingly and see if you notice a difference.

Two - Power up your days with protein
Protein is one of those things that we need to eat more of after we turn 50.  Get your day off to a good start with 30 grams of protein.  That way, you have set the tone with that first decision and it will create a healthy mindset for the day.

When you eat foods that are high in protein, you feel full longer because they take longer to digest.  Protein also keeps your blood level stable. Max out on eggs, egg whites, or lean meats, or drink a protein smoothie for breakfast, to feel better longer.

Three - Turn off your notifications

I don’t know about you, but I jump a little when I get a notification.  And then I wonder who it’s from.  And then I wonder if everything is ok. See how fast that spiral can sneak up on me. How about you?

We don’t need to know what Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce did last night.  Nor do we need to know what our friends are whining about now.  The sounds, the images, and the mere distraction takes us away from our focus, and sometimes makes us feel bad about ourselves.  

Get your first first priority item done before you do anything else, especially check your phone, and watch your productivity increase.  When you sit down to work on your goals and dreams, just put blinders on and get to business.  That’s how you make progress.

Here’s an easy one.  Stop watching the news.  I’m not saying it’s not good to be informed but find a news source you trust and stay informed that way.  Don’t let all the talking heads drain you and cause more concern than necessary.  It’s not worth it.  You’ll feel better.  Find something new to learn.  Get inspired.  You’re certainly not going to find inspiration in the news.

Four - Get Your Sleep - It’s like putting money in the bank

It’s so easy to watch one more episode on Apple TV.  It’s easy to think you can catch up on your sleep later.  Or, you figure it’s your life and no one is going to tell you what to do.

But when you get seven or eight hours of sleep, you will work more efficiently the next day, and you’ll have energy to take on whatever comes your way.  It might not make any sense now, but you might find the more you sleep, the more you can get done.  Sounds counterintuitive, but it’s worth a try, right?

When you make healthy sleep choices, the benefits are amazing - better memory, better focus, less stress, better mood, more creativity, and longer life.  Sign me up please!  If you want to learn more about the benefits of sleep, click here to read Sleep for Your Health & Mood.

My mom always said nothing good happens after midnight.  I didn’t believe her but chances are she was right.

5 - Declutter - One space at a time

I feel lighter when I throw stuff away and I practically start to sing when I look at a newly cleared space.  When you clean up your junk drawer it is both motivating and satisfying.  Free up your space and your mind by getting rid of stuff.  You might even increase your energy because you’re not weighed down by your heavy, cluttered mess.  And you can use that energy to make that change that seemed so daunting.  You’ve cleared the deck for change.

Try cleaning out your closet.  We hold onto a lot of our clothes for sentimental reasons, or for “inspiration,” or in case we gain weight again.  You don’t need three closets.  Clean out the old and make room for clothes to make you look and feel your best!

Six - Do something outside of your comfort zone

All you need is twenty seconds.  That’s what they say it takes to overcome your fear.  If you do something that scares you or that takes you out of your comfort zone for twenty seconds every day, you can change your life.  Guess what?  The world will keep spinning when you make that phone call, and the best part is you are building your confidence one uncomfortable action at a time.  Who can you become if you don’t let fear get in the way?

Let your fear fuel you instead of stop you.  If you are afraid of being vulnerable, you may be surprised by the amount of love and support you receive just for putting it out there.  Do that hard thing.  Even harder, have that difficult conversation.  It will change you, most likely for the better.

Seven - Be Thankful

Gratitude changed my life.  I was depressed and I was unsure about my future.  I had lost people who had been near and dear to my heart and frankly, I didn’t believe in myself - especially without them.  But when I began my daily gratitude practice, my mood began to lift.  I was present and grateful for the little things that were right in front of me.  The clouds of my mind and spirit started to clear and the sunshine in my heart returned.

I just sit down and think about three things I am grateful for every morning.  Whether it’s my hot coffee, the cool breeze, or the connection I felt with that new friend, I make a note of it.  It grounds me and reminds me I have so much to be grateful for.

It’s an attitude of gratitude when you say you “get to” instead of saying you “have to.”  It’s a small but mighty mindset shift that can change how you feel about some of your daily tasks.  You can say you “get to” do the laundry and you “get to” walk for 20 minutes at the end of the day.  You’re going to feel better after they are done because you will have clean clothes and a new perspective on life because you cleared your head.  It’s a powerful practice with many benefits.

So much of our life and our perception of our life depends on our mindset.  By making healthy choices we will feel better.  Less sugar, more protein, and plenty of sleep will give you energy and keep you going much longer than continuing to do the same thing.  Reducing your notifications and clearing out the clutter will clear your mind.  And doing something out of your comfort zone and being grateful will help you grow and appreciate your blessings.  Who can ask for anything more?