We’ve all been there at one point in our life. We are stuck in a rut or been living a life that we know we can make more of. Problem is going about the right changes to make those improvements. It is not an easy road but with these 15 small lifestyle changes, you can get out of your rut and improve your life today.
1. The Twenty Minute Rule
In today’s world, we want news fast and information now. We come home from a long day at work to find ourselves engaging in mindless activities like Facebook, Reddit, TV you name it.
Most of us think that these are great ways to unwind until they occupy not minutes but hours of our time.
Instead of gluing yourself in front of the TV, take twenty minutes to try one of the following:
- Read a book
- Write an article or blog
- Learn a foreign language
- Meditate
If these don’t suit you, find something that will encourage your personal and professional growth.
2. Take A Positive Angle
Life is full of numerous situations involving gray areas. These gray area situations can lead to indecisiveness and create chaos and anxiety in our lives. Instead of becoming overwhelmed, look at situations from a positive angle. It’ll lead you to make the best decision with less emotion and ego.
3. Go For A Run
Running is not only good for you, its free. It just takes buying a good pair of running shoes and hitting the road. Running also boosts your immune system and improve weight loss.
4. Put The Soda Down
You know who you are.
As much as you like the taste of Diet Coke to get you through the 2 p.m. wall, soda is terrible for you. Diet and regular sodas have both been linked to obesity and kidney damage. Try switching to tea or water in the afternoon which has tons of health benefits.
5. Drink Water
Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate. Your body is made of approximately of 60 percent water and drinking water helps support body functions as digestion, body temperature regulation. It also helps boost your metabolism.
But that doesn’t mean start pounding liters of water immediately. Bring a water bottle with you and start working your way to the recommended guideline of eight cups throughout your day.
6. Don’t Go to the Grocery Store Hungry
We’ve all done this. We come back from the gym or home from work and we haven’t eaten since lunch. We start acting goofy and looking for the first thing to stuff our face. Going to the grocery store on an empty stomach sets the stage for a disastrous shopping cart filled with unhealthy snacks and overeating.
When you are ready to head to the store, eat a health conscious meal. Not only will make you feel better, it’ll make your choices at the grocery store more health conscious and reduce the chances you’ll pick up the pack of Oreos on the way out.
7. Start Reading
Just like your body needs to exercise, so does your brain. Reading gives your brain the mental workout it needs to stay sharp and improve its performance. It can be intimidating at first but starting out with short books that are easy to read will help gain confidence in attacking those Game of Thrones books everyone has been talking about. Some books that are great to start with are The Great Gatsby and The Old Man and the Sea.
If you want to read more about the benefits of reading, check out 10 Benefits of Reading: Why You Should Read Everyday.
8. Learn to Say No
This is a tough one. We want to make people happy and sometimes, not saying no does more harm than good. You may end up with more projects and commitments than you can handle.
First, know that is acceptable and OK to say no. Second, say no to things that you cannot be of value or service to others. Doing these will help make your life stress free and seamless.
9. Stop Walking Down The Street Glued to Your Phone
Everyday, more and more of us on walking down the street face down glued to email or Facebook. Sooner or later, someone is going to get really hurt because we aren’t watching where we are going. I can’t tell you how many times I have seen people almost get hit by cars crossing a street because they were texting and walking.
If you need to look at your phone, stand off to the side on a busy sidewalk or find a place where you can sit down.
Just don’t be this guy.
10. Eat Breakfast
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. When we wake up, our bodies have been deprived of food and water. Skipping breakfast leads to being Hangry while reducing productivity and our energy levels. Make sure you start your day off with a protein packed meal and a glass of water to give you a much needed energy boost.
11. Get Rid of the Negative Nancies
You know who they are. They are the people in your life that always have something to say about what you are doing, complain when you all out on Saturday night, and never say anything nice about anyone.
These people will weigh you down. They will never encourage you. They will continue to hold you down and keep you from doing you. Start hanging out with those closest to you who are positive and encouraging. They are the ones who want you to achieve your goals and have a good time with you on the weekends.
12. Live Within Your Means
We all hate bills. We hate debt too. When the two combine together, they can put a huge damper on our quality of life and effect our chances to save for the future. Money is a big stressor and its important to live within your means otherwise, you could be in big trouble.
Create a budget that allows you to pay your bills and give you a chance to save for the future. Ask friends for help or someone who can get you on the right track . Try these 8 Steps to Creating a Personal Budget to get your started.
13. Stop Complaining
If you don’t like your situation, change it. Complaining gets you nowhere,making you look unreliable and unattractive to others. Start with #2 and become more optimistic. You’ll find that things aren’t always bad as they seem and it’ll put you in a position to learn from every experience.
14. Ask For Help
Every successful entrepreneur, doctor, actor has received some form of help from their loved ones and family. They were encouraged, loved and supported to be what they wanted. Think about your parents and how many times they have helped you get to where you want to be. Everyone needs it and it’s OK to ask for it.
When applying these 15 lifestyle changes, find someone you trust who will help you stay on track. When the going gets tough, those people closest to you will give you the support and help you need to get over that hump. If you don’t know how to ask for help, offer help to others who may need it. Not only will it make you feel good, it will make you feel better about asking for assistance in the future.
15. Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish
Steve Jobs said it best during his famous speech at Stanford University. It is truly one of the greatest and most inspiring speeches of our time.
If you have not seen it, watch it here:
Featured photo credit: Ella Jardim via unsplash.com
