5 Simple Things I Learned That Actually Improved My Life
Have you ever chowed down new research or a great book and feeling all inspired adopt new habits only to slip back to your old ways? I have done it for decades. Entire industries thrive on this very behavior. The truth is most things just don't make enough of a lasting difference to make change stick. There are a few simple exceptions with solid research to back them up.
#5. You Can't Be Lazy with Happiness!
Happiness, like fitness needs to be worked at and worked at consistently. To remain fit you need to keep working out, just like happiness. Lots of stuff makes us happy but few things make us happier for more than a few weeks before we return to our default happy point. Do you remember how happy you were two years ago when you bought that new car, started that new relationship, found that new restaurant? How does the joy then compare to the joy that same thing gave you this last week? Sucks doesn't it? That's hedonistic adaptation and it's why we're wired to look for our next hit, to feel that temporary week rush again. Is there anything that brings a lasting happiness? I'm not looking for bliss, even 5% happier would be great right? I poured over the research and surprisingly few scientist are actually studying this stuff.
The hunt did turn up one simple daily practice which does indeed make people permanently happier! Gratitude. Think about it for a second. Gratitude is the practice of recognizing the good in your life. You don't even have to change your life you just retrain your brain to see and take more pleasure from the good already in it. In fact it doesn't matter how great your life becomes if you don't have gratitude you'll be miserable. I spend only 3-4 minutes a day doing it. I sit down at the end of the day and write down a few things that made me happy, thats it. A couple of months in and I'm noticing more things more often and I'm feeling perhaps 10-20% happier. Try this challenge your self
#4. You Should Be Drinking More
Enjoy your coffee, tea or coke? The problem is they're caffeinated and caffeine is a natural diuretic which means these drinks remove water from your body. So while that coffee is putting pep in our step it is also sucking out what little water is left in our bodies. What's so bad about dehydration? Brain fog, slowed metabolism, bad skin, hunger, headaches, poor digestive health the list goes on and on. I'll be honest I still start the morning with a fairly decent hit of caffeine but that's it now. From 10 AM onwards it's water and water only. I've lost 5 lbs a month, my skin feels better and my body feels cleansed. Try it for a couple of days, you'll see why this ones worth sticking out really quickly.
#3. You Can Transform Your Body in 15 Mins
I don't have time for a daily hour of exercise, in fact I wouldn't do it even if I had the time. Then I stumbled upon some research showing quick intense workouts trump long grueling ones. 15 decently hard minutes on an exercise bike will do more for your health than an hour jogging on a treadmill. So I get in, get on the bike and get it done. 5 Minutes warmp up. 30s flat out, 1.30m rest and then repeat this until 15 minutes is up. I only do it twice a week because this is all researchers actually suggest. Other days I just make sure I move for at least 15 minutes, take the stairs, do a few crunches. I do this because I sleep better, I feel better and I know what a completely sedentary life will do to me. Try it for 60 days and see how you go