Good Sleep Hygiene.

Good sleep hygiene is all about putting your body in the optimal state for restful, uninterrupted, quality sleep.

So you’ll have much better sleep that way.

But achieving good sleep hygiene includes certain dos and don’ts.

You should:
– Indulge in relaxing activities such as reading, meditation or breathing exercises before bedtime
– Stretch before bedtime
– Have a consistent sleep schedule
– Exercise regularly

And you should avoid:
– Using your phone or computer before bedtime
– Taking caffeine, sugar or any other stimulants before bedtime
– Eating a huge meal right before bedtime
– Exercising too close to bedtime

We only have 6-8 hours of sleep before we get on with the busyness of life for the next 18-16 hours.

Let’s make the most of it.

The Best Diet Plan.

So many diets to choose from and follow.

But the big question is, which one is the best?

As controversial as this may sound, the best diet to be on is actually not the healthiest one.

So it’s not the one that provides the most benefits.
It’s not the one that will make you lose a ton of weight.
It’s not the one that will make you gain a ton of muscle.

The best diet to follow is the most sustainable one.

If you’re not able to sustain a diet plan for life, you’ll eventually regress at square one once you’re off the diet.

So try different diet plans.
See which ones stick with you.
Tweak them to balance the trade-off between health and indulgence.

You’ll eventually find/come up with something that’s uniquely sustainable for you.

But until then, never stop fine-tuning and experimenting with your diet and eating patterns.

Walk More, Move More.

Walking is perhaps one of the easiest forms of exercise you can do.

You don’t need any equipment.
You don’t need to depend on anyone else either.
You don’t even need to break a sweat.

Just put on some shoes and get out of the house.

It’s effortless.

And I guarantee that you’ll come back from your walk feeling better than before.

Do this in the long term and you’ll start to see some interesting benefits.

You’ll feel more active.
You’ll feel and be lighter.
You’ll have more energy.
You’ll be more productive.
You’ll be in a better mood.

The weight loss effects are enhanced even more when you take walks in a fasted state.

This is all influenced by the body’s need for movement.

We were not designed to live sedentary lifestyles.

The human body was made to move.

Avoiding Burnout.

Start by slowing down.

There’s no reason to rush.

Slow down your movements.
Do less.

Everything eventually falls into place anyway.

No reason to speed things up.

You’ll just tire yourself out faster.

And there are a ton of other benefits to slowing down too.

You’ll be more present.
You’ll make lesser mistakes.
You’ll feel less anxious.

Life becomes that much more enjoyable when you slow down.

Alone.

How comfortable are you spending time alone?

A lot of people experience anxiety at the thought of spending time alone.

And it’s not surprising that there’s even a term for it too – Autophobia.

But it’s alarming to think that almost everyone has it… to some extent.

Do you cringe at the thought of going to the movies alone?
Do you shudder when you think about eating at a restaurant alone?
Do you get anxious at the idea of travelling alone?

If you said yes to any of these questions, you probably have autophobia to some extent.

That’s fine.

But do know that it’s okay to spend time alone.

It’s okay to go to the movies alone.
It’s okay to eat alone.
It’s okay to travel alone.

No one’s going to think any lesser of you.

They might actually respect and admire you for it.

“I’m all alone, but I’m not lonely.”
– Haruki Murakami

Go Slow, Don’t Stop.

“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.”
— Confucius

The little things add up over time.

Do a little.
Do it often.
And don’t stop.

You can apply this to almost any area in your life.

Exercise a little every day.
Eat a piece of fruit every day.
Write a little every day.

Sowed seeds eventually bear fruit.
Efforts eventually bear results.
Investments eventually yield returns.

Whatever goals you have, work on them a little each day.

Then watch over time as the results speak for themselves.

Rome wasn’t built in a day, but they were laying bricks every hour.

Good and Bad Days.

We all have good days.
And we all have bad days.

Let it be and let it happen.

That’s just the ebb and flow of life.

Realise that you can’t control everything.
Realise that some days are going to suck.
Realise that some days are going to be awesome.

That’s just the way it is.

There’s no point fretting over the bad days.
That just makes the bad days worse.

Let it be and let it happen.

Impermanence.

Emotions are temporary.
Situations are temporary.
Life is temporary.

So let’s not get too attached.

Everything comes to pass in due time.

Change is perhaps one of the only permanent things in life.

All we can do is to make the best out of every situation we’re in.

Be comfortable with discomfort.

Constant Growth.

Ask yourself this.

Are you doing anything to ensure constant mental, emotional, spiritual, physical and financial growth?

What habits and routines do you have?
What activities do you engage in regularly?
What kinds of people do you surround yourself with?

Our potential for growth is largely influenced by the habits, activities and people that we adopt and surround ourselves with.

So adopt habits and engage in activities that foster personal growth.

Exercise.
Meditate.
Read.
Learn.
Smile and laugh.
Spend time with people you love.

If you don’t have time to do these, it’s probably time to re-evaluate your priorities and lifestyle.

A life without growth is a life of mediocrity.