There are so many things that you cannot control that can cause stress and lead to unhealthy habits and patterns. However, one thing you can control is setting up a healthy, consistent daily routine. These five tips are simple, and if implemented into your daily life will help keep you feeling your best.

1. Sleep – Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, getting the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep per night. Sleep is key to maintaining a healthy immune system, managing stress and improved concentration and productivity. Set yourself up for a restful night by shutting down all electronic devices two hours before bedtime, dim the lights to signal to your body that it’s time to wind down.
2. Move Your Body – Besides keeping you strong, Pilates and other forms of exercise are another great way to manage stress and strengthen your immune system. They also produce endorphins, which are mood boosting chemicals and natural pain killers. Even if you start with a 10 minute walk or Pilates routine, you are starting a healthy habit that will help you feel better.
3. Healthy Eating – Food is fuel for our bodies. What we feed ourselves makes a difference in how we feel. I like to keep it very simple, try to stick with whole foods – fruits, vegetables, whole grains, proteins. If you must eat packaged food products, read the labels and try to stick with the least amount of ingredients possible and only ingredients that are real foods and spices.
4. Positive Mindset – This is tough especially when times are really difficult, but like exercise, building a positive mindset takes work. The more you work the positive bias in your brain the more you will be trained to automatically react and think in a positive way to situations. It’s exercise for your mind that takes practice and awareness. Think of a negative thought that you had. We all have them running through our minds, mainly the same ones going on repeat. Now take that thought and reframe it in a positive way. You may even struggle with this. The more you do it, the easier it becomes. You are training your brain.
5. Connection to Others – When we are feeling down sometimes we feel like we are in it all alone and no one can relate to us. The opposite is true. We are all more alike than you think. We go through the same struggles, same emotions and can truly support and uplift each other when we are open and share our vulnerabilities with others.

If you are going through a difficult time my heart goes out to you. I hope you find strength and that these tips can help you in some way.

Need support to start feeling better in your body? I can help. Let’s talk about how.