…that have absolutely nothing to do with weight loss

1. Better sleep routine

A lack of sleep is often the underlying cause of many of our health issues. Finding a consistent sleep routine can boost your mood, increase energy, decrease your stress levels, and so much more. It can be tricky sticking to a sleep schedule, so starting small is better than not starting at all.

Photo by Gregory Pappas on Unsplash

Focus on:

Going to bed without scrolling through your phone
Aiming for 8 hours of sleep per night
Setting consistent alarms throughout the week – night and morning (for example – set an alarm to go to sleep at 10pm, and a wake-up alarm at 6am)
Getting yourself a supportive pillow

2. Home Cooked Meals

Home cooked food – indulging in more of the hearty stuff and improving the quality of our diet to help our bodies feel healthier and happier.

Begin by making one meal per day and increase this over time until most of your meals and snacks are made from home.

It helps to have a well-stocked pantry and fridge. Load up on nutritious ingredients at the supermarket in one shop, this way healthy home-cooked meals are more likely to get done on those busy weeknights.

3. Journaling & Meditation

Busy work/life schedules and home responsibilities can be mentally draining. Slowing down by practicing mindfulness has several mental and physical benefits:

Relieves stresses and anxiety
Increases our energy
Boosts our connection with ourselves and others

It can be easy to contemplate fitting in mindfulness to our fast-paced lives, however it is often the busiest times that benefit most from taking a breath.

Here are some simple suggestions to include mindfulness into your day:

Finding a quiet space to listen to your favourite music or reading a book
Focussing on a quiet activity like drawing or doing a puzzle
Going for a walk and observing your surroundings
Controlled movement such as yoga, pilates or stretching

If mindfulness isn’t the thing for you, journaling can be another way to find connection within us and engage in the positive things in life. Journaling can be as simple as:

Writing down 3 things you were grateful for today
Writing about what you are looking forward to this week
Write down how you plan to positively impact someone’s week with an act of kindness

4. Time off Social Media

Less social media… these days it seems to be the trickiest change of them all.

It’s not an easy thing to do, but reducing your scrolling amount will free up a heap of time to spend productively on other areas of your life. We’re not suggesting quitting social media cold turkey, but at the very least you should be conscious of how you’re using it.

Stepping away from social media may help to reduce FOMO (fear of missing out), anxiety and loneliness. Wean your way off the phone and into other activities during your social media detox. Substitute the time on social media platforms with some of these suggestions:

Find a screen free hobby: learn an instrument, take up a sport, learn a language
Get outside: go for a walk, work on the garden, catch up with a friend outdoors
Try a new activity: give something like cooking, drawing, or painting a go
Watch a documentary that builds your knowledge
Have a phone free dinner: make the most of having dinner with your mates or family, uninterrupted by notifications

Here at Pakenham osteopathy, we not only care about your pain and function, but we are also passionate about your health and lifestyle. Book in with one of our osteopaths online, or call us on 5941 4157.