Every day we hear more and more about things we should be doing to improve our health. But with the sheer volume of studies, it’s impossible to follow it all! How’s a person to make sure they’re living a healthy life 24/7?
Here’s how. Follow these 18 simple health hacks and instantly improve your life in a very measurable way. From making sure you have an orange ready at your desk, to using a specific body scrub, each seems simple enough. But in combination, all of them will make your life soooo much better!
1. Make all your meals and snacks for the week on Sunday evening. You won’t be rushed during the week and can ensure you’re keeping a healthy diet.
2. For a natural mood-booster, sniff an orange.
The oil on the skin helps enhance your mood and alertness — it can also reduce anxiety.
3. Put a couple of drops of lavender oil on your pillowcase at night.
This will help you sleep straight through the night.
4. Floss your teeth.
Flickr / Pink Sherbet Photography
Besides making your gums healthier, studies show it could prevent heart disease.
5. Use the 20/20/20 rule for your eyes.
Backlights on all our screens aren’t great for the eyes. Every 20 minutes, take a 20 second break and let your eyes wander over something 20 feet away.
6. Meditate every day for at least 10 minutes.
Taking some time to achieve a calmness of mind and clarity of thought comes highly recommended from Silicon Valley’s elite. Use Calm if you want some instruction.
7. Stretch a little every day. Your muscles will thank you.
8. Get off the bus or subway a stop early and walk.
Walking 30 minutes a day is shown to decrease your chance of getting cancer by 90%.
9. Drink herbal tea.
Green tea is a great energy-boosting alternative to coffee. Chamomile helps you fall asleep and fennel and peppermint teas aid digestion.
10. Put the phone down outside of work hours.
Especially within two hours of bed — the backlight can negatively affect your sleep.
11. Go to bed an hour early.
If you’re having trouble doing this, set an alarm to remind you to get in bed.
12. Skip the expensive stuff and exfoliate your skin with a simple mixture of sea salt and olive oil.
Get the directions here.
13. Never skip the stairs.
Sneak in a little physical activity and always say no to the elevator.
14. Take your food to go and eat outside.
With even 20 minutes outdoors at lunchtime, your afternoon workday will go far better.
15. Pick days throughout the week to be alcohol free.
Especially if you’re going to be drinking Thursday through Sunday, it’s best to skip the wine on Monday.
16. Try to cut out sweeteners in your coffee.
Reduce your overall sugar intake with this simple trick.
17. Eat and cook at home.
Save money, not to mention the hidden salt, sugar, and fats found in to-go food.
18. Bring a bottle of water with you everywhere you go.
To help save the environment, make it a reusable steel or aluminum one, too!
(via BuzzFeed)
Together these 18 health hacks are simple enough. Now get to making your life — and 2016 especially — truly spectacular!