Truly learning to love yourself and having a healthy relationship with yourself is something we all want. And I’ll be the first to tell you that it’s not an overnight process. It takes time, patience, and most of all - practice.
I wanted to compile a list of the top things that helped me on my journey to becoming a healthier, happier me!
1. EXERCISING
There’s a reason why you see exercise stressed so much on tips for countless things! Want to sleep better? Exercise. Want to have more energy? Exercise. Want to boost your immune system? Exercise. It really is a solution to so many problems!
Do you have to go to the gym to exercise? Absolutely freakin’ not. I hate the gym. I have never been able to stick to working out if it’s in a gym setting. I am and forever will be a home workout type of girl.
There is TONS of free content online to help you get started at home. Or you could even just start slow by incorporating a 10-15 minute brisk walk daily. I personally recommend 30 minutes - 1 hour, 6 days a week, as that has been what has worked best for me!
I list exercise first because it’s the very first thing I started doing when I began my journey to a better me. It’s why this whole thing has snowballed into who I am today!
2. CUTTING BACK ON ULTRA-PROCESSED FOOD
Ultra-processed foods are things like McDonalds, Ramen noodles, soda, Little Debbie cakes, etc. There is a reason why these things are so cheap and why they last forever. We all know things like this are unhealthy and that we shouldn’t consume them so often, but I understand it can be hard.
Notice I said “cut back on” and not eliminate.
I used to be the QUEEN of everything I listed above. All I drank was Mountain Dew… I ate fast food multiple times a day in college… I added salt to my Ramen noodles… you get the picture.
Once I started exercising, I also decided to make some diet changes. This mainly included cutting back on soda and eating less fast food. And even just by doing those two things I started to feel a lot better and noticed I was toning up a bit!
3. LISTENING TO PODCASTS
The girl that owned the fitness program I used to do also hosted a podcast that I used to listen to. She had some great episodes that offered so much amazing information on fitness, health, motivation, etc. I never had been into podcasts much, but I really enjoyed hers and it caused me to search for other health/nutrition related podcasts.
I discovered SO. MANY. AMAZING. PEOPLE. It was honestly like I discovered a whole new world. I didn’t realize how many FREE resources were out there on the topic, but I was so excited. I saved a lot of them and started listening in my car, when I got ready, etc.
These podcasts helped me learn so much and I soon saw there was a podcast for just about anything! Feeling anxious? Podcast. No motivation? Podcast. Need fat-loss tips? Podcast. You get the picture.
4. EATING MORE PLANT-BASED
First off - plant-based does NOT mean vegan or vegetarian. It simply means basing more of your meals around whole foods like fruits, vegetables, leafy greens, beans, and whole grains.
You can still eat meat, dairy, and sweets - but the goal is to add in more of the above. Find a couple plant-based items you truly like and start adding those in ways you actually ENJOY to eat them. Don’t sit and cry over a salad for every meal… you need to find a way to actually enjoy the taste of what you’re eating so you can stick with it! It’s a lifestyle, not a diet!
Also there are plenty of studies out there linking eating more fruits and vegetables to actually BEING happier - and I love that!
5. JOURNALING
Come on now… you guys know I couldn’t make it through a post without mentioning journaling! Beginning a journaling practice was life changing for me.
Even just adding in a quick 5 minutes a day dedicated to writing can really add up and get you started. When I first started I began with just listing three things every single day that I was grateful for.
Now, 3+ years after consistent journaling, I look back and see how much it really has helped me. It helped me become more positive, grateful, and appreciative. I feel less anxious. It also helps me be creative and get things off my chest without fear of judgement.
6. LEARNING ABOUT INGREDIENTS
Reading ingredients is something that is second nature to me now - and it’s a skill I take a lot of pride in! The food industry is a very tricky market, and if you are trying to eat foods that support your health and wellbeing, it is so important to understand ingredients and be able to look past common marketing tactics used in food and everyday products.
It can be overwhelming at first, but if you start slow I promise you can do it! If you are following the above tips (cutting back on processed foods and adding in more plant-based foods), you should realize you don’t need to buy as many food products that even have an ingredient label, which is a good thing!
A couple general guidelines I like to follow for when I DO buy processed foods:
Stick to a short ingredient list. If you flip a product over and see a long list that takes up a big area on the package, more than likely it’s junk.
Look for ingredients you KNOW and UNDERSTAND.
Don’t rely on the marketing ploys on the front of the package, it’s still important to flip it over and read the ingredient list! Terms like plant-based, sugar free, fat free, etc. can all still include crappy ingredients.
Not only are shady ingredients hiding in your foods, but they are in your everyday products as well! Some ingredients I try to avoid in my everyday products are fragrance, sodium laureth sulfate, and talc.
7. MEDITATING
This is a more recent one I have added in, but I’m so glad I did! Check out meditation videos on YouTube to get started! Even just a 5-10-minute meditation a few times a week can be beneficial.
It really helps me be in the moment, clear my head, calm anxiety, and take a step back to be grateful for the things in my life.
I hope these tips are useful to you! Each one has truly played such an important part in my new lifestyle and I hope they can do the same for you!
For more tips like these follow along on Instagram at @Healthy.Happy.Blonde!
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