Spring is upon us! Let us breathe in the fresh crisp air and let out the breath we have been holding since the fall. Relax our shoulders and open the blinds. These things can improve your mood in seconds. However, I wanted to start spring and my first article of the season with a more in-depth list of things that you can do to help improve your life over a span of time. I now present to you my list of 5 healthy habits to start in the new season!
- Start Every Morning With A Large Glass Of Cold Water
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This is a critical part of my morning routine that I cannot skip. That first gulp just quenches that post-sleep thirst. Sometimes, if I’m feeling fruity, I’ll add some lemon or orange. The health benefits of this are crazy. It detoxes your system from anything that could have been sitting still while you sleep and instantly wakes you up. It’s a great way to start the morning.
- Start Reading More Consistently
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I get it. Reading can be so boring at times. I love to read and sometimes the thought of a book makes me want to burrow myself in bed and never leave. One of the best things I have ever done was to start reading consistently. It doesn’t have to be a 300 page novel with a complicated plotline and 30 characters with names that you can barely pronounce. Maybe it’s reading a magazine from cover to cover or news articles from your phone. Maybe a comic book of your favorite sci-fi franchise or a 400-page heart-wrenching romance. The possibilities are endless. The best part is, if you don’t like what you are reading, you can move on to something else. Nothing, though, is better than the feeling of completing that book or news article. Reading is an exciting task that helps with your communicative skills in ways one might not even imagine.
- Start Going On Walks More
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You know how during quarantine we saw all of those jokes about our parents making us go on daily walks around the neighborhood? This is the 2.0 version of that. Walking is one of the healthiest exercises you can do and it is so effortless. Well, not entirely effortless. It takes a lot to hype oneself up to go on a walk and it’s a tedious process of getting ready, but it’s great when you actually start doing it. I’m not saying do a walking tour of a major city. I’m saying maybe half a mile to just get out of the house and breathe in the fresh air. Walking is one of the fastest ways to weight loss as well. I heard this stat and was like “oh yeah it’s gonna be so easy to just walk for a bit”. Please take note that the first week was indeed not easy. After that first week, I established a path that I took and put my AirPods in and got lost in the music. Sometimes I would walk for 45 minutes before even realizing it. I’m telling you, it’s life-changing.
- Start Saving All Your Change
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My mom and I started doing this about a year ago. We save any change we encounter into a jar and then use that money as spending money for our trip each year. This has saved us so much hassle, time, and stress weeks before trips wondering if we are going to have enough for anything we want to do. I use an old jelly jar and just put them all in there. Then when it’s full, I take it to my bank and deposit it. This doesn’t always work because parking meters of the bain of human existence, but it’s a great idea for the most part.
- Start Evaluating All Of Your Relationships
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This would not be a true Stephanie Liebel Article TM (TM pending) if I didn’t include relationships. The people around your dictate the kind of person you are. It sucks to say that, but it is true. This spring, step back and take a look at the people in your life. Truly think about each and every individual person and recognize their purpose and their love for you. Create criteria of traits and characteristics that you want in those around you and start to ween out those that don’t fit those. The worst type of self-love is holding onto people who do not have your best interest in mind.