Life is full of distractions and temptations of unhealthy options. Here are five acts you can practice to lead you to a healthier, happier, and more love-filled life.
1. Accept Your Need for Sleep
For some reason, we always tell ourselves that our waking life is more important than our sleeping life. Maybe it makes us feel important if we tell ourselves we have to settle for less sleep in order to meet everyone’s needs.
It’s time to admit to yourself that sleep is a requirement of life. Stop shortchanging yourself! It’s amazing the clarity that can be gained after falling into bed early. It’s incredible how much more fun you are capable of having after giving yourself permission to sleep in on a Sunday.
2. Set an Intention Each Morning
In yoga practice, you are asked to set an intention for yourself before you begin. Some days your intention may be to gain strength to handle a hard pose. Or, you may want to accept yourself for just the way you are that day.
The same idea can be applied off the mat. When you wake up, set a daily intention for yourself. It can even be something small, like an intention to give a loved one a heartfelt hug or to give yourself permission to let go of guilt you’ve been carrying for something you can’t fix. Keep your intention with you and let it guide your thoughts and actions throughout the day.
3. Surprise Yourself
Following a routine can be a healthy way to counter stress. But every once in awhile, surprise yourself! There are a million simple things you can do to perk yourself up. Try tasting a new flavor at lunch, wearing a statement accessory, walking down a different road, starting a conversation with a stranger, picking up a new book genre, or make faces at your kids.
These little unexpected moments can go a surprisingly long way in waking up your true self and opening your eyes to new, beautiful things.
4. Connect with Mother Nature
Mother Nature is always nurturing, engaging, and utterly accepting of you. Reach out and allow her to melt your anxieties away.
Lay on the grass underneath a tree and notice how the branches and leaves blow in the wind. Visit a public garden and make keen observations of the intricate details of each different flower. Throw sticks into a running stream and watch the path they take downstream. If possible, take advantage of the early day or late evening sun when it’s low in the sky and showing off the earth at its most beautiful time.
5. Reap the Rewards of Hydrotherapy
Relaxing your body and mind through regular hot tub use can be a very rewarding experience. Scientifically called hydrotherapy, the use of water has been a way to naturally treat a plethora of physical and mental ailments since the beginning of time.
Whether you’re still lacking in earthly experience or have been here for many years, the calming effects of being encircled by hot moving water while breathing in hot steam can provide you with much-needed healing. A daily dip of 20-60 minutes in a hot tub benefits your body’s flexibility, mobility, joints, muscles, lungs, and circulatory system. At the same time, your mind will calm, de-stress, rest, and feel more open to joy.
By practicing these five acts of self-love, you will be preparing yourself a wider path to follow toward health and happiness.
About the Author:
Danielle Adams is a freelance writer who works with Bullfrog Spas. When she’s not writing, Danielle enjoys practicing yoga, meditation for stress relief, and learning more about hydrotherapy.
