Improve Your Life with these FIVE simple changes

Do you remember the feeling you’d get in school when the teacher gave you a pop-quiz? I wasn’t the best student and I HATED the pop-quiz. Of course, I am a perfectionist at heart, and those little quizzes always made me so anxious! Well, this isn’t that kind of pop-quiz, but it will have you thinking intentionally about way you can improve your life TODAY!

What makes you feel your best?

What makes you feel your best? For some people, it’s very simple. They know immediately what fuels their day. I have one friend who is a vegetarian. She knows that eating well makes her feel her best.

Another friend is an avid runner. She starts her day – everyday- with a ten-mile run. She says she ‘feels off’ when she misses a day because running makes her feel her best.

So what about you? What makes you feel your best? If you can’t answer that question relatively quickly, then here are five questions to think through; a few suggested answers will follow.

When I exercise, I feel ________________ about myself. I feel __________________ in my body. I feel ________________ in my mind.

When I eat good, nutrient rich foods my body feels _______________. When I fuel my body well, my sleep is _________________, my energy is _________________, and I feel ___________________.

When I drink enough water (1/2 your body weight in oz) I feel ________________, my skin looks __________________, and my energy level is ______________________.

When I go outside everyday my mental health is __________________. My mood is __________________, and my body feels _______________.

When I engage in activities that inspire me (social, hobbies, spiritual) I feel ____________, and _________________.

Are you treating yourself well?

It is easy to put others ahead of ourselves. Often we put work priorities, family responsibilities, or even house and home tasks at the top of the list. By the time we get around to self-care, we’re too tired or are mental / emotionally spent.

The fact is, we cannot fill someone else’s cup until we’ve filled our own! That is why self care, and treating ourselves well is so vitally important. While it may feel counterintuitive to put ourselves first, doing so enables us to serve others better and to love them greater. All of this while refueling our own tanks and taking care of our needs, too.

How do these activities rank?

Of the five topics mentioned above, which ones rank the highest for you? If you were to rank the topics in order from greatest to least, how would they rank? Let’s see. Rank each of the following on a scale of 1-5. The topic that makes you feel your best self, rank a five. Then, rank each one in descending order following that; 4, 3, 2, then 1.

Exercise _____ | Nutrition _____ | Hydration _____ | Fresh Air _____ | Engaging Activities _____

Each of the categories should have a ranking number beside them. These numbers will tell you which of these activities make you feel your best. If you’re looking for ways to improve your life, this is where to start!

Prioritize the activities that make you feel your best

So often we find ourselves in a slump mentally, feeling run down or fatigued, fighting the winter blues, or simply lacking motivation. When we find ourselves in these places, so many times we can access whether or not we’ve been doing the things that make us feel our best, and find that…. maybe we haven’t.

Maybe exercise makes you feel your best self, and you’ve been neglecting your workout. It could be you’ve been in a busy season and relying on quick meals in place of nutritious ones. Maybe you’re not drinking enough water, or making time for hobbies, or engaging with friends. Or, maybe you haven’t been prioritizing being outside because of the weather.

All of these things have a positive impact on our lives, and when they are neglected, affect us negatively.

Improve your life today

If you’ve been feeling less than your optimal self, today is the day to turn all that around. In fact, I encourage you to schedule in time every day this week to prioritize the things that make you feel your best self. Whether that’s a 10 minute walk outdoors, having a coffee with a friend, reading, cooking healthy meals, or challenging yourself to drink more water, be intentional about the things that improve your life!