5 Things Well-thy People Do Everyday

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Money can buy you a lot. A luxury car. A designer wardrobe. A private plane (or maybe a private island). However, like musician Garth Brooks once said, you aren’t truly rich until you have something that money can’t buy — like health, happiness, balance, peace, family, friends and gratitude for it all.

Some people are naturally good at mindful balance; they know when to work and when to relax, when to smile and when to be thankful. But if you’re not a natural, you needn’t worry. While you can’t order up happiness and health, each can all be cultivated with practice over time. Here are everyday strategies and secrets for a happy, healthy life.

Offload Your Work Stress (Before You Get Home)

Each day before entering your home, you must find a place to “deposit” all of your problems from the day, according to psychologist and counselor Karla Ivankovich, PhD, an adjunct professor of psychology at the University of Illinois, Springfield. This is vital, because a growing number of men and women can’t seem to unplug and unwind from workday stressors. According to 2015 research, one in three global workers says work/life balance has become increasingly harder to maintain in the last five years. American Psychological Association (APA) statistics show more than 50 percent of employed adults can’t help but check work correspondence at least once a day on weekends, as well as before and after work during the week.

To create a dividing line between work and home life, Ivankovich says to “find your worry tree” (or mailbox, or whatever helps you). “By depositing stressors or worries on the tree, you are being mindful,” she explains. “You avoid bringing your stressful work life home to your family. Don’t panic, though; you’re not just ignoring obligations. Ivankovich says that you are allowed to pick up the worries you dropped at the tree the next day, on your way out. “What you should find is that there are far fewer worries,” she says, noting that you will only remember the ones that really mattered. Stress isn’t bad, but perspective and balance are essential.

Walk Off Your Worries (Especially In Nature)

Mindfulness is one of the most important skills you can develop as an adult. “As with any machine, the body and the mind are constantly running — but often without letting off steam,” Ivankovich says. “By getting regular exercise, one is more likely to maintain the semblance of calm necessary to traverse through the days ups and downs.” Hate working out? Then don’t think of it that way. Get off your couch for a simple, steady stroll in nature. Scientists have discovered that moderate-intensity walking is just as effective as high-intensity running in lowering your risk for high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels and diabetes, according to the American Heart Association.

A natural setting matters for the mind, so find a tree-lined path. In a 2015 study, researchers had 38 healthy men and women take either a brisk walk in a lovely park on Stanford’s campus or along a busy highway in Palo Alto. Those who took a walk in nature had slightly improved mental health scores on questionnaires, as well as less blood flow to the subgenual prefrontal cortex, an area of the brain known for brooding (or “morbid rumination”). Less blood flow generally means lower activity, so hitting the park helped calm those tired minds.

Laugh Often (Even If You Don’t Feel Like It)

According to a 2014 study of older adults, getting a case of the giggles had loads of benefits — from a reduction in cortisol levels (a.k.a the stress hormone) to better short-term memory recall. “Some of the happiest people report their happiness after engaging in activities or events that make them laugh,” Ivankovich says. “The difficulty is that it’s tough in very stressful situations, like at work.” You don’t generally see upbeat office workers, right? Very few people are actively seeking a laugh — but you can, says Ivankovich. “Find a way to laugh in your workday,” she says. “Watch a VINE, look for a funny video on Youtube or Buzzfeed, consider paradoxical thoughts… simply strive to be amused.”

If you can’t laugh, even just smiling will do. According to research, the more you smile, the more your brain becomes aware of your smiling. This slowly begins to rewire the brain’s tendency to think negatively, creating positive thought patterns instead. If that’s not enough, you can think of smiling almost as a public service. It’s very contagious. Researchers at Sweden’s Uppsala University discovered that frowning while looking at a smiling person is, while not impossible, extremely difficult. So, pass it along!

Drink Water (Especially Around Meals)

According to Joshua T. Goldman, MD, MBA, an assistant clinical professor of family medicine and orthopaethic surgery at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, adequate water intake is linked to numerous health benefits, including a lower risk of stroke, urinary tract infections and colon cancer, as well as reduced pain perception. “The take home message is that adequate hydration can make a big difference in terms of improving your health and preventing disease,” he explains.

Staying hydrated can also help you maintain a healthy weight, so make sure to take your water bottle to the dinner table and sip H20 at lunchtime. A 2016 study of more than 18,000 American adults showed that those who upped their water intake by one, two or three glasses per day consumed fewer calories, as well as less saturated fat, sodium, and sugar. Goldman says this is consistent with research that shows most people tend to drink 75 percent of their fluids around mealtime, which leads to “earlier satiety” and “less overall food intake” — basically, liquids prevent you from overeating. “If you’re drinking more water during meals, you will fill up faster and consume less food that you would without the added water intake,” Goldman says.

Practice Gratitude (and Write It Down)

Healthy children? A loving partner? A great dog and a fulfilling job? Ivankovich says to tally your blessings, reflecting on all the aspects of your life that you’re grateful for at least two times per day. “Think about these things while you’re waking up and just before you fall asleep,” she says. “We are a society fraught with stress, so by engaging in mindfulness practices that focus on gratitude, we are better able to realize how many good things are happening in our lives — even if we often don’t feel their impact throughout our hurried and harried days.”

To keep yourself accountable, make gratitude a part of your nightly ritual by journaling. According to a study conducted at the University of California, Davis, gratitude can have a powerful positive effect on your life. Men and women who made an effort to journal positive things felt more optimistic and happier than those who journaled about trials or whatever they wanted. They also exercised more and made fewer trips to the doctor over the course of the 10-week study. So many bonuses!

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