I’ve tried many things to keep my energy smooth and feel my best over the years, but when it comes down to it, these are my top three foundational habits when it comes to health and well-being!

1. Get 7-8 hours of sleep on most nights. Good quality sleep is an absolute necessity to manage stress, regulate hormones & restore our bodies. Sleep can be challenging especially when your schedule is full of client work, meetings, running a business, or managing family life!  My two focus points for sleep are to first make sleep a priority and second create a sleep routine.  

Making sleep a priority can be challenging, especially in the face of big life transitions like having a baby or starting a new job. Assuming your circumstances allow, aim to give yourself an 8-hour sleep opportunity on most nights. Allow for grace when you are in a season of change!  Look for ways to ask for help in order to create the opportunity for rest and this 8-hour window to sleep. 

Having a sleep routine has been key for me to wind down my nervous system before bed. Otherwise, I lay in bed with my brain still busy from the day. Sometimes that still happens but not as often! My favorite thing to recommend here is to pick a wind-down time – usually, about an hour before you want to turn the lights out. In this hour do the things that feel good to let the day go and train your brain and body to unwind. Take a shower…read a book…make some chamomile tea…do a slow yin or restorative yoga practice…or practice deep breathing. The routine does not need to be complicated – pick one or two items that sound soothing and build a routine you can easily repeat on most days. This creates the opportunity for your body to know it’s time to unwind, let go and transition to rest. A great book for more information on the topic is “Why we Sleep” by Matthew Walker, Ph.D.

2. Get some morning sunlight! I’ve found a shift in my mood and ability to fall asleep when I get outside in the morning, even for a few minutes. The current recommendation from research (specifically from Dr. Andrew Huberman, Ph.D.) is to get outside during the first 1-3 hours of your day for some fresh air and sunlight!  Even if you live in a cloud-covered area of the world like me (Seattle area!) You can totally take advantage of this practice.  On a sunny day with no clouds in the sky, you will get sufficient light to regulate your hormone cycle within just a few minutes. If you wake up to cloud cover, you may need 20-30 minutes outdoors. Consider having your morning cup of coffee outdoors or doing a quick meditation practice outside. Try this practice for one week and see if you feel a shift in your overall mood, morning wakefulness, and ability to fall asleep.

3. Drink water! This may be obvious for some but are you drinking enough water? The current recommendation is to drink half your body weight number in ounces of water. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds drink 75 ounces of water. This is equivalent to just over two 32-ounce Nalgene bottles or two 40-ounce Hydro Flasks. I love having two of my favorite 40-ish-ounce water bottles ready to go in the morning. If I know I’ll be home I’ll do a refill but if I know I’ll be away from home, taking two water bottles helps me stay on track and avoid tracking down a water fountain or purchasing water to get a midday refill. 

No matter where you are in your journey to better health, focusing on the foundations has a tremendous effect on your overall sense of well-being. Remember – don’t overcomplicate it!  Maybe this week you pick just one thing to focus on – let just one thing be enough.  Be consistent and be kind to yourself…creating new habits takes time.

Below are some recommended practices to inspire you to create healthier habits:

https://www.innerdimensiontv.com/classes/the-transition/

https://www.innerdimensiontv.com/classes/who-will-you-be/

https://www.innerdimensiontv.com/classes/connect-to-vitality/

https://www.innerdimensiontv.com/classes/psychology-of-addiction/

By Christine