5 Healthy Habits For a More Productive Day
It's no secret that your productivity is at an ultimate high when you're feeling your best (mentally + physically).
Now, I understand creating healthy habits doesn't just happen overnight, they take time and repetition.
You'll want to start small and grow from there when you're creating new lifestyle habits. I've listed five healthy habits for a more productive day that I've incorporated over the last year and have seen significant productivity improvements.
Daily Movement
Moving your body does good for your mental and physical health. Moving your body looks different for everybody, as it should. Some days I can get in a 45-minute strength workout, and other days a couple of walks outside with my dog suffice.
Even stepping away from your workspace for 15-20 minutes in the afternoon to take a walk outside allows you to destress and gain a new perspective on things while burning calories. After you return from your walk, you'll notice your mind is in a better place, and your thoughts become more precise.
But, the most important takeaway is that both types of movement impact your mental health and well-being.
Morning Journaling
Practicing morning gratitude has become one of my favorite things to do these days. After making my coffee, I take 5-10 minutes for this.
There are many ways that journaling improves your mental health and wellness too. It helps you shift your focus on your to-do's to gratitude, which lowers your stress levels, improves your mood, and even reduces inflammation in the body.
I highly recommend this daily gratitude journal because it helps direct your thoughts and is an excellent start to your day.
Meditation
Meditating doesn't have to be a long process; it can be as short as one minute. One minute of mindful meditation and breathing can help slow your heart rate when stressed.
Daily meditation helps increase your attention and ability to multitask, and it helps clear your mind, which provides a productivity boost!
More benefits of meditating include lowering blood pressure, boosting creativity, decreasing anxiety, and boosting your immunity.
Here are a few meditation apps that I've tried and highly recommend!
Insight Timer - the one I'm currently using! | Headspace | Calm
Nourishing Your Body
A balanced diet increases your productivity, sleep, and energy levels. That makes sense, right?
Food has a significant effect on your mental health too. For example, eating more fruits and vegetables helps nourish your body and your mental health more than you think, regulating your blood sugar levels, whereas eating more junk food leaves you feeling sluggish and a foggy brain.
Here are a few tips to help increase your productivity through healthy eating:
Mindful eating of what you're consuming and what provides you energy.
Keep a bottle of water in your workspace. It will keep you hydrated while boosting your attentiveness.
Planning your meals will help you to eat the nutrients you and your body crave.
Don't skip meals, and don't eat too late in the night to keep glucose levels at bay.
Making Sleep a Priority
Getting six to nine hours of sleep per night is crucial for your overall health, without making sleep a priority, your productivity, energy, and attention drop while stress levels rise.
Speaking from personal experience, I am a light sleeper and can't turn my mind off most nights (aka business owner brain). I have found a few things that help me sleep and relax at the end of a busy or stressful day.
Enabling sleep mode on my phone and putting my phone away 30 minutes before bedtime.
Reading - This has seriously been a game changer. Sometimes I only get through a few pages before I nod off.
Sipping on sleepy tea to help relax and start winding down for the night.
Consistently taking CBD at night. My sleep has never been better! This is my favorite brand!
These habits have been things I've incorporated into my daily/weekly routine, and I have seen energy levels and productivity go up when I'm consistent. I'll end this post with a quote from one of my favorite books.
"Habits are not a finish line to be crossed; they are a lifestyle to be lived." - James Clear
Comment if you're using one of these habits already!
