Overview
The three pillars here will be well known to all, there’s nothing new under the sun and it goes doubly true here. Most of you will read this and to ‘duh, I know’. The trick is being able to take a step back and view yourself in the third person, to really assess if there’s a gap or two you’ve missed.
Food quality
I’m confident in stating everybody out there, even those not interested in fitness culture, has a basic understanding of what constitutes a good diet. (In contrast to exercise, where misinformation abounds in popular culture). So what you imagine works, probably works:
- eat a large quantity and variety of vegetables
- get a reasonable variety of white meats, seafood, low fat dairy, nuts, seeds, whole grains, legumes, fruits
- don’t fall for fads and trends. If you specifically want a ‘named’ diet to follow, follow the Mediterranean diet or DASH eating plan
- think a 8 out of 10 ratio of clean foods versus processed and junk foods
Sleep levels
We’ll keep the suggestions simple:
- have a sleep ritual – this could be anything from reading a book, drinking caffeine-free tea, face masks
- turn on night lights on your screens
- generally lower the brightness of screens and turn off some lights an hour before bed
- keep the temperature a few degrees cooler in your bedroom
- have some airflow such as a fan in your bedroom
- black out your bedroom – the darkest curtains possible, duct tape on any electronic stuff with a flashing light (power cords, phone chargers, etc)
Stress management
Some more simple suggestions:
- Physical contact. Hug your partner, family, friends. If not, get a massage
- Zone out with a passive activity. Watching your favourite comedy or reality TV, music, podcast. Not something where you are mentally active and creative
- Fresh air. Ensure you are getting a walk under sunlight or at least moonlight every day (not just indoors)
- Mindfulness practice. Anywhere from 1-5 minutes of slow, steady breathing, comfortably seated with your eyes closed