How I TRANSFORMED my health, wellness, and lifestyle
Leading up to this year, I’ve always wanted to find ways to improve my health and well-being. I’ve read countless magazines, academic papers, and had conversations with friends over life, our goals, and our future. Here are some things I did this summer that have improved my happiness:
(1) Getting at least eight hours of sleep everyday – Sleep is so important! It’s important for feeling good the next day, memory consolidation, emotional regulation… the list goes on. I never really appreciated this until I took a course literally about sleep (shoutout to everyone in last semester’s course, sleep mechanisms and behaviour!)
(2) Exercising everyday – I love to bike around my neighbourhood, lane swim, and hike. The great thing is that each activity has some other added benefits: biking = I can listen to Taylor Swift’s new song on repeat; lane swimming = feels great during and after a swim; hiking = I can bring my camera with me to take some scenic pictures.
(3) Making a realistic to-do list – I’m currently taking Physics I. 2 weeks before my exam, I created a study plan that I made sure to follow exactly. If that means staying up until 1 A.M. to finish some summary notes, I will do that at the expense of playing games (what I do in the late evening) just to make sure I stay on track. Eventually things have to be done anyways, so it’s better for the long run to do things as planned. Future me will be thankful that I stayed on track.
(4) Learning about mindfulness – on the last day of the Winter semester, I went to Indigo, and picked up the Mindfulness magazine by Time. Since then, I’ve become even more invested in mindfulness & well-being. I have integrated some mindfulness techniques that were shared in the magazine before I sleep and have noticed positive changes. Breathing exercises & meditation are wonderful.
(5) Catching up with great people – I always enjoy catching up with my friends in person, hearing about their lives & seeing how they’re doing! While I’m at home now (and everyone’s away :( ), I still try to check in and see how they’re doing online. And I’m always happy to chat and hear from new friends (the inbox is open 24/7!!! message me via this account @ psych2go.me/ask)
I hope these thoughts are useful. Keep me updated & let me know your thoughts. I am always looking to integrate new techniques (I’d be happy to learn more and make a part 2!!) Let’s share & discuss things we do to improve our well-being in this community.
