While I was home recovering from surgery, I watched more news than I’d watched in 7 years, and it was a strong reminder of why I choose not to watch the news.
The news is wrought with negativity, violence, disaster, and sickness.
The images are so vivid, and the stories are told in such a sensational manner. It resurrects the same feelings brought on by my saboteurs; fear, anxiety, worry, and sadness just to name a few.
We know what we eat and drink affects our overall health but rarely do we consider the effect of what we consume through our eyes and our ears. Everything we watch, read and listen to has incredible power over our mood and our mindset and can directly affect our motivation and our relationships. A recent article in TIME describes the negative effect the news has on our mindset.
Here are 8 habits to improve your overall health:
Limit your news intake. My experience during recovery validated what I have known for years. You can allow yourself to be informed but don’t get caught up in the negativity or drama that the news tries to feed us.
Eat healthy foods. It goes without saying that eating fresh fruits and vegetables and drinking lots of water makes a body feel good. Do your best not to indulge in the junk and stay focused on foods that nourish your body.
Read, watch and listen to things that are uplifting. Fill your mind with books, blogs, and podcasts that make you feel good. One of my personal favorites is Oprah’s Super Soul Conversations.
Connect with nature. There’s nothing like a little fresh air to calm and clear the mind. It’s like a natural neutralizer. Because it helps clear the mind, it can create space for new ideas.
Spend time with your peeps. Do you have a friend or someone in your life that no matter how often you see or speak to them, you walk away feeling happier and lighter? Lean into that and schedule time with that person.
Meditate. Headspace is my favorite meditation app. They have a free and paid option. Once you get into the groove, you might find it worthwhile to invest in the paid version. The paid version offers guided meditation for specific challenges like sleep, anxiety, self-esteem, etc.
Slay your saboteurs. Notice when your judge creeps in and starts criticizing you or others, and shift your thinking. Make sure to acknowledge your judge and let him or her know, “you’ve got this.”
Practice yoga. Yoga is available and accessible for every body. You don’t need to have a flexible body, only an open mind. Yoga is a powerful tool for connecting your mind and body and will make you want to practice numbers 1-7.
Everything we digest has an impact on our overall health. What strategies do you use to maintain a healthy mind, body, and spirit? Leave me a comment below. If you enjoyed this post, please share it and subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Photo courtesy of Jane Berger