Our physical and mental well-being can be affected by many things, but there are ways to improve both – take control of yours with 5 simple steps. Make changes to enrich your life with more of what’s important, clear the “chatter” in your brain, brought on by information overload and live a healthier, wealthier life. Read on and find what I’ve been incorporating into my life to improve my wellbeing.
1. Stop listening to the news
This is number one on the list because if there’s one thing that can harm your wellbeing and psychological health it’s taking negativity on board. Admittedly, if you’re going to reduce or cut out your news intake then you’ll have to commit to it as we’re bombarded constantly. If a news bulletin comes on when you’re in the car, turn the volume down on the radio.
Whilst you might feel it necessary, (and normal) to stay up to date with current affairs around the world, remember that the main news channels promote an exaggerated, biased viewpoint to meet rating criteria and publish negative images as a form of fearmongering.
If you have children, it’s a good idea to protect them from hearing unnecessary negativity and keep their young, impressionable minds from being corrupted as much as possible. If someone starts to tell you about something they’ve heard in the news, just stay “stop, I don’t want to know about it“. You’ll be surprised how often you need to do this as inherently, people just can’t help wanting to talk about the news and what’s going on around the world currently.
The more we’re subjected to negative news stories the more fearful we become of day-to-day living with an over-blown or distorted vision of the “big, bad world” we live in. Next time you hear the news, focus on how it made you feel, how it’s affected you emotionally and what you can take forward into your day from it. Do something positive today – turn off the news. Of course, cheery news is allowed.
2. Take 3 deep cleansing breaths
On average we take 25,920 breaths a day, all of which are taken for granted as our body just gets on with it. I’ve become more conscious of my breathing recently and I’ve been taking three cleansing breaths every morning after reading about the benefits.
Our breathing is, of course, being monitored constantly by our brain and is (amongst other things), a complex process of the tightening and relaxing of our “breathing muscles”. Also, our breathing pattern alters due to anxiety, upset or exercise whilst our brain is essentially deciphering how our body needs to react or respond to the cause.
Three cleansing breaths will drench the cells of your body with oxygen which is said to improve both cardiovascular and reproductive health. It also helps to trigger a feeling of calm.
Remember, a healthy person’s blood is already rich in oxygen with around a 95-100% saturation level, so you only need three cleansing breaths – It’s not recommended to continue with more. However, it is good to become conscious of your breathing in general. Try and get your regular breath into your belly (not just your chest) a few times throughout the day.
Want to start your day with some feel-good endorphins? Here’s what I do…
I like to take my cleansing breaths outside, first thing in the morning when I let my dogs out. I consciously breathe in the fresh, morning air deep into my belly and hold for 4 seconds. I then purse my lips together to control my breath as it leaves my body and repeat this a further two times. You can do this anywhere, or, anytime but, preferably the cleaner the air, the better. Try it and see if you feel a change in your well-being.
To get an extra boost of oxygen on the go, find out how I got on with Boost Oxygen – said to be Hollywood’s best-kept beauty secret.
3. Declutter your inbox
What’s this got to do with improving your wellbeing? I hear you ask. You’ll be surprised. If you’re someone who feels overwhelmed by a lot of incoming information then decluttering your inbox might help.
Mine was home to thousands upon thousands of emails, important/junk/spam/unread you name it. I always had a very large number of notifications shining away on the email app which was a constant reminder of the chaos. I would miss emails as they mingled in with all the others and this carried on for far longer than it should’ve.
Finally, I decided to face it and set the time aside to log onto my email accounts on my laptop and really get to grips with it. I flagged important emails then bulk deleted pages and pages of read emails. I then looked at my junk folder and blocked all the spam senders.
Next UNSUBSCRIBE, this is the best thing you can do for your inbox. Ever since the world went crazy about GDPR we now have the ability to hit unsubscribe. This is a gift from the gods, so do make use of it.
Now my inbox only contains emails from friends/family/PR and a few beauty and fashion brands which I allow. I’m now able to monitor my emails and respond without feeling overwhelmed by so many unread or spam messages. If your inbox/s isn’t such a problem, apply the decluttering technique to other areas of your technological life and free up some memory – in more ways than one!
4. Stop wasting your money on “pointless stuff”
Are you fuelling consumerism? Ever looked around your house and thought to yourself, all this clutter used to be my money? If so, start changing your mindset today.
A few years ago, I became more and more aware of my spending habits and began turning pointless purchases into considered ones and cutting down on the mindset of – leaving the house, and needing to return with more “stuff”. I’m leaning towards a minimalistic lifestyle and learning to live with less Find out how I’m achieving it.
A positive to take from this new way of life is seeing my money remain in my bank account. This is doing wonders for my wellbeing and I’d highly recommend you try it. I live by the rule “if you stop spending money on things you don’t need, you’ll have more money for things you do need” Consider every non-essential purchase and ask yourself “Do I REALLY need this”? Before heading to the till.
I used to “pop” into Homesense and leave an hour and a half later, yes you read that correctly. I’d come out pleased as punch, with my purchases, loaded up with items such as plastic articles to store avocado or lemons in. Of course, I’ve not used said article and the one time I did, my avocado half was as blackened as it is when I store in any other way, so again, a pointless purchase.
A mantra to live by is “it’s not your salary making you rich, it’s your spending habits“.
5. Try being nothing but positive at least once a week for a whole day.
I’m guilty of leaning toward the negative side generally as a person, but I’m fully aware of it and I’m taking steps to alter my mindset. For example, we live rurally which involves navigating narrow lanes on a daily basis. More often than not when I’m driving I find myself ranting at other drivers, particularly those who can’t (or won’t) reverse. I’m pretty sure I’m not alone there. Try “thought stopping” – when a negative notion pops into your head, check yourself and literally stop the negative thought in its tracks. You can even physically say “stop” if you prefer.
My teenage daughter is often sitting next to me in the car, taking in any negative words. However, she will always question my voice, rationalising the other person’s behaviour in a way only a child-like mind can. I always counter with – “wait until you start driving, you’ll feel my frustrations”.
My aim is to try stopping negative thoughts before they manifest and be a little more patient with people, checking myself every time I feel the need to berate other drivers; I mean, I’m not exactly perfect myself but I’ll do what I can to improve my wellbeing generally.
What do you do to improve your well-being? If you have any tips of your own then please do share them. I’d love to know what works for you.
Love this!!! I’ve changed my mindset recently and I am so much happier small things don’t effect me as much as they did and I can just feel good things coming to me. I defiantly agree with the first statement the whole brexit talk was filling my mind with the thought that it could make our current life un-livable however since switching off and turning up the positive frequency I’m not worried and can take on board snippets here and there.
Lovely post
Holly
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I know we’re on the same page with this. Turning off the news is one of the best things I’ve ever done! Considering the first thing I would do in the mornings is check my news app so It’s a big change for me but a good one. Some might say it’s living a sheltered life but we really don’t need to know about it!! Thanks lovely. Have a fab weekend xx
This is so true and amazing. I never listen to the news…for so many years now and it feels amazing!
http://www.fashionradi.com
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So pleased to hear that. Great isn’t it, and so much better without. We don’t need to know! x
Very valuable post, thanks for sharing
Author
You’re very welcome. Thank you x
My pleasure
I love this post so much! I stopped reading/listening to the news a few years ago. It made me so sad and like you must be an empath. The spending part I’m working on. I only buy things that make me happy to be fair but I ought to cut down to things that make me happy for longer if that makes any sense.
Anna xx
http://www.cinnamonbunsandroses.wordpress.com
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Sounds like you’re on the right track. Life is so much better without the news and proves that we don’t need to know. Good for you!! I love seeing my money stay in my account longer, such a great feeling isn’t it?! Thanks lovely x
GDPR was such a lifesaver – my inbox must have halved overnight! I do focused breathing every day and it really helps to stay calm and focused.Great post! xx
Author
So much better now we have more control over the emails we receive! Couldn’t agree more. Have a fab weekend lovely, and thank you x
I have been doing similar things to change my mindset. I need to turn off the news notifications on my phone as they always pop up with negativity.
Author
That’s great! Yes, turning off your news notifications is a good place to start. More often than not it’s negative stories like you say. Thanks, lovely x
I love this post Samantha, so many brilliant suggestions! I’m exactly the same when it comes to the news, I actively avoid it, mostly it’s because I find it boring and negative, but there are so many other things I’d rather be doing with my time 🙂 I used to look at online newspapers first thing in the morning until I realized I was starting my day on a downer, now I read blogs or just simply read a book or listen to music – a much calmer way to start the day. Decluttering the inbox is such an effective one, recently I’ve been unsubscribing to a lot of unnecessary e-mails and it is such a great feeling! It’s crazy how quickly we can accumulate junk in our inboxes and in our lives too! Thank you so much for sharing, such a great post and oh my Koko is super adorable, what a gorgeous doggie! <3 xx
Bexa | http://www.hellobexa.com
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Thank you Bexa! It seems quite a few are already actively avoiding the news. I’m pleased! You’re right about the clutter in our inbox too. Glad to hear you’re being proactive with positivity! Have a lovely evening x
I absoloutely love this post and these photos! You look gorgeous and your dog is so sweet. These tips are also very handy. I totally know what you mean about the news being so negative on your wellbeing. I definitely limit the amount I consume these days as it just puts me in the worst mood hearing all the fearmongering all the time x
Lauren | itslaurenvictoria.co.uk
Author
Thanks Lauren! The news is just the worst isn’t it?! I really think it’s odd that it’s pushed at us all day everyday,, particularly on the radio every half hour. Its surprising the effect it can have on is. Up the positivity! Have a lovely evening x
Deep breathing is such an underrated practice for improving wellness. I find this to be the most helpful when I can’t quiet my mind at night, as it is so helpful for getting rid of toxicity and calming down.
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You’re right it really is underrated. We don’t notice our breathing half the time but it’s so important to focus on it. good to hear you’re already a fan x
LOVE this! It really is such a mindset…definitely helps to eliminate negativity (why I don’t read the news anymore lol)!
-Kate // http://www.classyandkate.com/yachting-through-the-virgin-islands-trip-recap
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So pleased to hear that! We don’t need it. Thanks lovely x
Omg this is such a great post! I’m going to try taking 3 deep cleansing breaths starting from tomorrow, I’ll let you know how I get on with it hahah! Love the pictures, your dog is such a cutie x
New Lune | http://new-lune.com
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That’s fab! Yes, love to know how you get on with the cleansing breaths. Really worth giving it a try. x
What a great post! I used to be obsessed with reading the news too, to find out what was happening in the world, but now I know that I never needed to know and knowing never benefited me in any way, so what’s the point? I’ve definitely been feeling a lot better since I stopped doing it too xx
Hannah | luxuryblush
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I’m really pleased to hear so many feel the same about the news. We are all much better off for not hearing it. Thanks lovely x
Really great and inspiring post. I have already made steps with some of these too. The biggest change I noticed was when I stop watching the news.
Have a great week.
Gemma x
http://www.jacquardfower.uk
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Fab! That’s so good to hear. x
great tips! your doggy is so cute!
kelseybang.com
4allthingsdisney.com
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Thank you so much! x
These are great tips – especially the one about buying stuff! I try to buy less, particularly with fashion. That’s the one thing I splurge the most on and I’m trying to cut back. I’ve been doing good the past few years but there is always room for improvement! 🙂
Hope that you are having a nice weekend 🙂 We spent yesterday on the bay celebrating Australia day – despite the heat! Our heatwave continues!
Away From The Blue Blog
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Thank you so much. I think it takes time to change our buying ways. More of a realisation really. I just try to buy or replace what I need instead of making constant purchases that I never wear. Seems to work.
So pleased you had a lovely day celebrating on the bay. Sounds wonderful! Have a fab Sunday x
I’m the worst I always spend my money on pointless things <3
Serene XO
http://www.surrealserene.com
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It’s a good habit to break! x
Great post and photos!
Have a lovely day!
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Thank you so much, you too! x