1. Decrease Stress.  Identify the things causing you stress in your life, and ask yourself, “do I need to be doing this?”

2. Practice relaxation techniques before sleeping. Imagery and meditation are great ways to get extra relaxed before sleep time.  We love guided sleep-specific meditations, which you can find online or via apps.

3. Deep Breathing Exercises. Practice belly breathing by laying down flat with your hand resting on your stomach.  Take deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth, feeling your hand move up as you breathe in and down as you breathe out.  Repeat the breath 3-10 times and take your time!

4. Exercise, especially out in nature’s beauty!

5. Maintain a balanced diet. Eat your fruits and vegetables and consider cutting back on processed sugar.

6. Consider taking natural vitamins, supplements, and probiotics. Consult with a physician before adding any kind of supplements to your diet, and read our “shopping for supplements” blog to make an informed decision about which supplement, if any, to purchase.

7. Listen to your body. If your body is telling you to rest, REST!

8. Hydrate. Ensure you are getting at least 8 cups of water a day to stay fully hydrated.

9. Meditate.  Meditation can be helpful in bringing mindfulness to your every day life.  There are countless meditation aids in the form of apps now, such as “10% Happier,” “Headspace” and “Calm” if you need guidance with this.

10. Practice Gratitude. Whether you include a segment for gratitude within your meditation practice, write in a gratitude journal, or simply think about the things you are thankful for while driving between appointments, gratitude can help increase happiness and positivity in the mind.

11. Fill up with Joy.  In other words, make some time to do what makes you happy.  This could be anything from getting together with friends, exercising, curling up with a good book, to relaxing in a hot bath, whatever brings you joy.

12. Find ways to express yourself. Art, song, dance, or simply talking… find yourself an outlet to express any feelings you’ve been holding in.

13. Learn to say NO. If it doesn’t fulfill you or push you towards your goals, maybe it’s not something you need to do.

14. Listen to your gut. That gut feeling is a useful guide in making hard decisions.  Do what feels right.

15. Take a hiatus from electronics. Often times, we are tied to our electronic devices.  See if you can put yours down, even for 30 minutes and practice being present.

16. Put down your electronics before bed.  If you can’t take an electronic hiatus during the day, at least make it a priority to put the electronics away in the hour before bedtime.  Not only will this improve your sleep quality, but it will also allow you an hour a day of not worrying about what is going on in the outside world.

17. Get a massage once a month. This one is definitely a fan favorite.  Your excuse?   Lisa said……..!