What do I mean by intentional habits? I mean the things we do each day to intentionally reduce stress, maintain our energy and help keep us centred when life gets chaotic. Intentional habits are different to resolutions in that they are not about restricting a certain behaviour or cutting something out of your life. They are about intentionally putting habits into your life. Habits that will give your day structure and nourish your body and your emotional wellbeing.
What happens when we don’t set intentional habits?
You may have noticed modern living generates a LOT of noise, stress, and an unprecedented amount of demands. We receive a huge amount of information just through the small screen your hold in your hand. Because of this information overload we often feel overwhelmed, unsure of ourselves and exhausted trying to process and ‘participate’. It may keep us from sleeping well, exercising enough, tapping into our intuition and creativity and most of all, living in flow. When we are out of flow, we feel like we’re always playing ‘catch up’ with ourselves, falling further and further behind.
How do we rescue ourselves? With intentional habits!
Here are 6 of my favourite intentional habits for a happier 2023:
1. Unclench your jaw and check in with your nervous system. As many times in the day as you can remember, unclench your jaw, soften your tongue. Perhaps you hold stress in your shoulders. Release them. Then, check in with your nervous system. Ask; ‘Where am I feeling tension? How can I release it?’ If you rush around, being busy, stress about being late – all of this has an impact on your nervous system, your adrenals and can even cause damage to your gut lining. Keep checking in with yourself, try not to rush, and slow down.
2. Allow yourself to feel joy. What are the small moments of pure joy in your day? Sunrise? Your first coffee? Listening to the baby birds in the nest on your veranda? Whatever it is, be sure to feel joy within your entire being – and stay there. Don’t rush joy. Allow yourself to feel joy in the small moments throughout the day. Go looking for joy too.
3. Take a daily walk. Even 30 minutes of brisk walking every day can lower blood pressure, relax your mind, and encourage joint health. For me, walking is where I do some of my best thinking and letting go of thoughts that no longer serve me. Walking in nature boosts dopamine, reducing anxiety and depression. Read about the benefits of walking here.
4. Make meditation part of your routine. Many of us set out to meditate but our busy lives get in the way. We don’t quite ‘get to it’. When you intentionally make meditation a habit, you’re far more likely to do it and feel all the incredible benefits that meditation can bring. Try 10 minutes of meditation just before sleep. Find a meditation app on your phone and make it part of your sleep routine. Listen to my podcast episode Meditation - the secret sauce to life, with Natasha Mason. Which leads me to...
5. Have a sleep routine. Good sleep habits are essential for your physical and emotional wellbeing. It only takes a few bad sleeps to wreak havoc on your mood. A sleep routine might look like this: 30 minutes before bed you take a warm bath, you meditate for 10 minutes when you are in bed, you have a diffuser with sleep-friendly essential oils, and you make sure your bedroom is primed for sleep (the right temperature and total darkness). Leave your mobile phone OUT of your bedroom.
6. Eat your greens in a smarter way. Not many of us have the perfect diet to nourish our body with all the greens we need for detoxification and to properly support our immune system. A powerful greens blend is the best way to get your greens every day and make sure you are getting all the antioxidants needed to fight harmful free radicals and support optimal health. Find a good one and make it a habit to drink daily. Check out my Daily Greens blend. Smart supplements are a fast and easy way to take care of your health – from the inside out.
Ps; Are your 2023 health goals starting to wobble? You’re not alone! I hope this makes it super easy for you… Check out my collagen and maca blends here to incorporate quality supplements into intentional habit setting. You can read about the incredible benefits of my maca blend here and collagen here.
