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Creating Healthy and Productive Habits

Do you feel like you’re constantly under stress, day in and day out, dealing with everything from a crabby boss to a heavy workload? If your answer is yes, you probably never seem to have the time to cook a healthy meal, work out, or heck; how about a little down time to simply kick back and relax? Believe it or not, there are some simple habits you can develop that will not only relieve stress, but help you lead happier, healthier and more productive lives.

Let’s face it; it’s difficult to live a happy life when we’re all facing one of the most stressful, economic times, most of us has ever had to deal with, without the tools that can help us create a productive life plan. Most people don’t seem to fully grasp the importance of living their life on purpose; creating healthy and gratifying habits will help you get there.

If you’re looking for habits that can ease stress, improve performance, boost your energy and live a more satisfying life, consider the following steps:

Exercise Every Day

Make time to exercise every day; yep, that’s right; you have to get up and start moving. Some of us willingly fall for the latest fads, promising to burn off fat without exercise, blah, blah, blah. Bottom line, there’s no magic pill that takes the place of exercise; you need to exercise if you want to be healthy and fight stress. Start building workout habits that include stretching, walking, Cardio (run with the dog, jump rope – It doesn’t need to be complicated).

Exercise relieves stress, boosts your metabolism, improves heart health, and much, much more. As often as possible, make time to get together with friends as well, and set aside time to do things you enjoy from playing piano, to reading, hiking, sightseeing; whatever excites you.

Develop Healthy Eating Habits

I know it’s not the most exciting thing, but along with exercise you need to develop healthy eating habits if you want to live a long, quality life. First and foremost, cut down on eating at fast food restaurants! Sure, some drive through establishments are now offering healthier food choices but there’s still that tempting menu still selling fries, milkshakes, and chicken nuggets which can easily derail your efforts.

It’s always better to go for whole foods (avoiding processed foods and sugar filled foods), fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables and lean protein; a much healthier eating plan that will help you stay focused and feel more energetic. If that humongous vending machine at work is constantly calling your name, pack your own healthy lunch (come on – it doesn’t take that much effort); you’ll save money and avoid those sugar rushes that are always followed by a drop in energy; never a good thing at work. It will be easier to develop and stick to smart eating habits if you don’t get overly hungry and make sure you’re well hydrated; these steps alone will peak physical and mental performance.

Get Enough Sleep

It’s important that you get enough sleep and while I know that’s easy to say, it is something you can do by building good habits. First, keep your TV, smartphone, tablet, laptop (you get the picture) out of the bedroom; this will help your body receive the signal that it’s time to unwind and fall asleep. People who don’t get enough sleep often end up with mental and emotional problems and find it difficult to focus, be creative or productive.

Listen To Music

Research has shown that music can reduce stress. Whether it’s Mozart, your favorite rock tunes or the latest tunes, music has been proven to boost productivity. It’s believed that music makes use of the brain pathway as memory. Listen to music to and from work and if possible, at work.

Past Is Dust

Make a plan and forget about any past failures; the past is the past; now you’re starting out fresh. Instead of dwelling on the past, live in the present and give yourself a lot of positive feedback. Everyone needs praise for their efforts and plenty of encouragement when things seem too difficult to deal with. Enlist the help of a trusted friend if you need to, or at the very least, remind yourself every day of the many benefits you’ll gain from your new, healthy and productive habits.

Stay Consistent

Most people admit that they always feel better after exercising, when they eat right; basically when they’ve adapted to their new productive habits, but you must have a plan in place to meet it; it’s not going to happen on its own. Even if your routine gets thrown off kilter by massive holiday dinners, having way too much fun at the club, etc., having a plan in place will make it easier to get back on track right away. The key is having an effective plan and developing a balanced approach to work and personal life. Developing good habits will help put productivity, optimal health and happiness on autopilot.

Our friends at HiTask.com sent over a guideline to help us stay productive.

As you form your habit, you use less and less mental energy to do so since the habit is automatically triggered, leaving more mental energy for other things. (NPR) Sign up for our e-mail list as we continue to dive deeper into productivity hacks, we have a few giveaway contest coming up at the end of the month. Subscribe and share this article to earn bonus points. Talk to you soon Leave This Blank: Leave This Blank Too: Do Not Change This: Your email:

