7 Habits to Improve Your Health and Happiness

The first time I heard the statement that happiness was a decision, I wasn’t sure I agreed. I often thought happiness was a splendid mixture of good fortune, great circumstances, great people, and our environment. The more I’ve questioned, the more curious this topic becomes. I have concluded that the happiest people in the world seem to have very little. It’s intriguing that we think surrounding ourselves with more stuff will make us happy. More stuff tends to steal our beautiful energy and make us less happy over time.

The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin is a wonderful read as she explores how to live a happier and more fulfilling life.

There are heaps of books, seminars and people to share their advice and strategies for living a happier and healthier life. I decided to share simple habits you can implement today that will help you connect more with yourself.

1. Eat clean and eat consciously. One of the first amazing nutrition books I read was The Raw Food Detox Diet by Natalia Rose. What I love about Natalia is that she explains how ‘weight=waste’ and the less clean we eat, the more grumpy our cells are. Poor food choices suck our energy and prevent us from vibrating at our most radiant frequency.
2. Boost your good fats. Nuts and seeds, avocados, fish oil, and plant based oils do wonders for your mental attitude as well as your body. You’ve likely heard a trainer tell you that good fats help fight bad fat. This is so true! Incorporating good fats in your diet is so important for maintaining a healthy weight.
3. Do a passion check. The Passion Test by Janet Bray Attwood and Chris Attwood is a great guidebook for tuning into yourself about what makes you feel alive. I remember a period in my life when I was so busy achieving that I couldn’t remember what I was passionate about. I was truly living the life of a productive robot. This book was part of my rehab!
4. Create space for new relationships. Sometimes we just need an infusion of inspiring new relationships. It’s so wonderful to have beautiful friends and family in our lives but sometimes meeting new people who challenge us to be better is refreshing. Reach out to someone new today. Someone who grabs your attention and triggers that intuitive nudge to reach out.
5. Love more. Michael Brown has a wonderful book Alchemy of the Heart. Opening our hearts to ourselves and to others in a deeper way always results in goodness. For most, loving oneself is the ultimate challenge. We are so good at being hard on ourselves and always striving to be more and do more. Here’s a great video from Michael on loving ourselves.
6. Buy less. Go on a shopping diet and experience how easy or challenging it is for you. Buying less does wonders for your being and your bank account. It’s the most delicious personal psychology experiment. It will help you identify if you have a major or minor addiction. Remember that practicing non-attachment is part of yoga practice. I do love my car but I could also live without it. There are things in my life that I do love but I am not emotionally attached to them.
7. Meditate more. I have attended wonderful meditation retreats but must admit that meditating daily is challenging for me. Gabby Bernstein has a great video for starting a daily meditation practice. Even if you don’t feel you are quite ready or prepared to meditate daily, taking the time each morning and night to sit quietly in your room to breathe is divine. Practice sitting quietly in your room each morning when you get out of bed to do 10 deep belly breaths. Do the same thing before you jump into bed at night and watch the space that is created in your life.