Reset Your Lifestyle: Incorporate These 5 MEGA SELF Habits to Initiate Your Transformation

Let’s be honest, none of us can expect a miraculous life change in a short period of time. Taking small, aligned steps towards the desired feelings and ultimate self we envision is the key to change.

This forward progress often boils down to enhancing small yet significant aspects of our daily habits, transforming them into consistent practices. These potent behaviours, much like drops in a pond, create a ripple effect of positive changes throughout our lives.

MEGA SELF habits act as the foundation for personal transformation, each possessing a unique appeal and power in fostering mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing. Ultimately, the goal is to cultivate habits that yield the greatest benefits, supporting us in becoming our MEGA healthy SELF.

MEGA SELF Habits Exercise

Healthy Habit One

Regular Exercise: A Lifelong Investment

Scientific evidence consistently highlights the benefits of regular exercise, be it brisk walking, swimming, strength training, or yoga. It resembles a lifelong investment with substantial returns.

Numerous studies suggest that maintaining consistent physical activity can lead to improved cardiovascular health, enhanced mood, support during menopause and perimenopause, better cognitive function, and even a reduced risk of various health conditions, including diabetes and certain types of cancer.

If we view our bodies as our most valuable asset, as I have started to, treating exercise as an essential daily routine becomes an investment in our health and longevity. It’s a decision that pays off not just in the present but also in the future, offering a brighter, healthier, and more vibrant tomorrow.

As we age, this isn’t solely about how we want to feel today; it’s also about creating a foundation for the activities and lives we wish to continue as we grow older.

Think about how you can incorporate daily movement into your routine. Make it achievable and don’t overdo it; otherwise, you’ll feel less inclined to do it the next day.

Healthy Habit Two

Sleep: The Silent Healer and Its Impact on Your Wellbeing

Sleep is often underestimated in our lives, yet it plays a crucial role in overall wellbeing. Its role is akin to that of a silent healer, repairing our bodies and minds, promoting peak performance, and cultivating wellness.

Prioritising sound sleep is not a luxury; it’s a necessity.

Each hour of sleep significantly contributes to physical health, cognitive functionality, and emotional resilience. Consider the value an extra hour of sleep could provide compared to an extra hour of screen time. Could prioritising sleep offer a greater return on your lifestyle and health investment?

Recognising the power of sleep allows us to make it non-negotiable in our daily routines. Remember, sleep is the investment we make in our mood, energy levels, and overall health for the following day and beyond.

Healthy Habit Three

Embracing Gratitude: A Mental Game Changer

Embracing gratitude is a transformative habit that alters how we perceive the world and our place in it. Expressing gratitude cultivates a positive mental outlook, shifts focus from problems to solutions and effectively redefines our approach to life.

Gratitude acts as a catalyst for happiness, creating a ripple effect across all areas of our lives. Incorporating gratitude into our daily routine can be as simple as jotting down a few things we’re grateful for each day or expressing gratitude to someone in our lives.

By doing so, we can foster a more positive outlook on life and improve our overall wellbeing.

If you’re looking for enjoyable ways to practice gratitude, check out Gratitude Bingo in the MEGA SELF journal and planner.

Healthy Habit Four

Stress Reduction: Create a Daily Practice of Teaching Your Body to Reset

Life is hectic, and many of us find ourselves trapped in a cycle of stress and anxiety. Establishing an accessible daily practice can be your secret weapon, inducing calm and resetting your stress response.

Numerous tools act as natural stress relievers, but one I often use for its simplicity and accessibility is the physiological sigh.

First, let’s demystify this a bit. What exactly is a physiological sigh? In technical terms, it’s a profound breath taken in two quick successions – a double inhalation followed by a longer, calming exhalation. It’s a survival mechanism ingrained in us, a tool our bodies employ subconsciously when we sense an excessive buildup of carbon dioxide, like during moments of stress or anguish.

This may sound clinical, but performing a physiological sigh is straightforward. Ready to try it?

Place your hand on your heart, take in a quick, deep breath through your nose, then another one right on top of it, and finally, exhale slowly through your mouth. Take a moment to notice how you feel. The goal isn’t to change the world around you but rather to alter your response to it.

Often, we overlook the powerful role our respiratory system can play in our overall wellbeing. Our breath is not only essential for life; it can be our greatest ally in managing stress. Incorporating regular physiological sighs into your daily routine can be a transformative habit leading to a more peaceful and mindful existence.

Healthy Habit Five

Increase Your Veggies Throughout the Day

Here are a few tips to kick-start this habit.

First tip: begin your day with a touch of green. Remember the age-old adage, ‘Breakfast like a king’? It’s time to tweak it – ‘Breakfast like a king, but a health-conscious one’.

Make it a habit to include a portion of green vegetables in your breakfast. They are an abundant source of fibre and nutrients, laying a strong foundation for the day’s nutritional needs. A spinach scramble, a kale smoothie, or a simple avocado toast. Who said healthy couldn’t be tasty? I aim to make five breakfasts a week a savoury mixture of protein and vegetables.

Moving on to the second tip: why settle for unhealthy, empty-calorie snacks when we could delve into the colourful world of veggies? Next time you’re hit with a snack attack, reach for veggie sticks paired with hummus. It’s a nourishing blend of flavours and nutrition, the crunchy veggies contrasting with the smooth and creamy hummus. You satisfy your hunger, treat your taste buds, and add endless nutrients to your system all at once.

Finally, the third tip is about how you plate your dinner. Give vegetables the limelight they deserve by allocating them three-quarters of your plate. This doesn’t imply a monotonous pile of leafy greens but a vibrant assortment of vegetables – red, green, yellow, purple. Each colour and each vegetable contributes differently to your body, creating a rainbow of health. Tofu and stir-fried vegetables, a salmon bowl with wok-fried greens, or a fillet steak with an assortment of steamed vegetables.

As we’ve seen, it all starts with a single step. A challenging workout? Perhaps. A walk around the block with a friend? Yes, please. An extra glass of water or a new vegetable on your plate? Why not. A moment taken to appreciate the world around you before bed? Absolutely. Each action, no matter how small, is a step on your path to a healthier, happier, and more balanced version of yourself.

Always remember, it’s your journey, and only you can decide how it unfolds and the habits that will bring the greatest vitality and energy to you. These habits are not set in stone but rather a guide. Tweak them and make them your own because, at the end of the day, it’s about creating a healthier, happier, and more balanced version of yourself.

I hope these five habits invigorate you to make the necessary shifts and inspire you to manifest a life of wellness and contentment.

Here’s to a transformative journey – one step and one healthy habit at a time.