15 (of 50!) Ways To Be Happier & Healthier


Someone shared this article on the wonderful world of Facebook the other day and I really think it made some valuable points on, well, how we choose to spend our time in this thing called life.

However, being a busy mama of three little people the FIFTY ways the author lists to "be happier and healthier" seems rather daunting to say the least.  

So, after reading through the article in its fullness I went back through and marked off the ones that resonated with me. And I discovered that about 1/3 of the items on the list seemed doable to attain too in my current season of life.

Call it almost being 30 or the *weight* of having children I want to leave a legacy for, but if you haven't read the article you should.

In the meantime here are MY 15 takeaways and thoughts on the authors points...




Reduce caffeine-->
  • Okay, the author actually says eliminate. um yeah, right, I am a MOM. Now, I don't think caffeine is bad. I really love espresso and cream. It's more of a comfort thing in the mornings for me (and then a necessity right after having babies & being sleep deprived, seasons of life!!!!). 
  • But what if I could function without it? You know, wake up and feel perky on my own? I'd already been drinking decaf first thing in the morning and saving my full strength for 10am because I also recently read that caffeine first thing in the morning RAISES your cortisol levels like crazy which is not helpful (especially) for women who are trying to get rid of excess fat (aka baby weight).  
  • And when I started saving the caffeine for 10am I didn't have the afternoon slump that I normally had and I've been feeling a bit more awake in the mornings too! 

Pray/Meditate morning noon & night-->
  • A quote that has become stuck in my head because I'm raising little mess/accident makers (think spilled milk and wanting to lecture or yell when all your kid needs is a paper towel;)) is the one that says,  
  • "between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and freedom" (Victor E Frankl).  
  • So, I think making time to give yourself a SPACE to pray or think regularly on any given day is only beneficial to making any decision. 



Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/v/viktorefr160380.html



Read 1 book per week-->
  • This one made me laugh because I'm just trying to read one book per month this year. I'm totally like yeah yeah yeah RIGHT. Who's got time for this??? 
  • But then I thought about my Netflix consumption and was like, yeah this guy has a point. It's all about how we choose to spend our time. And frankly I want my kids to read. I remember my cousins reading all the time growing up but I never understood why. Now, I get it. 
  • Reading is so important. You gain information and new ideas. And it's so relaxing once you get into the habit. 
  • Plus I've let go my attitude that I have to FINISH one book before I start another one. That just kills me if I loose interest in a book. So, I've always got 4 going at one time. Something brainy, something spiritual, something entertaining, something personal. 


Write/Journal 5 minutes a day-->
  •  I've always been a journaler so this is easy for me. What's not so easy is being a mom and actively journaling. It goes in spurts for me, for now. 
  • But my favorite way to journal as a busy mom is in a 5 year journal. You just jot down something simple each day of the year. Whether it be a quote that touched you, a child's milestone, a book you're reading, a movie you saw, somewhere you went, something significant that happened, birthdays & important events etc... nothing lengthy. 
  • But it's really fun to write in the next year because you can see last years! So, once you get going you don't want to stop :)
Make a bucket list & actively check them off-->
  • This theme comes up in marriage books too. Dreaming is a good thing. But I'm bad at it being in the current season of little people. So, I really liked this reminder to make a list AND check them off. Gives you purpose in the mundane.
FLOSS-->
  • my father in law would totally agree, but I am oh so bad at this and so is my husband ;)

 Fast from the internet 24 hours a week-->
  • this idea piggy backed off of his fast for 24 hours from food and caloric beverages idea. I think this one is way better than the food one ;) I love food. Not gonna lie. But if my husband actually reads the original article he may get me onto one 24 hour fast ;) 
  • Anyway, back to the internet fast. I think this is BRILLIANT.  In our day and age of constant constant constant communication taking ONE day to detach sounds like wisdom to me. 
  • As a mom my phone is my life line. But I also think about my own children being teenagers one day, I certainly don't want them using their phones the way I do, so darn dependently sometimes!!! 
  • So I think adding in a complete fast weekly would help re-orient my brain from feeling the need to check that phone!
Rise early & go to bed early--> 
  •  this one I am terrible at when my husband leaves for long periods of time. Netflix becomes my best friend at night when my husband is away and I stay up way too late and then don't get up as early before my kids. 
  • So I liked this reminder. I've found that I function best on either 6 hours and 45 minutes of sleep OR 8.5. Sooooo I'm usually winding down by 10pm and up around 6am.  And you know, when you're well rested and sleeping on the same schedule for a good period of time you are so much more productive!
Take cold showers-->
  •  Now, this doesn't help when you need to shave your legs so I just end my showers under cold water ;) it IS so revitalizing.
Say I love you 3x a day to the most important people in your life-->
  • I'm such a thinker and not the best out loud communicator that I really liked this one. 
  • I worry a lot about whether or not I hug my children enough or say I love you enough. So, having this number in my constantly thinking brain is really helpful. 
  • Also, in case you're wondering about the hugs. 8. Apparently 8, 8 second hugs a day for your kids is what they need. I think I get 4 in a day....
Save 10% and give away 10%-->

  • This one has always been tough in our marriage. We got married young. Started a family young. And have a darn student loan hanging over our heads that eats up like 10% of our income. So this is a work in progress for us. I think picking a percentage and sticking to it until you can grow into the 10% is wise. That's our plan anyway!
Check emails & social media 60-90 minutes AFTER you wake up-->
  • OH man I love this one and started doing it the day after I read the article and it HAS BEEN THE BEST THING EVER. 
  • It actually curbed my need to check my phone so much through out the day because I time blocked when I was going to check my phone/computer, got my stuff done, and was satisfied.
  • Our technology is such a blessing and a curse. But I hope to help my children navigate it well. 'Cause it ain't going away. IF you only do one of these DO THIS ONE.
Write & place a short thoughtful note daily-->
  • In case I haven't said this before, I'm a writer. So I love this one. 
  • But again, I'm a busy mom. 
  • So I think I'll make my goal to do this once a week until it becomes a habit. 
  • I have many friends who deserve a hand written note from me. And I so want my children to understand the value of writing letters despite it being so "outdated".



Record things you are grateful for daily-->
  • This is actually something I'm going to start doing in my 5 year journal so I have something easy to write during busy times! Gratitude is learned. I need it. And my kids need to learn it.
Become best friends with your parents-->
  • I like this one a lot.  But my family is complicated. However, my husband and I talk a lot about what we HOPE our children will do once they are grown.  So, I think this is something I'm going to try and work on.

This turned out to be really wordy! 

Hope you enjoyed this. 

Thanks for reading! 

Cheers to being happier and healthier ;)

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