Life Hacks For Body, Diet And Mental Health This Summer
The sun is up, the sky is blue, it’s beautiful and so are you… The onset of summer is a hopeful time of year, full of promise and vitamin D-powered energy spikes. It’s the perfect time to pick up a new hobby and kick that harmful habit. The best part? You don’t need to upheave your entire schedule to get in on the action.
Want to be fitter, healthier and happier? Join the club and implement these easy life hacks this summer. Check out these life hacks for a healthier body and mind.
Life Hacks For A Healthier You
The body
Kick the gym
That’s right. Unless you have the cash to burn and a serious erg addiction, exercising at the gym should be considered a second-class session.
Instead of paying your June membership, consider hitting the streets or your living room floor instead. You’ll burn more calories pounding pavement that you would on the treadmill, and suffer fewer injuries doing push-ups at home than working the weight machines. Plus, your purse will thank you.
A pound for every pound
Need some extra incentive to follow your exercise regime? Put a pound, dollar or euro (because I don’t know where you’re reading this from!) in a jar for every successful workout you complete. When the jar is full, use it to buy yourself a treat – whether that’s a new dress or a particular video game you’ve been hankering after.
Peacock power
Still rocking those old workout togs your mum bought you back in 2010? Do yourself a favour: invest in some comfy kit that’ll make you feel as good as you look. If you can’t wait to put your workoutfit on each morning, you’re that much more likely to actually get your sweat on too.
The diet
Fresh start
Every morning, before breakfast and after you’ve struggled out of bed to your alarm, down a glass of lukewarm water mixed with lime or lemon juice. As well as kick-starting your metabolism, this tasty concoction will help purify your liver, improve digestion, boost your immune system and lower blood pressure. It’s also a great source of potassium, calcium and magnesium.
For extra pluses, add cayenne pepper, organic apple-cider vinegar, cinnamon and/or ground ginger. Hot stuff!
Get chili with it
Getting creative in the kitchen? Add chili or ginger to sauces. Research shows that the capsaicinoids found in chili peppers boost energy expenditure by up to 50 kcal a day. Remember: it all adds up. Ginger, meanwhile, has been proven to reduce muscle soreness by a quarter when consumed. What a relief!
Get wet
Well, not really. But staying hydrated is important. Without water, humans can survive a maximum of three days; even mild dehydration causes symptoms of fatigue, headache and low mood, while more chronic cases can cause digestive issues and weight gain.
Still can’t get those two litres in? Get yourself a large bottle and ist it on your desk. Consume one through the mornig and one through the afternoon. Voila! You are sufficiently bathroom-bound to function as a human should.
The mind
Stay no to the snooze
Love a weekend lie-in? Do your brain a favour and try to rise at the same time throughout the week, whether it’s Monday or Sunday. Getting too much sleep can be as bad as too little, and will make most people sluggish for the rest of the day. Do the sensible thing and keep training your body for that 7 AM alarm.
Drop the deadweight
No, I’m not talking about that extra inch around your waist. A natural side-effect of growing up in the narrowing of your friendship circle. You have too many responsibilities – to family, to partners, to friends and to work – to burn time on those unworthy of it.
Make sure the people you give up time for are worth the spend. Drop the moaners, the drainers, the slackers and uncarers. Surround yourself with real friends and reap real rewards.
The five-year plan
It cvan be easy to fret and stress over every little thing. Next time something gets to you, sit back and ask yourself this simple question: “Will I be worried about this in five years’ time?”
If the answer is ‘no’, check your response. Short-term annoyances are two-a-penny in life; learning to differentiate between what is a real concern and what a fleeting distraction is key to your mental happiness.
Whether it’s your fitness, diet or thought patterns that need a little TLC, looking after yourself should be at the top of your agenda for the coming months. Implement the above quick-fixes and you’ll be well on the way to a healthier, happier you.
This guest post was authored by Inspiring Interns
Inspiring Interns is a graduate recruitment agency which specialises in sourcing candidates for internships and giving out graduate careers advice. To hire graduates or browse graduate jobs, visit their website.
