Over the last couple of years, I have developed many daily healthy habits. Slowly and gradually, I made myself implement them in my life on a consistent basis in order to reap their benefits to the maximum. These might sound generic and you might think you already know some of them but sometimes all we need is a reminder!
So below are 7 things that all women should do every single day. They have been life-changing for me and I believe they can help you greatly as well. These can be applied to both men and women but I feel that women need them way more than men do. Let’s dive right in!
1. HOBBIES
We all have at least one thing in life, if not more, that we love and enjoy to do. These are our interests or hobbies. It can be reading, walking, listening to music, journaling, dancing, playing video games and many more. These things gives us joy and help maintain our peace of mind, keep us stable, grounded and content with our lives. At last, life is not all about work, right?
According to researches (instance 1, instance 2), women are more prone to issues such as depression, anxiety or stress and that is why it is imperative for women to make sure to go out of their ways to do things that make them happy and content. Pursuing hobbies and interests daily, hence helps a lot.
I love reading books and I found it very difficult to “find time” to do that earlier. It was only until recently that I made a point for myself to reserve a time in the morning for book reading. Not only am I doing something I love everyday, but I also wake up every morning excited about the activities ahead.
Similarly, you can also find a time slot as per your daily schedule, in which you can pursue your hobbies.
2. PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
A lot of women have hormonal issues or PCOS and the first thing that doctor suggests is exercise and a healthy diet. Even if you do not have hormonal or any other issues, it is always a good idea to move your body every single day. Exercise not only makes you look and feel good, but also prevents you from a lot of diseases by making you stronger over all.
There can be many ways of physical activity that you can do. You can figure out what you enjoy doing – walking, running, gyming, weight lifting, dancing, swimming, yoga, kick boxing – I think you get the idea! The basic idea is to do something on a consistent basis.
I achieve this by doing strength training a couple of days in the week when I am feeling most energetic and the days that I feel tired, I do some simple relaxing, stretching exercises or yoga or a light walk.
3. MENTAL ACTIVITY
Mental Activity is as important as Physical Activity. Our brain is a complex system and performs its best if you throw new challenges at it consistently. Even if it is only for 15 minutes. It will also help in depression, stress or anxiety.
Try to solve a puzzle or sudoku in your local newspaper or learn a new thing every single day. Play a game of chess with a friend or cook a new recipe! This will keep your brain alive and on its toes all the time!
My favorite one, as I mentioned earlier is reading my book and improving on a new skill.
4. FOOD
There are basic 4 kinds of food groups that every woman should eat something from, every single day – Protein, Fruits, Greens, Veggies.
Protein
Protein is the building blocks for our body. It takes care of everything from hair, skin, nails, muscle repair, growth, immunity and maintenance of the body. There are a lot of vegan or vegetarian protein sources like lentils, beans, chickpeas, peas, tofu, soybeans etc. Protein is also found in nuts and seeds such as almonds and pumpkin seeds.
Fruits
Fruits are a powerhouse of vitamins, minerals and anti oxidants. They are packed so many essentials that our body needs, that it is best if you develop a habit of eating a fruit every single day. My recommendation would be to change your fruits from time to time in order to get maximum benefits from all of them. Additionally, they have a lot of water content which will make your skin glow by releasing all the toxins out!
Greens
Eat something green – every single day! It can be spinach, lettuce or a green vegetable like okra or zucchini. You can also whip up a green juice for your morning detox. They have a wide range of anti oxidants which prevents our bodies from a lot of diseases.
Veggies
Eat your vegetables! Do not simply eat a garlic bread and call it a meal! Have a side salad or a portion of sautéed vegetables. At least 2-3 portions of vegetables should be consumed every day. They are very low in calories, very filling and also very wholesome.
5. HYDRATION
We all have heard many times everyone saying that drinking water is important. It is over hyped and rightly so! It is needed to keep your body cool, help muscles and joints to work better, make your skin supple and release all the toxins out of your body!
So start your mornings with a big glass of water to make up for the dehydration over the night and drink at least 2-3 liters of water throughout the day. A good level of hydration can also be achieved by having lots of herbal teas and fruits.
I personally have also experienced that increasing my water intake has improved my skin greatly.
6. SLEEP
Women often do not prioritize their sleep and are found to have problems such as insomnia, way more than men do. That is why it is very crucial for women, especially, to make sure that they have at least 7-8 hours of sleep every single day.
If you have not slept properly you will not be your best self, you will not have correct focus and will feel tired and lethargic all day. If you have problems in sleeping at night, you can start paying attention to your caffeine intake. Try to not consume caffeine 10-12 hours before your bed time. Studies have suggested that caffeine can stay in our bodies for that long which can hinder with your sleep.
7. PLAN YOUR DAY
Weather you have a corporate job or you are an entrepreneur, if you are taking care of your kids or taking care of your house – everybody needs to plan their day to be the most efficient and productive. If you would write down all the things that you would like to do in a day, you would find yourselves to be more accountable and achieve all those things. Instead of just procrastinating thinking to yourself that you have all the time in the world to do them and their is no urgency.
Planning your day will give you a rough idea of how much time each thing will require and will push you to achieve those tasks.
I plan my day the night before. It makes me super excited and productive for the day ahead and is a great hack to wake up on time knowing how many things are to be achieved within the day 😉