1. “Liking” your friends’ posts before bedtime
Bedtime = time for bed, not “check e-mails and Facebook” time. Light from mobile-device screens smother melatonin creation, a hormone you need for your body to regulate sleep and waking cycles. Light sensitivity may differ from person to person but it’s good to leave the technology alone at least one hour before bed. Remember: Your brain needs to relax for you to have a better quality sleep.
What you should do: Have your bedroom dark, quiet and devoid of luminescent screens. The sleep quality will improve significantly.
2. Stop making mountains out of molehills
Don’t add unnecessary tension to your life by constantly worrying about what might or could happen, Anxiety can make you both mentally and physically exhausted, therefore affecting your quality of life.
What you should do: Get outdoors; breathe in fresh air, listen to the birds in the trees. Try yoga or some light exercises. If you need a listening ear, look to a friend or family member. And tell yourself it can’t be all that bad.
3. Don’t skip your daily workout
You’ve had a long day at work. You’ve just got out of a 2km-long CTE jam. When you get home, you skip the jog and park yourself on the couch with the TV remote in hand… A University of Georgia study revealed that adults who exercised for 20 minutes three times a week reported of feeling less fatigued and more energized after only six weeks.
What you should do: A little regular exercise can boost the immune system, strength and endurance. Your cardiovascular system runs more efficiently, too, as blood pumps better, and oxygen and nutrients are better delivered to your muscles. Even just walking the dog counts.
4. “Hahahahaha”
Do things that make you feel good. Surprise your loved ones with durians (only if that’s his/her thing). Treat your dog to its favourite crackers. Get around to clearing the mess in the house. Play Taylor Swift with the car windows rolled down.
What else you should do: Laugh for no reason and see how infectious it can be. People around you will laugh, too. When you’re surrounded by happy people, you feel good. When you feel good, you function better.
5. Junk the junk food
If you’re hooked on fast food, you’re setting yourself up for failure. Sugary foods and those with simple carbs rank high on the GI (glycemic index) — an indicator of how quickly (or not) carbs increase blood sugar. When you eat such foods, the blood sugar will spike and then eventually crash. This makes you feel burnt out and tired. Then you consume more of the same to “feel better”. While you may perk up, you’re caught in the cycle and are piling more bad food with little nutritional value into your body. This is when weight gain starts.
What you should do: Eat fresh foods. Eat lots of veggies, grains, nuts and legumes. Dark leafy greens are power foods and will do you good. Go two weeks without sugar, junk food, dairy and processed food. You’ll see and feel the difference, mentally and physically.
Spartan Race Singapore happens 15 Nov. To register, visit spartanrace.sg.