Who says you have to wait until the new year to make a resolution or change in habits?The latest social media trend on TikTok and Instagram, dubbed the “Great Lock In,” kicked off September 1 and is all about finishing out the year strong by becoming laser-focused on a personal goal now.That goal could be financial, health-related, a possible big move or something else entirely.And if tightening up your fitness or wellness regime before the holidays is on your to-do list, experts say it’s not too late to start.The phrase Great Lock In is a nod to Gen Z slang, which uses the term “lock in” or “locked in” to indicate certainty or commitment to whatever the cause may be.For Hannah M. Le, 27, seeing the trend go viral on TikTok was the impetus for deciding to increase her cardio and strength training goals for the rest of the year. The founder of Buckle Scrunchies who lives in New York City said she started her Great Lock In on September 8 with a goal of adding more reps to her strength training routine every week as well as increasing her pace on runs.Le said she’s never been fond of adhering to rules but has so far found the Great Lock In useful in meeting her goals.”What’s helping me with the Great Lock In is my friends who are either joining me or interested in hearing more about my journey,” she said. “I consider them to be my accountability partners, and I tell them my workout schedule throughout the week as a commitment device.”Locking inThe trend’s social component is a big part of what’s driving people to try the Great Lock In, said Katy Milkman, the James G. Dinan Professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School and author of “How to Change: The Science of Getting From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be.”People sometimes need a bit of extra motivation to get focused when it comes to kick-starting healthy habits, said Milkman, who is partnering with CNN on a 30-day wellness challenge that gives readers the option to participate in a daily quiz to gather research about such habits.”‘Everybody else is doing it’ is one of the most motivating ways to get people to change their behavior,” Milkman said. “They look around and say, ‘It’s a trend, I don’t want to miss out.’”New Year’s resolutions work in the same way as the Great Lock In. Both motivate people with a temporal marker, she added, but motivation on its own is not enough to meet goals.”When you have a goal, you can’t just be like, ‘I’m going do it. There it is, and then I’ll push myself through,’” she said.Research shows it’s much more effective if you use different strategies that have been proven to work. “Everything from breaking down big goals into component parts, having someone else who you’re pursuing your goals with in tandem and finding ways to make it fun to pursue your goals so that you enjoy the process instead of dreading it,” Milkman said.Le has a tactic she said works for her — putting less pressure on herself to make her goals and reminding herself instead of why it’s important to do so.”I tell myself, ‘I don’t have to do anything, but I get to do everything,’” she said. “Getting stronger and faster is a way for me to continue doing the activities I want to do for the rest of my life, especially as ski season comes around.”There’s no time like nowOne of the good things about the Great Lock In, wellness speaker Mona Sharma said, is that it’s a way for people to commit that feels very personalized.”We’ve had a really volatile few years, and people want agency and structures that they can do at home,” Sharma said. “And a three- to four-month window feels really, really doable and motivating, instead of the pressure of January.”Cooler weather this time of year combined with people naturally spending more time at home might also help serve as motivation to reach a goal, she said.”The Great Lock In is about turning that natural slowdown into a season of, really, self-investment,” Sharma said.People who will have success with the Great Lock In will focus on the value of what they’re doing, Sharma said, rather than obsessing over things such as numbers on a scale.But she warned that the Great Lock In should be approached with an air of caution — especially for those who are under stress or tend to be hypervigilant, as it might be an opportunity to hide behind being busy instead of feeling balanced.”If you’re somebody who’s already living in isolation, somebody who has so many all-or-nothing rules, somebody who’s living with chronic anxiety, who’s already not sleeping well, somebody who’s going to step into this mode of doing … that could be also a great setback,” she said.People attempting the Great Lock In should focus on what makes their goals enjoyable so they’re not dreading the process, Milkman said. And they should also take advice that arrives via social media with a healthy dose of skepticism.”Try to actually look for some of the evidence-based strategies that help people achieve success, as opposed to just whatever person pops up on your TikTok feed and what they’re saying,” she said. “Most of that is one person’s advice based on their life experience, rather than scientifically validated.”And while the social media challenge might have started September 1, it’s never too late to try the Great Lock In — or try making any change, for that matter — if you think it could help you reach your goals.Just be sure you’re being realistic about them, Milkman said.”Make sure it’s a reasonable, bite-sized, daily or weekly goal that sums up to an outcome you’ll be proud of,” she said. “There’s plenty of time to do all sorts of wonderful things, and it’s good to use the motivation of whatever trends pop up, because often we need a little extra push to motivate ourselves to make a change.”
CNN —
Who says you have to wait until the new year to make a resolution or change in habits?
The latest social media trend on TikTok and Instagram, dubbed the “Great Lock In,” kicked off September 1 and is all about finishing out the year strong by becoming laser-focused on a personal goal now.
That goal could be financial, health-related, a possible big move or something else entirely.
And if tightening up your fitness or wellness regime before the holidays is on your to-do list, experts say it’s not too late to start.
The phrase Great Lock In is a nod to Gen Z slang, which uses the term “lock in” or “locked in” to indicate certainty or commitment to whatever the cause may be.
For Hannah M. Le, 27, seeing the trend go viral on TikTok was the impetus for deciding to increase her cardio and strength training goals for the rest of the year. The founder of Buckle Scrunchies who lives in New York City said she started her Great Lock In on September 8 with a goal of adding more reps to her strength training routine every week as well as increasing her pace on runs.
Le said she’s never been fond of adhering to rules but has so far found the Great Lock In useful in meeting her goals.
“What’s helping me with the Great Lock In is my friends who are either joining me or interested in hearing more about my journey,” she said. “I consider them to be my accountability partners, and I tell them my workout schedule throughout the week as a commitment device.”
Locking in
The trend’s social component is a big part of what’s driving people to try the Great Lock In, said Katy Milkman, the James G. Dinan Professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School and author of “How to Change: The Science of Getting From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be.”
People sometimes need a bit of extra motivation to get focused when it comes to kick-starting healthy habits, said Milkman, who is partnering with CNN on a 30-day wellness challenge that gives readers the option to participate in a daily quiz to gather research about such habits.
“‘Everybody else is doing it’ is one of the most motivating ways to get people to change their behavior,” Milkman said. “They look around and say, ‘It’s a trend, I don’t want to miss out.’”
New Year’s resolutions work in the same way as the Great Lock In. Both motivate people with a temporal marker, she added, but motivation on its own is not enough to meet goals.
“When you have a goal, you can’t just be like, ‘I’m going do it. There it is, and then I’ll push myself through,’” she said.
Research shows it’s much more effective if you use different strategies that have been proven to work. “Everything from breaking down big goals into component parts, having someone else who you’re pursuing your goals with in tandem and finding ways to make it fun to pursue your goals so that you enjoy the process instead of dreading it,” Milkman said.
Le has a tactic she said works for her — putting less pressure on herself to make her goals and reminding herself instead of why it’s important to do so.
“I tell myself, ‘I don’t have to do anything, but I get to do everything,’” she said. “Getting stronger and faster is a way for me to continue doing the activities I want to do for the rest of my life, especially as ski season comes around.”
There’s no time like now
One of the good things about the Great Lock In, wellness speaker Mona Sharma said, is that it’s a way for people to commit that feels very personalized.
“We’ve had a really volatile few years, and people want agency and structures that they can do at home,” Sharma said. “And a three- to four-month window feels really, really doable and motivating, instead of the pressure of January.”
Cooler weather this time of year combined with people naturally spending more time at home might also help serve as motivation to reach a goal, she said.
“The Great Lock In is about turning that natural slowdown into a season of, really, self-investment,” Sharma said.
People who will have success with the Great Lock In will focus on the value of what they’re doing, Sharma said, rather than obsessing over things such as numbers on a scale.
But she warned that the Great Lock In should be approached with an air of caution — especially for those who are under stress or tend to be hypervigilant, as it might be an opportunity to hide behind being busy instead of feeling balanced.
“If you’re somebody who’s already living in isolation, somebody who has so many all-or-nothing rules, somebody who’s living with chronic anxiety, who’s already not sleeping well, somebody who’s going to step into this mode of doing … that could be also a great setback,” she said.
People attempting the Great Lock In should focus on what makes their goals enjoyable so they’re not dreading the process, Milkman said. And they should also take advice that arrives via social media with a healthy dose of skepticism.
“Try to actually look for some of the evidence-based strategies that help people achieve success, as opposed to just whatever person pops up on your TikTok feed and what they’re saying,” she said. “Most of that is one person’s advice based on their life experience, rather than scientifically validated.”
And while the social media challenge might have started September 1, it’s never too late to try the Great Lock In — or try making any change, for that matter — if you think it could help you reach your goals.
Just be sure you’re being realistic about them, Milkman said.
“Make sure it’s a reasonable, bite-sized, daily or weekly goal that sums up to an outcome you’ll be proud of,” she said. “There’s plenty of time to do all sorts of wonderful things, and it’s good to use the motivation of whatever trends pop up, because often we need a little extra push to motivate ourselves to make a change.”
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Brain fog. Fatigue. Trouble bouncing back after long days or stressful quarters. Many executives dismiss these symptoms as the inevitable price of leadership. But what if they aren’t just stressed? What if their bodies and environments are quietly working against them?
That question sits at the heart of what I call root-cause clarity: identifying the hidden triggers that undermine energy, focus and resilience long before they show up as major problems.
At the height of my career in tech, I was struck by a car while seven months pregnant with my third child. The accident forced me to slow down and pay attention to my health in ways I had never considered. What began as a fight for survival became a search for deeper answers.
That search eventually led me into the world of diagnostics, functional wellness and culinary medicine. I became certified through a program accredited by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and I founded Small Hinges Health to help others ask the same question I had to face: what hidden factors might be quietly sabotaging your potential?
Along the way, I met others who had walked the same path — from pain to purpose — and were building solutions to help people uncover their own root causes. Their journeys echo the same lesson: clarity doesn’t just heal, it transforms how we lead and live. Here are two of those stories.
Carrie’s story: From illness to educator
Carrie Drinkwine’s life looked picture-perfect from the outside. She was ambitious, vibrant and determined. But behind the scenes, she was in constant pain. She grew up in a home with hidden mold and later faced an onslaught of chronic health challenges — relentless fatigue, widespread pain and infertility that defied explanation.
Doctor after doctor offered prescriptions, but no lasting relief. The disconnect between her outward success and her private suffering grew wider until she realized she had to dig deeper for herself.
Through years of research and trial, Carrie began exploring detoxification, regenerative approaches and cellular-level wellness. Piece by piece, she uncovered the root causes undermining her health. That transformation reshaped her purpose.
She went on to found Wise Wellness Clinic and later The Institute of Regenerative Health, where she now trains practitioners worldwide to help clients move beyond symptom-chasing and toward true root-cause analysis.
For executives, her story is a reminder: ignoring fatigue and brain fog isn’t resilience — it’s risk. The leadership lesson is simple: pushing through may win you short-term results, but true resilience comes from addressing what’s quietly draining performance.
Jason Earle’s early years were marked by illness so severe that doctors once suspected cystic fibrosis. He was allergic to nearly everything in his environment, and his childhood was defined by inhalers, medications, and limitations.
Then, after his parents’ divorce, Jason moved out of his musty childhood home — and almost overnight, many of his symptoms disappeared. At the time, doctors attributed it to “spontaneous remission.” Years later, he realized something more fundamental: the damp, mold-filled environment he grew up in had likely been the root cause of his suffering.
Life dealt him further blows. At 14, he lost his mother to suicide. At 15, he was diagnosed with Lyme disease, leading to missed school and mounting setbacks. By 16, he had dropped out and was pumping gas for $7 an hour.
But in an unexpected twist, a chance encounter at that gas station opened the door to Wall Street. Within a year, Jason had become the youngest licensed stockbroker in U.S. history, earning a Guinness World Record at just 17. He built a successful career in finance, but the mystery of his early health struggles stayed with him.
When he later discovered the connection between mold and chronic illness, it reframed his past—and gave him a mission. He founded 1-800-GOT-MOLD? and developed the GOT MOLD?® Test Kit, giving people accessible tools to evaluate the air quality in their homes and workplaces.
For leaders, Jason’s message is clear: you cannot change what you refuse to measure. Hidden factors in your environment and body affect performance whether you acknowledge them or not. Clarity begins with data.
Lessons for leaders
For executives, these stories carry a powerful message. Brain fog and fatigue aren’t just signs of overwork – they may be signals of unseen obstacles draining performance. The real risk isn’t in asking too many questions, but in waiting until it’s too late.
Seek deeper diagnostics. Go beyond standard panels to uncover what might be quietly affecting resilience.
Invest in education. Learn enough to be your own advocate – because no one will prioritize your health more than you.
Carrie, Jason, and I share one truth: adversity can fuel more than just your mission, it can fuel clarity. Executives are trained to optimize systems and strategies, but the most important system – the body – is often ignored until it fails.
Root-cause clarity isn’t just a wellness strategy. It’s a performance strategy. And in leadership, clarity is the ultimate competitive edge.
Let’s be honest… when it comes to raising a child, most of our energies are directed at keeping them safe.
Fed.
Clothed.
But how many of us have actually stopped to think about grooming them to be good humans and, eventually, well-adjusted adults?
Today, more than ever, raising a healthy and grounded child is critical to their success… not to mention one way to make the world a better place for them in the future.
By implementing house rules of kids, you can both accomplish this feat… as well take a handful of things off your parental plate.
It’s a win/win.
So, in the article, I’m going to outline 21 house rules for kids that will surely send them merrily on their way towards becoming amazing grown-ups.
The rules don’t have to be terribly complex. And, if I’m being honest, after reading what I have to say… you may find yourself uttering, “why didn’t I think of that one?”, as the lightbulb goes off in your head.
You’re welcome.
But don’t thank me now… continue reading and save the silent applause for later.
21 House Rules for Your Kids
House Rule #1: Knock on Closed Doors Before Entering
This is a pretty basic rule, but important nonetheless.
It’s more about instilling the importance of respecting one’s privacy and personal space.
I suppose I could have just said that.
But, many younger children won’t really understand the concept in its truest sense until they are a bit older (say 8+) and start to actually covet some privacy for themselves.
The age when they feel like they need some alone time.
When they don’t want their siblings going through their bookshelf, desk or drawers.
Or, dare I say, they begin to feel bashful getting changed in front of others. Even you, mom.
While the littlest lads and lassies may not yet care about these things, it’s not lost on them to teach the concept of knocking before you enter a room… waiting to be invited in.
It’s about boundaries and privacy… and one lesson they will certainly thank you for teaching later in life.
House Rule #2: Limiting Screen Time to an Hour a Day
This is one house rule for kids that you probably know you should enforce… yet often don’t.
Why?
Because it’s so much easier to keep the kids occupied with screen time when you’re busy, then have them bother you every few minutes with trivial things.
Snack requests after they just had breakfast 15 minutes ago.
Or the class, “I’m bored outside”.
Don’t feel bad. Every parent has been guilty of leaning on the tech crutch at one time or another… I’d wager my tablet on it.
See what I did there?
Yes, technology is great! We wouldn’t be where we are as a society without it.
That being said, too much screen time can have all sorts of negative impact on your child’s development.
For starters, it runs the risk of sending the message that you’re too busy to tend to their needs or spend time with them.
And while this is likely not the case, kids won’t always connect the dots. As much as you try and explain that “mommy needs to work for an hour” or “dad wants to mow the lawn before it rains”… kids will often just not get it.
They believe they are the center of your universe and that you will stop whatever it is you’re doing to put them first, which may instill a feeling of self entitlement in your kids… which will often carry into adulthood.
And don’t we all just secretly despise those people?
The trust fund baby who has never held a job in his life.
The woman who will only date a man who makes a certain amount of money.
The guy at work who treats his assistant like she’s a servant.
Your kids need to understand the art of patience and self sufficiency.
By limiting the screen time, you are sending a message that they need to find some other way to entertain themselves… or grab themselves an apple if they are hungry and can’t wait for lunch.
Too much screen time can also result in passive listening in children, which will be a hard habit to break as they get older.
I have lost track of the number of times I’ve had to call my children repeatedly to come for a meal, while they’re playing their video games or tablets.
Or the times they almost missed the school bus because they were in the middle of a level and never got their shoes on like I asked.
And then there was the time I burnt myself on a pan making them homemade donuts… and only after my third shout for help did 1 of our four children (yes, only one) stop playing Roblox to check what was wrong.
Sadly, it’s not entirely their fault.
Think of screen time as holding your breath under water. You’re concentrating on your breathing, but you can still hear muffled noises coming from the surface.
Do you come up right away? Likely, no.
The same goes for screen time. Kids can hear you speaking, but they are so engulfed in what they are doing, they can’t quite make out the words.
So they won’t stop right away. They are passively listening.
This nasty habit is one they may be able to get away with as children; but, as they grow up, it will likely land them in trouble at school, work… even relationships.
Last, but not least, too much screen time means less time using their imaginations… and more time developing unrealistic expectations.
Both can be extremely detrimental to a child’s development.
Tweens and teens should be able to actually carry their dirty clothes basket to the laundry room. Maybe even do a load or two.
Obviously, you know your child’s limitations better than I… but each child is capable of cleaning up a bit.
Not only will their future college roommate and spouse thank you for instilling this house rule, but you’ll possibly gain an extra few minutes for yourself in the process.
House Rule #4: Make Amends When You Hurt Someone
The art of saying “I’m sorry” is not an easy one for children to master… especially when they don’t think they’ve done anything wrong.
Whether it’s pinching another child for taking their doll, or shouting “I hate you” at their brother for taking their turn on the swing, a child needs to be taught to understand action and consequence.
Raising conscientious children will instill a moral code in them.
That by harming another person with actions or words, they are accountable for making amends.
You are not only teaching them how to behave properly, but you are also teaching them to be conscientious.
Raising conscientious children will instill a moral code in them… one where they are able to differentiate right from wrong and, ultimately, be better adults for it.
They will learn to think twice before hurting someone and, when they inevitably do, they will apologize for it.
House Rule #5: Tell the Truth
We all lie.
In fact, society even coined the phrase “white lie” to define those bits of truth we like to stretch from time to time… even referring to them as half truths.
After all, is it really a lie if you go golfing with your friends… but tell your wife that you were entertaining clients?
I mean you did go golfing… that is true.
But it wasn’t work related.
Maybe you were afraid she’d say “no” if you just wanted some time with your buds? Or that you’d have to reciprocate by watching the kids one day so she could go for a massage?
Conversely, what if your teenager says she is going to the mall with her girlfriends… but instead winds up at the beach for the day with a group of co-eds?
As trivial and harmless as these white lies or fabrications seem, they will often still land you into trouble.
What’s worse is they can also lead to a diminished sense of accountability for one’s actions, which can result in a lapse of judgement when it comes to what you consider an acceptable lie.
Eventually the lines will blur between fabrication, white lie and actual lie… and once that happens, there is no going back.
Once trust is broken, it is very hard to gain it back.
Establish house rules for kids that do not tolerate lying.
While the punishment may vary by degree of lie, the message still needs to enforce that lies are wrong and won’t be dismissed.
House Rule #6: Teach Them the Value of Please and Thank You
As a mom of four, many days leave me feeling unappreciated.
I wake up early to get a start on the day… make coffee, breakfast, pack lunches, start the neverending load of laundry, clean up their messes, get them out the door on time.
Then I try to squeeze my writing into the mix during my precious “down time”… and if I’m really lucky, I get my exercise in.
Once the kids get home, it’s back to the grind. Activities, dinner prep, homework, showers, bedtime.
And if I had a nickel for every time they said “please” or “thank you” to me in a typical week… I’d have a dollar.
Maybe.
Look, I’m not complaining. Really I’m not.
I love being a mom. Their mom, especially. They are great kids… but they are somewhat lacking in the affirmation department.
All that is partly my fault.
If I don’t stress the importance of these words, then I’ve failed them. And, in turn, they won’t say it to their dad and I… let alone other people.
It’s less about the words, as it is what they represent. They indicate respect and gratitude, which is key in any meaningful relationship.
House Rule #7: Practice Good Dental and Body Hygiene
Teaching your child to practice good hygiene is another rule that may seem like a “no brainer”, but it is also one that tends to fall to the wayside when life gets hectic.
I will be the first to admit that, after a long day, unless the kids have swarms of flies around them or mud in their ears… I have no problem replacing a bath for a quick wipe down.
Similarly, if it’s late and the kids are cranky, I’ve been known to just let them use a little mouthwash instead of brushing.
They can just do it in the morning.
But, here’s the problem with that…
Many times the mornings are even crazier than the evenings and the first thing that gets skipped is, you guessed it, the hygiene habit.
And if your kids think you’re ok with letting them skip those things, why on earth would they take ownership of their hygiene as they get older?
They won’t.
So, as tempting as it may be, don’t gloss over these important house rules for kids.
If it helps, try making a chart so they can be accountable for checking off that it gets done.
House Rule #8: Attend Family Socials
I was going to use the phrase, “family meetings”… but I’m not a fan.
Meetings seem so formal and are often associated with a problem that needs fixing; but, socials sound like fun.
A regularly scheduled mandatory family social fosters closer relationships.
Put a family social on the calendar and make it mandatory.
Then grab a hat and have each family member write on a piece of paper one topic they would like to discuss. Have everyone pick one of the topics to read aloud and start talking.
Make sure you have some snacks and a movie or board games lined up to watch at the end… so that the social finishes on a positive note.
House Rule #9: Choose Your Words Wisely
In the same way we are responsible for our own actions, we are responsible for the words that come out of our mouths.
Nobody can tell you what to say.
Sure, they can make suggestions; but, ultimately it’s your call.
And words are powerful, often more than we realize.
They say actions speak louder than words, but that is not always the case… especially if your words hurt someone else’s feelings or disrespect them in some way.
Once the words are spoken, they can’t be taken back.
Sure, you can try and retract… apologize… but the initial damage has already been done.
Teaching your children to think before they speak is a must on the list of house rules for kids. It will save them the embarrassment of being seen as a lesser person, and you the embarrassment of being seen as “that parent” who can’t control their kids.
House Rule #10: Following Through, Put Words Into Action
Tomorrow.
Later.
One day.
Eventually.
These are words we have all been found guilty of using when it comes to crossing something off our to-do list.
Maybe it’s a school assignment.
Work project.
Household chore.
A personal goal.
Whenever we don’t want to do something, we have a tendency to put it off.
Similarly, if we are scared of change, we have a tendency to put it off.
We always think we have tomorrow, but that is no guarantee.
Not to mention, sometimes the things we are putting off are things others are counting on us to get done.
Teaching your children to follow through and finish what they start is a crucial house rule to impart… as not only will it make you a little less crazy, but it will let others know your child is someone to be counted on.
While the use of the word may seem a bit dated, the sentiment is as true now as it was when it was first written in the book of Leviticus.
We’re talking Old Testament stuff.
Today, people tend to age differently than they once did… trying to fight it off for as long as possible. But the term “elder” is really less about physical aging and more about the wisdom that comes with age.
Well, for most of us.
A big part of life is learning from our mistakes. This way, when we get older, we are able to share what we’ve discovered with others.
Hopefully.
Teaching your children to listen to and respect their elders is also a good way of
teaching them to have an open mind and accept direction and guidance from adults… adults who have seen and done things that have earned them the right to be treated honorably.
House Rule #12: Keep An Open Mind, Embrace Other’s Differences
Speaking of an open mind…
Our world is filled with all different types of people… people with different color skin, different religious and political beliefs, different opinions and different ways of doing things.
Set the tone.
All people deserve our respect until they’ve given us a legitimate reason not to.
Teach your children early that different doesn’t mean wrong. And having differences with others is not always a bad thing.
If you are picking and choosing which of the house rules for kids to exercise, this is a must.
This one teaches tolerance in diversity.
Today, more than ever, we need this to be instilled in the minds of our youth.
All lives matter. All points of view should be considered. And all people deserve our respect until they’ve given us a legitimate reason not to.
House Rule #13: Don’t Be a Bully
Mean people suck.
I think I read that on a bumper sticker once.
But it doesn’t matter… because it’s true.
Bullying is a very big problem among kids. And, sadly, if the bully’s aren’t stopped when they are children… they will likely continue to bully when they’re grown.
The art of bullying is not always about actions, it’s about words. Harmful, ugly, belligerent words that are often meant to tease.
I told you they were powerful.
If you catch your child in the act of bullying, stop it in its tracks… even if it seems somewhat trivial.
Sit them down and explain why what they did or said can be construed as bullying… and that it is not ok. If you don’t, it is likely to spiral out of control and your child will end up in trouble and likely unpopular.
House Rule #14: Teach Active Listening & Empathy
You may recall that active listening is a term I used earlier when discussing the house rule for kids regarding limiting screen time.
It is not only important to teach a child to listen when they are being spoken to, but to actually hear the words that are being said so as to grasp the true meaning behind them.
Active listening typically involves questions and answers, such as:
Do you understand what you are being asked to do?
Do you need me to explain anything?
Can you repeat back to me what we discussed?
If you turn the process of listening into a Q&A of sorts, it will likely be more productive.
Teaching active listening will also instill a sense of empathy in the child, letting them know that what you are saying is important to you.
Maybe your feelings were hurt because they didn’t make you a card for your birthday, even though your husband asked them to?
Maybe you were frustrated with them because you asked them to clean their bedroom multiple times before finally doing it yourself.
Other people’s feelings matter… and teaching your kids to be active listeners can help drive that point home.
House Rule #15: Teach Them the Value of Money
You may have heard your parents tell you once or twice that “money doesn’t grow on trees”.
And maybe you rolled your eyes because you honestly had everything you needed… and most of what you wanted.
Your parents provided for you, it’s true. They didn’t concern you with their finances and likely worked hard to keep a roof over your head… to keep you fed, clothed.
I bet there were times when they even spoiled you.
As children, we rarely stopped to wonder how we got to go on that great vacation? Or where those expensive sneakers came from.
Perhaps your parents both worked. Or one of them had two, even three, jobs.
In some instances, they may have put their own needs and wants on the back burner just to give you what you desired.
My parents did all of these things… but they also taught the value of money as I got older. As far back as I can remember, my brother and I had chores to earn an allowance.
We were told the money was ours to spend as we wished… that we could save it up for something we really wanted, or just go buy ourselves an ice cream cone on a hot day.
Having to work to earn my own money made me place a value on the things I thought I wanted. It forced me to decide if something was really worth spending it on.
Every purchase now had a particular value in my mind. For instance, $20 to spend on a movie and popcorn with a friend held greater worth to me than spending $20 on a tee shirt.
I made my choice.
Start teaching this house rule to your kids by giving them chores and allowance.
Give them a bank to keep it in.
Then start letting them add money from birthdays, the tooth fairy, etc… to the bank.
Finally, work together to help them set a savings goal for a list of things they want.
House Rule #16. Take Care of Your Pets
Whether you had a pet growing up or not, I bet you heard the words, “pets are a lot of responsibility” at least once during that time. From a goldfish, to a dog, pets need to be taken care of in order to thrive… let alone survive.
Owning a pet and involving your children in their care is a vital life lesson that will teach them not to only be responsible for another living thing, but to take ownership of something in general.
Teaching kids responsibility and empathy by taking care of pets.
Today it’s feeding a guinea pig… but in a few years, it’s providing for a family or overseeing employees at work. If you don’t teach your kids the art of proper supervision and liability for others, you’re doing them a disservice when it comes to where they can go as adults.
House Rule #17. Choose Your Friends Carefully
The truth is, our friends are often a reflection of us. If one attracts or chooses to spend your time with negative, lazy, rude or narcissistic people – there is a good chance others will assume that you are the same way, which may or may not be the case.
Still, more times than not, we judge books by their covers. And while this isn’t the best way to live, it’s a fact that most people don’t take the time to ask “why” when it’s much quicker to just assume. This can impact your social and personal life, as well as your career.
As a parent, you need to teach your child that friendships should always be reciprocal. For instance, when my child comes home talking about a new friend, I almost always ask this:What do you like about this person and what do you get out of this friendship?
The latter is obviously the more important part, yet the first part of the question gets them talking. Sure, we all want a friend who is funny… but are they also able to cheer us up when feeling down?
This goes back to reciprocity, but it also starts your child thinking about what makes a true friendship work. If the friendship is potentially toxic, encouraging them to examine the situation early may help them see the warning signs before going down a rabbit hole they can’t climb out of so easily.
House Rule #18. Do Well in School
Before we delve into this one, let me clarify that I’m not saying your child must get straight A’s as a house rule. That may just not be possible for some kids, whether due to a learning disability or some other issue that comes into play.
What I am saying is that your child needs to do their best in school. This means, asking for help when they need it and not letting laziness get in the way of their success. It also means behaving properly and paying attention in class.
For instance, if they truly don’t understand math and work with a tutor all marking period, but still earn a C+… then that is them doing their best because they never gave up. Perhaps they will improve as time goes on, but the small victories will matter moving forward.
Joining extracurriculars is another way to be an active participant, make friends and earn respect from their peers. Doing well in school means more than getting good grades, it means being well-rounded and always striving to improve.
So far, my husband and I have four children who do very well in school academically. They are also involved in a handful of outside activities – sports, the arts and even religious education. They are busy, which means we are busy… but it makes them better and keeps them out of trouble.
It’s like the saying goes, “idle hands are the devil’s playing”. If you foster an environment where your child is constantly trying to improve and find new outlets of self-expression, they are much more likely to keep that motivation going into adulthood.
House Rule #19. Stay Active
It’s been proven that physical activity not only keeps your body healthy, but your mind sharp.
Today, a frightening number of American adolescents are considered obese. In fact, epidemiologists forecast the total prevalent cases of obesity in the US to increase from 16,882,000 in 2023 to 17,135,000 in 2031 among people aged 5–19 years.
If we can’t control our child’s diet and exercise habits early, they will likely have a very difficult time with self-regulation as they grow. They will also be more prone tobullying and psychological issues, such as depression and anxiety, could arise.
Staying active is important for kids’ physical and mental health.
Exercise increases endorphins, which helps with stress, among other things… but it also helps increase confidence. If your child looks good, chances are they will feel good. And if they feel good about themselves, nothing will stand in their way.
If you’re having a tough time getting your child in gear, suggest an activity you can do together. Training for a charity 5K, biking and hiking are great places to start – and will allow them to go at their own pace.
House Rule #20. Develop a Growth Mindset (Dream Big)
If you’re not familiar with the term, a growth mindset is one in which a person believes they can improve themselves with time and experience… and that their efforts will directly impact their success. People who think this way are convinced they can become more proficient at things, and smarter, if they are willing to put the effort in.
Have you ever heard the expression, “things can only get better from here”? Well, that is the mantra of someone with a growth mindset in a nutshell.
This is the complete opposite of someone with a fixed mindset, who often feels that they are simply dealing with the hand life has dealt them when it comes to success. Many believe that they are only as smart as they were born to be… and that their life’s journey will fall within those confines, for better or for worse.
Teaching your child to accept and foster a growth mindset is essentially teaching them to dream big and believe “the sky’s the limit” when it comes to where their life will go! You’ll seem like their biggest cheerleader, without them even realizing you simply provided the tools they need to get ahead on their own.
House Rule #21. Family Always Comes First
Depending on who you ask, you’ll come across people belonging in one of two camps of belief when it comes to family values. Residents of the first camp will tell you that “family is everything” and talk about how they will always be in their corner.
Those in the second will tell you that “family is something you’re born into, whereas friends are the people we choose”. Some of them may even say things such as, “anyone can be a father, but it takes a real man to be a dad”.
Sadly, there are a lot of angry people in this world with mommy or daddy issues and dysfunctional families. But why?
Despite the back and forth arguments, a happy childhood can have a serious impact on adulthood. By putting your child first, and teaching them to do the same, you will directly influence the way they view their life and themselves later on.
In fact, one study suggests that as the primary nurturers of their children – and because they have at least some measure of control over the environments and contexts in which their children are raised – parents have a tremendous impact on whether or not their children grow up into happy adults.
If you constantly assure your child that you love and support them for who they are, and will forgive them for their mistakes, they are more inclined to believe it. They will also be less likely to fall in with the wrong crowd and be there for you one day in return.
Create a relationship with your child in which they would choose you… even if their birth certificate said otherwise. Family first is a house rule that, if executed correctly, is all about love and compassion, which will help create a world of more empathetic and tolerant human beings.
Final Thoughts on House Rules for Kids
Rules are important. The world would be in utter chaos without them.
As adults, we know this to be true.
Our kids, however, tend to live a somewhat sheltered version of reality because we want to protect them… which is understandable. But that doesn’t mean they don’t need to understand the value of rules and what they represent.
Rules aren’t just about doing whatever it is you’re told… they are about living by a good set of values. A moral code.
These rules for kids may seem somewhat basic on paper, but they are actually going to help shape them into thoughtful and functional adults.
Nicole Krause has been writing both personally and professionally for over 20 years. She holds a dual B.A. in English and Film Studies. Her work has appeared in some of the country’s top publications, major news outlets, online publications, and blogs. As a happily married (and extremely busy) mother of four… her articles primarily focus on parenting, marriage, family, finance, organization, and product reviews.
There might be affiliate links on this page, which means we get a small commission of anything you buy. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Please do your own research before making any online purchase.
Meal planning is all the rage these days. Whether you subscribe to one of the best meal kit delivery services like Blue Apron and HelloFresh or you are just trying to plan out meals and shopping trips for the week; it’s safe to assume you’re game for anything that will make your life just a wee bit easier.
Wait! Don’t apps and websites typically make your life easier? I mean, they must – given our phones and tablets are riddled with them.
So, what if someone were to list their favorite meal planning apps and websites, so all you had to do was give them a whirl?
Lucky for you, I’ve done that here.
Just know that these are my personal picks for some of the best meal planning websites. Something about each of them spoke to me and my situation.
“Krause! Party of 6!”…
Yeah, that’s me.
So… it’s safe to say I’ve looked into a lot of meal planning sites.
Why?
One – to save money.
Two- to save time.
Three – to stop ordering out or cooking frozen foods so dang much!
But, and there’s always a but, simplicity is a must, and a budget is just as important as diversity.
I’m a mom trying to eat (somewhat) healthy, and I also have young kids who can eat whatever they want. My husband thinks he looks good for his age (and he does!). Beer and hoagies don’t affect him.
Clue me into that superpower!
So, I need a meal plan that ticks all of these boxes. Yours may be different. Each family is unique and has its own set of guidelines and necessities, what they consider to be natural foods, so that is why I’ve included something for everyone in my meal planning app review.
Presenting… The 19 best meal planning apps and websites.
So let’s go over them…
Side bar: One simple health habit you can build is to drink this superfood green drink, which gives you a boost of energy and supplies your body with the nutrients it needs to get through the day. (You can also read the review of it here.)
Save Time and Money with these 19 Meal Planning Apps and Websites
If you’d like to jump ahead to a specific app, then here’s a quick look at all the meal planning apps featured on this page:
eMeals offers a choice of 15 different food styles, including:
eMeals is a subscription meal planning service. However, unlike other services such as Blue Apron, Plated, or Hello Fresh, no food is actually being delivered. Only the recipes are.
Groceries can be delivered via eMeals partnerships with Amazon Fresh and local grocers, but it is not required and may not be available in your area. In some instances, curbside pickup may also be available.
Clean eating
Quick and healthy
Paleo
Budget-friendly
Kid-friendly
Slow cooker
Vegan
Vegetarian
Gluten-free
Diabetic
These are just a few of the options they currently offer. There are also options for families of all sizes. A weekly plan features seven new meal ideas and allows for unlimited switching between food styles. A smart shopping list is generated and auto-populates as you select your weekly meals.
eMeal plan costs after the free trial are as follows:
3-month Dinner Plan recurring subscription: $29.99
12-month Dinner Plan recurring subscription: $59.99
So, if you are familiar with the Cozi Family Organizer, this is a nice little add-on feature. If you haven’t tried it, I highly suggest giving it a whirl.
The Cozi Recipe Box & Dinner Planner is available online and as an app. Both offer an import feature that allows you to surf the web for recipes and connect them directly to your profile.
You can also create shopping lists from your recipes and add them to your weekly calendar—perfect for meal planning!
Specific to the app is a Cooking Mode feature, allowing your screen to remain lit so there are no interruptions (well, except for maybe your kids) when you’re making dinner. It also helps eliminate the greasy fingers on the phone when you are trying to get back to the recipe.
Also, Cozi allows you to link to multiple devices for extra convenience.
There are a few neat things going on here. For starters, you can choose to view the recipes, print them out, and go shopping. It is as easy as that. Kicking it old school.
Another option is to sign up for the $5 meal plan, and this is where it gets interesting. For just $5 per month, the company will send you a delicious meal plan, where every meal costs about $2 per person – and in most cases less.
The meal plan includes recipes and well-organized grocery lists, and free coupons are available. Five Dollar Meal Plans currently offers Classic and Gluten-Free meal plan options.
In addition to the standard weekly meal plans, they offer six-week specialty meal plans at a significant discount to the regular price. Six-week specialty plans follow a theme and are sent to you all at once rather than over the course of six weeks.
Currently, four specialty plans are being offered:
30-Minute Meals
Slow Cooker Meals
Paleo Meals
Vegetarian Meals
*Keep in mind that this is an online service only.
Mealtime is a truly personalized meal-planning companion. It allows you to identify which types of recipes you are interested in, including:
You can also note any allergies, such as peanut and dairy, so those recipes are excluded, as well as tell the app which foods you don’t like.
Finally, you can pick your serving size (2 or 4) and the number of meals you’d like to make for the week (2, 4, 5, or 6) on your plan.
Once you’ve been given your meal plans, the grocery lists are automatically generated to make shopping a snap. Imagine getting your weekly shopping done in one hour or less! And, bonus, most meals are made in under 30 minutes!
It is easy to use with its user-friendly and customizable meal plans; however, one of its most significant drawbacks is that you are limited to the recipes that are available on the app. You cannot import your own recipes. Also, you cannot save any previously used meal plans or customize calorie preferences unless you upgrade to the pro version.
Touted as having one of the most extensive recipe collections, Yummly prides itself on providing delicious recipes matching your dietary restrictions and food preferences.
It offers everything from appetizers to smoothies and everything else from main courses to desserts. They have a sort feature that makes it easy to filter through whatever you have a hankering for that day.
Most unique, however, is Yummly’s relationship with Instacart, a same-day grocery delivery service that partners with local stores.
So, when you put your zip code into Yummly’s database, the ingredients in the recipes you choose are automatically generated into a grocery list sorted by aisle for your chosen store. This speeds things up should you decide not to have the items delivered.
Score!
A coupon link will also pull up offers specific to the grocery store you’ve selected. It will then apply those savings directly to the order.
Pretty impressive, right?
Yummly also uses an algorithm to generate recipes based on your likes and dislikes, with the simple tap of a “yum” button. If you’re diet-conscious, the nutritional information for all of the recipes is included (calories, carbs, fat, and cholesterol).
If you’re using an app like My Fitness Pal, iTrackBites, or Weight Watchers, this is a primo feature! Yummly is both an app and a website, so you can browse and save recipes that are specifically tailored to your tastes and preferences.
It even allows you to filter your recipes based on skill level and those with videos, so it is perfect for novice home cooks looking to learn and refine their skills in the kitchen.
One of Yummly’s biggest drawbacks is that there is no calendar-style meal plan. However, this may not be an issue for you if this isn’t a feature you are looking to have with your meal-planning app.
The Yummly meal planning app is available on Google Play and iTunes.
And if you get stuck with what recipes to add to Yummly, then feel free to check out these articles we’ve put together:
This unique meal-planning app brings social media into the kitchen with its collection of over 50,000 recipes created by home chefs. You can even follow your favorites for inspiration!
Your feed is personalized and grows smarter with every recipe you save and make and which cooks you follow. You can rate dishes as well. As with similar planning apps, you can search by keyword and cuisine—even dietary restrictions.
But for me, the standout feature of this app is the one that allows you to enter your zip code to find “on-sale” items at local stores relevant to your recipe. This feature makes meal planning easy.
Now that’s nifty!
The Allrecipes meal planning app is available for download on Google Play, iTunes, Kindle, and Windows Phone.
Note: This is not an “ad-free” app, and there are no upgrades currently available to make it so.
Pepper Plate allows you to log in using your Facebook account and share recipes that way, as well as on Twitter and email.
Like its competitors, Pepper Plate allows you to import and sort recipes and automatically generate grocery lists. However, Pepper Plate stands out with its COOK NOW feature. This tool allows you to use multiple timers (on your smartphone or tablet) for all of the recipes on your menu. So, no need to worry about overcooking the pasta while sautéing the chicken.
Pepper Plate is available for download on Google Play, iTunes, Amazon App Store, Windows Store, and Nook.
It encourages healthy eating and incorporates that into your weekly meal-planning routine by first allowing you to set up profiles for every family member.
Furthermore, their database includes more than just dinner ideas. Their menu also includes healthy breakfast and lunch recipes as well. And that’s something you don’t get with most meal kit delivery services.
The ProScore System is the app’s equivalent to having your nutritionist. It highlights each item’s good and bad nutritional values and assigns it a score of 1-100.
The site also offers personalized meal planning and support for things such as:
Diabetes (all types)
Lactose intolerance
Weight management and weight loss
Anemia
High Blood Pressure
High Cholesterol
Digestive Health
Gluten Intolerance
You can save your favorite recipes and put them directly onto your calendar for the week… even months!
This makes meal planning a snap! When you create your grocery list, you’ll be given images and nutrition information for all ingredients… even the warning labels, so you will know if it contains something you or a loved one can’t have.
Free to try for 30 days, $4.95/month or $39/year after that
Perhaps the most basic app at first glance, Plan to Eat has a few surprises for health-conscious meal planners.
First and foremost, by bookmarking the Plan to Eat webpage, you can scour Pinterest or Delish and click the recipes you like to automatically add them to your meal plan.
Additionally, the user interface is highly intuitive, making it a cinch to drag and drop items to populate your meal planner for the week. This is also super helpful if one person is trying to eat gluten-free while also planning regular meals for kids at the same time.
Speaking of kids, if you bookmark the site on their personal devices as well, they can log in and see what’s planned for dinner. Older kids may even be able to start the meal with the recipe right in front of them.
Do I hear allowance money?
You can also add notes to the planner if leftovers are on the agenda, which reduces the need to double the ingredients in the shopping list.
The Staples List is a great place to add common and often forgotten items to your shopping list. Just click to add a staple to your weekly shopping list without having to re-enter it time and again.
Got questions? No worries. Plan to Eat has top-notch customer service agents who are willing and eager to help.
This app is ideal for people who already have a decently sized recipe collection or for those who love to look around on the internet for new recipes. It does not come with a preset recipe database.
The Plan to Eat app is available online, via Google Play and iTunes.
Free, pro membership available for $1.99 per month, or $19.99 per year
Yes, this meal-planning app offers more than 350,000 recipes to inspire you! And, yes, it offers a snapshot feature where you can take pics of family recipes, and Big Oven will upload them into your recipe collection.
You can comment on recipes, receive feedback notifications, and create a grocery list that other family members can share. These are all awesome features, but cooking with leftovers and controlling your portions is this app’s bread and butter.
With Big Oven, choose up to 3 leftovers/ingredients, and the app will tell you what you can create! For instance:
London broil
Tomatoes
Mushrooms
I typed these in, and Big Oven suggested:
Chili
Slow Cooker Ropa Vieja
Irish stew
There were other suggestions, but these three recipes utilized all three ingredients I typed in. Other recipes used one or two of the ingredients as a springboard to something else.
Deals to Meals claims to be a one-of-a-kind service! It is the only meal planning service online that bases its weekly meal plans around the best grocery deals in your area.
All of your meals will be planned around sale items, which will save you hundreds of dollars each month. The weekly meal planner provides you with one week’s worth of:
Main dishes
Side dishes
Desserts
Food storage recipes
The food storage-specific recipes are perfect for those nights when you are short on time!
Meal planning doesn’t get much more straightforward. For shopping, you can elect to create your own grocery list or have one generated for you.
Separate from the meal planning service, Deals to Meals offers an option to save up to 70% on groceries without using coupons.
Every week, you will be given a comparison breakdown of the major grocery stores’ deals to Costco, Sam’s Club, and Walmart. Then, Deals to Meals will tell you where the best deals are in your area to save you the most money, promising savings upwards of $ 100 a month, all for just over $1 a week.
The company guarantees you save more than your membership rate, or they will refund you. Refund sounds like no-risk, and I like the sound of that!
WARNING: If you live outside the USA – this is not the app for you.
If there was ever an app for “diet lovers” and “meal preppers,”… this one may be it.
Eat This Much is an easy-to-navigate, user-friendly app designed to help you reach your diet and nutritional goals. It offers tools such as the calorie calculator, weekly meal plans, grocery lists, and more.
You can also create personalized meal plans based on your food
preferences, budget, and schedule.
Whatever type of diet you’re on and whatever your goals may be, this app can help. Its basic features allow you to:
Quickly generate meal plans that meet your calorie and macro targets
Set targets based on weight loss, maintenance, or muscle/bodybuilding
Follow any eating style or create your own
Choose from paleo, Atkins/keto, vegetarian, vegan, and Mediterranean diets
Filter out foods/recipes based on allergies and dislikes, including gluten-free
Set the available cooking time for each meal to match your schedule
Personalize recipes or add your own
Customize recipe suggestions
Configure the meal planner only to use foods you like using a “Recurring Foods” tab
Eat This Much takes some of the anxiety from deciding what to eat.
There is also a premium feature that
incorporates:
A separate intake log for when you didn’t follow the suggested meal plans
Grocery lists are automatically created from your meal plans based on the number of servings
Customizable targets for each day, such as adding more calories or carbs on workout days
Typical calorie trackers force you to add foods to your diary individually. By the end of the day, there’s no guarantee that you’ll be near your nutrition targets. With our automatic meal planner, there’s nothing to track because everything is already entered for you. All you have to do is follow the plan.
Try out the free account to see if their meal plans appeal to you. If you like what you see (and eat), you can upgrade to the premium meal planner for $4.99 per month – billed annually as $59.88. That’s just $ 16 cents per day!
Developed by Dietitians, GO claims to be the
easiest meal and fitness tracker you’ll ever use.
Available exclusively in the App Store, the GO requires you to answer two quick questions before you can start using it.
Please select a color (red or green) and pick your size… that’s it.
Really?
Really.
This finely crafted app offers one-touch meal entry and creates a visual food log that is more powerful, understandable, and useful than typical calorie trackers.
GO plots each entry on an easy-to-read timeline in daily, weekly, or monthly formats. This zoomed-out view helps you see the big picture with a single glance. When it comes down to it, your day-to-day habits are what really make a difference in your health.
GO is incredibly visual… and, honestly, many of us consider ourselves visual people.
The platform’s visual timeline gives you an instant snapshot of your personal strengths and weaknesses. Maybe you overeat at night? Or too many snacks? Skipping breakfast too often? Not getting enough workouts logged weekly?
One look at a weekly or monthly timeline will empower you to make changes that pertain to you and your lifestyle.
Go also motivates you to stay on point with visual tracking staring you in the face. Too many “red” foods during the day? Maybe you need to have more greens for dinner, then. User reviews admitted to adding more “green” foods just to make your timeline look better. Think of it like your child giving you the “puppy dog eyes” when you say no to ice cream.
GO makes capturing the most essential details easy in seconds… and is built on the science of practical, everyday life.
Your average calorie trackers are rarely accurate because we all tend to underestimate our food intake and overestimate our activity. We rarely, if ever, have the exact weight/size/brand/recipe to enter, making the whole process “just a guess” anyway.
Here’s the bottom line: Most of us know when we make healthy or not-so-healthy choices. What we really need is the motivation to make better choices and the visibility to see the impact of our choices over time—a nutritional babysitter, if you will.
Main features include:
The ability to enter meals and activities in seconds
An integrated camera that lets you snap pictures of your meals for precise meal tracking
The interactive timeline shows daily, weekly, and monthly views of your eating and exercise habits
The “How to Succeed” coaching section offers practical guidance on what behaviors to look for on your timeline and how to make healthy adjustments.
Syncs your results to the cloud
Automatically plots workouts you do with other Lolo apps
The app is certainly onto something… so if you can access an Apple device, check it out for $1.99.
Both Apple and Google/Android customers can now enjoy 30 Whole Days… the app that brings the Internet sensation’s 30-day challenge straight to their smartphone or tablet.
This app is designed to help users complete the 30-day challenge or change their food habits with ease. No more frustrating Google searches for unknown foods and ingredients while at the grocery store.
This app allows you to search for packaged foods at the grocery store using a barcode, description, or UPC … It automatically tells you if the item is compliant or not. No more searching through the labels!
In addition, you can quickly and easily search for additives and ingredients you are unaware of on labels to determine whether they are compliant.
The app features a grocery list, a countdown for your 30-day venture, recipes, and more!
This app can also be used to find Paleo-compliant foods, but it is designed for the 30-day challenge.
Disclaimer: The app is not affiliated with Whole30.
The app costs just $2.99, regardless of the platform it’s loaded onto. One complaint is that despite being a paid app, there are still some ads… which can be annoying.
This website and app prides itself on offering easy, personalized meal plans for busy families. It takes the guesswork out of planning dinner by making affordable and delicious recipes easily accessible for any budget.
Unlike traditional meal planning and prep, Build a Menu offers a fine selection of recipes. There is no need to scour cookbooks or the Web for ideas.
The initial setup is easy.
Simply enter your zip code and pick which store you will shop at. Build a Menu, then search that store’s sales ads and recommend several recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (even side dishes and desserts) for the entire week.
Once that is done, Build a Menu turns meal planning into a simplistic 3-step process.
Click on a recipe that sounds appealing
View the price each recipe will cost to make so you can pick the ones that fit your budget
Select your recipe, and BAM (pun intended)! A shopping list is automatically generated at your preferred store.
When filtering through meal options, BAM
offers choices.
BAM’s
selection of additional meal choices include:
Lunch Box, Family Friendly, THM and Gluten Free Lunches
Family Friendly, THM and Gluten Free Breakfasts
Cheat & Eat – Breakfast & Lunch (no recipe needed!)
Family Friendly, THM, and Gluten Free Snacks
Cooking With Kids
Dessert of the Week (Family Friendly, THM & Gluten Free)
BAM charges $4.99 per month (or $48 for 12 months) for the premium plan but eliminates some of the risk by offering a 30-day full money-back guarantee… no questions asked. A slightly less expensive option, the Done-4-You Plan, provides you with pre-selected menus via email. You can’t customize recipes on this plan. This costs $5 per month, or $34.95 for 12 months.
Prepear streamlines all facets of cooking—from recipe gathering to shopping to prep to finished product—into one simplistic and crisp interface.
The app is designed to help make mealtime seem like less of a chore. Key features include:
Meal plan creator: Organize your entire meal process with Prepear’s intuitive Meal Planner. Just tap to plan a week of meals from your own personal, shareable cookbook… including breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks.
Automatic grocery lists – “smart grocery list” technology makes it possible to match your meal plan automatically. Ingredients are sorted into categories for efficient, satisfying shopping… check off items as you go.
Recipe collection, storage, and sharing – collect your favorite recipes from anywhere and sort them into collections for simple meal planning.
Collaborate with friends to build your collections. Never lose another recipe.
Food Feed: Here, users can share their cooking lives in real time with friends by posting pictures and cooking tips. You can take inspiration from their ideas, and you can also get meal ideas from people you trust. Every post is paired with a recipe you can easily bookmark and cook.
The app also features personalized meal ideas based on what you’ve cooked before and who you follow. You can track your cooking habits and customize your tastes, allergies, and preferences.
Additionally, a clear recipe screen allows
easy navigation between ingredients and directions. You can even check off
steps while you cook.
Prepear is available via the App Store and Google Play. The app is free, with in-app purchases.
MealBoard combines recipe management, meal
planning, groceries and pantry management into a single app.
Currently only available for iPhone and iPad users, Mealboard allows you to manage your recipes by: easily
Ingredients
Food category
Meal type
Stores organized by the aisle
Grocery items
The clean, uncluttered interface is typical Apple.
Recipes can be automatically loaded onto the
app with its web browser feature. You can use the search feature to search websites
for recipes to import, or even upload your own.
Another feature that really sets Mealboard
apart is it’s Pantry Tracker.
Ever wondered how much sugar left in your pantry? Or how many tomatoes left in the fridge?
MealBoard eliminates the guesswork by keeping track of those things. Once you’re done grocery shopping, move items from the shopping list to the pantry.
You can easily adjust the items left in stock as you cook with those ingredients.
If you’re looking for an app that helps you make meal plans based on what you and your family eat rather than an ideal weekly menu, you might want to give this one a try.
Most people always want to eat healthy, but time constraints and preferences make it very difficult to prepare full-course, home-cooked meals constantly.
This app considers that users sometimes dine out or use frozen foods. It incorporates this into a meal plan that automatically creates a shopping list based on the menu you’re planning for the week.
In addition, this app automatically calculates the nutritional information of every meal. This is a nice feature that can help keep track of your protein, carbs, and calorie intake, making it easier to adhere to diets that require you to keep track of certain nutrients.
If you have heirloom recipes, this app allows you to store them online and share them with others through a link.
The app’s other cool features that users appreciate include:
Recipe of the day – To inspire you to try the featured recipes.
Search engine – Allows you to find recipes, restaurant meals, and pre-packaged food to add to your weekly menu.
Meal planner that syncs with your Google calendar.
Diet-specific recipe search.
This app is available for iOS and Android. It is free.
AnyList is a “no-frills” tool for creating grocery shopping lists and collecting and organizing recipes.
You can also share any of your lists with your spouse or roommates for free. Thanks to seamless integration technology, changes show up instantly on everyone’s device.
Anylist top features include:
Quickly add and cross off items. Autocomplete suggests common items as you type
Add notes to list items to indicate package size, brand, coupons, etc
Create multiple lists to organize items by store or occasion
Grocery items are automatically separated into categories
Create custom categories
Re-order categories to match the layout of your local store
Save items as favorites, then browse your favorites and add them to your current shopping list
View recent items from your past shopping trips, then add them back to your current list
Easily share lists via email; there is no limit as to how many people you share with
Everyone creates their own AnyList account, so you can share some lists while keeping others private
Optional push notifications let you know when a shared list has been modified
Sort list items alphabetically or manually.
Anylist also allows you to enter and share your own recipes or copy and paste recipes from another source.
The app will sync across all of your devices. Sign in to your AnyList account on your devices, and any changes made will appear.
Your lists and recipes are also securely backed up in the cloud as part of your AnyList account. So, if you get a new device, the list will transfer.
All of these features above are available for free via Google Play and in the App Store… however, Anylist also offers optional in-app purchases (ranging from $9.99 – $14.99) called AnyList Complete, which includes added features, such as:
AnyList for the Web – works with most major web browsers
Recipe Web Import – search for recipes on the web and import them directly into AnyList
Meal Planning Calendar – plan your meals with month and list views, easily add some or all of the ingredients for upcoming recipes to your shopping list
Shared/uploaded item and Recipe Photos
Passcode Lock – protect your lists from casual snooping
If you want to build better healthy habits for your and your family, then it’s really a bit of trial and error when it comes to finding the one that best suits you.
I’ve tried my best to wrangle up some of the better ones…
Regardless of which you choose, it would be best if you were on the lookout for these things:
Free or free trial
Menu/recipe variety
Automatically generated grocery list
Calendar sync
Available as an app
Most of the ones I suggested are free, so I implore you to check them all out if your data plan allows. Not to mention, many are accessible on the web. So, there is really no excuse.
Meal planning works! You’ve just got to commit to it. And if you haven’t got the time or desire, let these sites and apps do it for you! Especially when so many of them are FREE!
Nicole Krause has been writing both personally and professionally for over 20 years. She holds a dual B.A. in English and Film Studies. Her work has appeared in some of the country’s top publications, major news outlets, online publications, and blogs. As a happily married (and extremely busy) mother of four… her articles primarily focus on parenting, marriage, family, finance, organization, and product reviews.
Understanding the importance of healthy habits in toddlerhood
Toddlers are at a crucial stage of development, and establishing healthy habits during this time is essential for their overall well-being. By teaching your child healthy habits early on, you are setting them up for a lifetime of good health. Healthy habits such as eating nutritious foods, engaging in physical activity, getting enough sleep, and promoting emotional well-being and social development are all key components of raising a happy and healthy toddler.
Eating a balanced and nutritious diet is crucial for your toddler’s growth and development. Providing them with a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and dairy products will ensure that they receive all the necessary nutrients. Avoiding sugary snacks and drinks and opting for healthier alternatives will help prevent the development of bad eating habits and promote a positive relationship with food.
Physical activity is also important for toddlers as it helps them develop gross motor skills and coordination. Encouraging your child to engage in active play and outdoor activities will not only help them burn off excess energy but also promote their overall physical health. Whether it’s playing at the park, riding a tricycle, or simply going for a walk, incorporating regular physical activity into your toddler’s routine is vital.
Establishing a consistent sleep routine is crucial for your toddler’s growth and development. A good night’s sleep plays a significant role in their physical and cognitive development. Creating a calm and soothing bedtime routine, ensuring a comfortable sleep environment, and setting a regular sleep schedule will help your toddler get the recommended amount of sleep they need.
Promoting emotional well-being and social development is equally important for your toddler’s overall well-being. Encouraging positive interactions, providing opportunities for socializing with other children, and teaching them how to express their emotions in a healthy way will help foster their emotional intelligence and social skills. Creating a supportive and nurturing environment will contribute to their overall happiness and well-being.
Creating a nutritious meal plan for your toddler
When it comes to creating a nutritious meal plan for your toddler, it’s important to focus on providing a variety of foods from all food groups. Including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and dairy products in their daily meals will ensure they receive all the necessary nutrients for their growth and development. Here are some tips to help you create a healthy meal plan for your toddler:
– Offer a variety of fruits and vegetables: Include a mix of different colored fruits and vegetables to ensure a wide range of nutrients.
– Include whole grains: Opt for whole grain bread, pasta, and cereals to provide your toddler with fiber and essential nutrients.
– Serve lean proteins: Include sources of lean protein such as chicken, fish, eggs, and legumes to support their muscle growth and development.
– Limit sugary snacks and drinks: Avoid giving your toddler foods and drinks high in sugar, as they can contribute to tooth decay and unhealthy eating habits.
– Encourage self-feeding: Allow your toddler to practice self-feeding and explore different textures and tastes.
By incorporating these tips into your toddler’s meal plan, you can ensure that they are receiving a balanced and nutritious diet.
Encouraging physical activity and outdoor play
Physical activity and outdoor play are essential for your toddler’s physical and cognitive development. Here are some ways you can encourage physical activity and outdoor play:
– Create a safe and stimulating outdoor environment: Set up a backyard play area with age-appropriate toys and equipment.
– Take daily walks or bike rides: Incorporate daily walks or bike rides into your toddler’s routine to encourage physical activity.
– Plan playdates with other children: Organize playdates with other toddlers to promote social interaction and physical play.
– Limit screen time: Minimize your toddler’s screen time and encourage them to engage in active play instead.
– Participate in physical activities together: Join your toddler in activities such as dancing, playing catch, or kicking a ball to make it more fun and engaging.
By incorporating these strategies into your toddler’s routine, you can help them develop healthy habits of being physically active and enjoying outdoor play.
Establishing a consistent sleep routine
Establishing a consistent sleep routine is crucial for your toddler’s overall well-being. Here are some tips to help you establish a consistent sleep routine:
– Set a regular bedtime: Establish a specific bedtime that allows your toddler to get the recommended amount of sleep for their age.
– Create a calming bedtime routine: Develop a consistent bedtime routine that includes activities such as taking a bath, reading a book, or listening to soothing music.
– Ensure a comfortable sleep environment: Make sure your toddler’s sleep environment is quiet, dark, and at a comfortable temperature.
– Limit stimulating activities before bedtime: Avoid activities that may overstimulate your toddler before bedtime, such as watching TV or playing video games.
– Be consistent: Stick to the established sleep routine even on weekends or during vacations to maintain consistency.
By following these tips, you can help your toddler establish healthy sleep habits and ensure they get the restful sleep they need for their growth and development.
Promoting emotional well-being and social development
Promoting emotional well-being and social development is crucial for your toddler’s overall happiness and well-being. Here are some strategies to help promote emotional well-being and social development:
– Encourage positive interactions: Teach your toddler how to communicate and interact positively with others.
– Provide opportunities for socializing: Arrange playdates or enroll your toddler in social activities such as music or art classes.
– Teach emotional expression: Help your toddler identify and express their emotions in a healthy way.
– Create a supportive environment: Foster a nurturing and supportive environment at home where your toddler feels loved, accepted, and understood.
– Praise and reward positive behavior: Acknowledge and reinforce your toddler’s positive behavior to boost their self-esteem.
By implementing these strategies, you can support your toddler’s emotional well-being and social development, setting them up for a happy and fulfilling childhood.
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If you’re in a hurry and just want to know what the best protein bar for weight loss and health is, then we recommend Built Bar as the best choice.
Before, when you thought of protein, you may have thought of muscle builders and so-called “gym rats.”
But as people become more conscious of their health, protein bars have gained the reputation of being a “good” nutritional supplement. But are all protein bars actually good for you?
When hunger hits you or you need a quick boost before a workout, it’s a convenient and healthy idea to have a protein bar packed in your bag. The best protein bars provide your body with healthy fuel, and they taste good. But protein bars are not all made the same, and they certainly don’t all benefit your health.
Some are equivalent to candy bars when it comes to sugar and calories, so it’s a good idea to know which ones are healthy. You want to find a bar that has the right amount of protein, carbohydrates, sugar, calories, nutrition, and fiber. With so many options on the market, picking the right one can be difficult.
If you’re on the lookout for the best protein bars to help you manage your weight, we’ve got you covered. We’ve found the most nutritious high-protein snacks that you can eat every day. Read our full review below to see which protein bar is the best choice for you.
Don’t have time to read the entire review?
If you’re a busy person who doesn’t have time to read this entire review, don’t worry—we’ve simplified everything. Here is a table to provide you with a quick rating of our favorite protein bars.
In this article, not only will we go over the advantages and disadvantages of protein bars, I will also provide a recommendation of eight protein bars you should consider checking out.
Let’s get to it.
Advantages of Protein Bars
Protein is a vital macronutrient that your body needs in order for it to function at an optimal level. Protein can be found in many food sources such as eggs, cheese, meat, fish, and nuts.
But many people appreciate the convenience of protein bars to have as a snack when they are on the go during the day. Protein bars are one option for a great snack that have many dietary and lifestyle benefits.
Protein bars are able to quickly give you the energy you need to get through the day with their carbohydrate and fat content. They also contain essential vitamins and minerals that support and help you maintain proper health.
Giving your body the necessary nutrients that are in protein bars can help you get the most out of your workouts. Eating a protein bar prior to working out will give you the steady energy that you need for your entire workout, while also benefitting you after you have finished.
Protein bars have amino acids that give your muscles the building blocks they need to generate new tissue and repair the small muscle tears that occur when you are working out. When this new tissue is generated, you are building and maintaining your muscle mass.
Further, protein helps your body create hormones and enzymes that are necessary to aid your body in vital processes. Of the 20 amino acids that your body needs in order to function, you only naturally produce 11 of them.
The rest of the amino acids, which are referred to as the essential amino acids, come from eating protein.
When you eat protein, your body is able to break it down into individual amino acids, which it then uses to build the thousands of proteins that your body needs to sustain life. While some of these proteins turn into hormones, others turn into enzymes, and some incorporate themselves into cells.
A lot of your immunity is linked with your circulatory system, and red blood cells that are rich in protein play a big role in keeping you healthy. Protein helps boost your immune system by synthesizing immune cells and red blood cells, which helps ensure you will remain healthy.
Disadvantages of Protein Bars
Even protein bars that are dense in ingredients are not able to replace the variety of nutrients that you will get from eating whole foods.
This means that replacing too many of your meals with protein bars can prevent you from getting the benefits your body needs from the vitamins, minerals, fiber, and healthy fats that you will get from whole food sources.
Additionally, while protein bars are very convenient, they are much more expensive than purchasing whole foods.
In fact, some protein bars cost three times more than buying whole foods with the equivalent amount of protein in them, but contain more calories, sugar, and unfamiliar ingredients that your body doesn’t need.
How to Choose a Healthy Protein Bar
1. Consider your fitness goals.
Why do you want to include protein bars in your diet? Are you trying to lose weight or gain muscle? Protein is essential for muscle recovery after exercise, and to allow your body to build new muscle.
Not eating enough protein can delay your muscle recovery and could cause your muscles to shrink instead of growing. When choosing a protein bar to help you recover from a tough workout, you will want to find one that is high in calories and protein.
If you are trying to lose weight, protein is also an important part of fat burning. Its high thermic effect causes it to use a lot of energy in order to break down.
In fact, up to 30% of your calories consumed from protein are used by your body to digest food. If you are replacing a snack to help you lose weight, you don’t need a protein bar that is high in calories.
2. Read the ingredients list.
Make sure you recognize all of the ingredients on the list. You don’t want to consume a lot of chemicals in the process of eating your convenient snack. The fewer ingredients a protein bar has, the healthier it probably is.
Protein bars give you the energy you need to get through the day with their carbohydrate and fat content.
Look at the label to make sure you are getting a natural bar with a short list of ingredients containing mostly things you recognize the names of so you know what exactly you’re eating.
Calories: Calories are important to help you recover from a workout, but you should make sure you don’t eat protein bars that have excessive calories if you don’t need them because this could lead to weight gain.
Protein content and protein type: Some protein bars actually contain very little protein. You want to find a bar with no fewer than five grams. In general, when you’re buying the best protein bar, you can assume that the more protein it has, the better it is.
But this is only true if that protein is high quality. The preferable proteins to consume are milk and whey. Some bars have soy protein, which is of lower quality and can possibly lead to an upset stomach.
Carbohydrates: If you want to lose weight, choose a low-carbohydrate bar because you likely do not burn as many carbohydrates as you eat in an average day. Excess carbs are quickly converted to fat and can lead to ongoing carb cravings.
For post-exercise protein bars, carbs are important to help you recover. When eaten after exercise, carbohydrates are quickly moved to your muscles and liver to create glycogen and fuel your next workout.
Sugar alcohols: To make their bars sweet without using sugar, many manufacturers use sugar alcohols. While this makes a bar low in sugar, it does not make it healthy.
Sugar alcohols are sweet and low calorie, but can lead to an upset stomach, bloating, and diarrhea. They can even cause you to have sugar cravings later in the day, which will negate the fact that your bar was free from sugar.
If you want the healthiest protein bar, look for those that are free from artificial sweeteners and sugar alcohols.
The best protein bars provide your body with healthy fuel and they taste good.
Fiber content: Fiber is important to consume in order to maintain the health of your digestive system and make you feel fuller for a longer amount of time. Fiber also will not add calories to the bar, which means that a high-fiber bar is a healthy one.
Fat content: Just because a diet is low in fat does not make it a healthy diet, because your body needs some dietary fat. Omega 3 and omega 6 polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats need to be a part of your diet.
But saturated fat contains a lot of excess calories that you don’t need in a healthy protein bar. You want to consume protein bars that contain healthy fats but have less than 3 grams of saturated fat per bar.
You definitely want to steer clear of trans fats. These are processed fats that are extremely unhealthy and should be avoided. Hydrogenated vegetable oils can be hidden in protein bars, and these are a common source of trans fats.
Carbs-to-protein ratio: Finding the best carbs-to-protein ratio can help maximize your energy levels, help you maintain a healthy body weight, and allow you to stay full for longer after you eat.
The recommended dietary allowances for protein is 46 grams for females and 56 grams for males, and the recommended dietary allowances for carbohydrates is 130 grams per day for all adults.
Unless you have specific protein and carb ratio requirements, aim to consume at least the recommended daily amount for carbs and protein every day.
4. Know the manufacturer.
Before investing a lot of money into a protein bar, check reviews to see if the manufacturer is reputable. This way, you can get advice from people who have had experience with the product and either trust or don’t trust the people who make it.
The fewer ingredients a protein bar has, the healthier it probably is.
5. If all else fails, make your own.
Making your own protein bars is always a good way to know exactly what is in them. Mix some peanut butter and your favorite protein powder or some almonds and dried fruit together to create a bar that you will enjoy.
One great thing about making your own protein bars at home is that it ends up saving you a lot of money in the long run.
11 Best Protein Bars (for Weight Loss, Vegans, and Health Conscious Individuals)
Now that you have an idea of what you are looking for, here are some of the best options available on the market today.
It can be hard to find a protein bar that isn’t loaded with sugar but still tastes good. Chances are, if you’re looking for a protein bar, you want something healthier than a brownie–but oftentimes, you won’t find it.
These bars compromise neither taste nor quality in their delivery of a convenient, on-the-go snack.
The company behind Built Bar was founded by Luke Tolley, who has a Ph.D. in molecular chemistry and–more importantly–a solid reputation. He pairs his 20 years of experience in making bars with his knowledge of molecular chemistry to make a bar that he himself loves–and believes you will too.
Each of the 13 flavors of the Built Bar is covered in 100% real, dark chocolate and contains no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives, in addition to being GMO-free and free from all major allergens.
The nutritional profile of each bar varies slightly, depending on its flavor, with the range of calories being from 110 to 170. The flavors rotate from time to time depending on demand, but here’s an example snapshot of 13 possible flavors:
Consumers can design their own flavor variety boxes or just stick to their favorite option. As far as the taste goes, consumers find these bars to be much less dense or chalky than other options.
Rather, the flavors melt in your mouth (some compare it to a 3 Musketeers bar) without a “vitamin-taste” finish. Plus, here’s a taste tip: if you want an extra special treat, try putting your bar in the freezer and cut it into little squares for a candy-like taste experience.
The ingredients in each bar is as follows:
Whey protein isolate mix
High quality dark chocolate
Gelatin
Water
Erythritol
Maltodextrin
Citric acid
Natural flavors and colorings depending upon the flavor
Whey protein isolate is a complete protein, meaning it contains all of the essential amino acids. It’s easy to digest, as it’s free from all milk-derivatives, and it has a mild taste. It isn’t vegan, but very few people are sensitive to whey protein isolate, so it is a suitable option for most people.
Erythritol is the sugar alcohol used to sweeten these bars. Erythritol is metabolized differently than sugar, which is how some sweet foods are labeled as “sugar free”.
This means that people who suffer from diabetes can consume products such as these bars without having a spike in their blood sugar.
Because sugar alcohols can cause intestinal distress, many avoid them, however, erythritol has fewer carbon atoms than other sugar alcohols, which makes it much more tolerable than other sugar alcohols.
Maltodextrin is the source of soluble fiber in these bars, and it also helps create their unique texture. Many bars contain inulin, which is a fiber that’s processed by gut bacteria (and therefore causes excess gas in many people).
However, maltodextrin is well-tolerated by most, and these bars typically cause no digestive distress. In fact, the maltodextrin in these bars is processed in a way that makes it non-digestible, meaning it is readily available and it won’t cause negative side effects that other fiber products will.
Depending upon the number of boxes you order and any available discounts, each bar ranges in price from about $1.50 to $2. While the price may be a bit higher than other protein bars, shipping is free and the high-quality, clean ingredients that you’re getting are a great value for the money.
The company does offer a sample box option (which has 10 flavor varieties), which brings the price down to $1.76 per bar and lets you taste several options.
On the off chance that you don’t love these bars, the company offers a taste guarantee, meaning you can get a full refund on your first order if you aren’t completely satisfied.
PROS
Tastes great while still being low in sugar
Has high-quality ingredients
Comes from a reputable company
Money-back guarantee
Has 13 flavor options
CONS
Not vegan
Not sold in stores (you have to order online in bulk)
Long a darling of the fitness and nutrition industry, Quest Bars are still a top pick if you’re looking for a protein bar that delivers quality protein and great taste. They’re readily available from most retail outlets and come in a wide range of flavors.
Starting with protein content, Quest Bars contain a respectable 20 grams. It’s mostly from whey protein isolates which is a complete protein and relatively easy to digest. Whey protein is the go-to option for most protein bars, so nothing groundbreaking in that department.
It’s with the rest of the nutritional facts that Quest Bars appear spectacular. There have been some claims that they’re too good to be true, in fact.
Quest Bars have a strikingly high fiber content relative to the protein and fat content. Such is the disparity that there’s been some dispute about the accuracy of the label.
The fiber content is notable because it makes a big difference in the number of net carbohydrates in the bar. Net carbs are the carbs that are actually digestible by your body and fiber doesn’t count towards that.
If the label is accurate, Quest Bars have, by far, the best protein to carbohydrate ratio of any protein bar on the market in their category.
Most people who end up loving Quest Bars get attached to one of the myriad flavors, such as birthday cake, blueberry muffin, rocky road, and s’mores. The flavors don’t necessarily replicate their namesakes exactly, but they’re still rather delicious.
The one real drawback about Quest Bars is their texture. These bars are exceedingly chewy. As it turns out, when you condense that much whey protein and fiber into a small bar, you end up with something resembling licorice in texture.
They’re notoriously tough to eat, but most people find that after an adjustment period, it gets much easier.
PROS
Macronutrient proportions are excellent – best-in-class
A lot of great flavors to choose from
Good sources of complete protein (whey and milk proteins)
Easy to find anywhere from gas stations to online retailers
Good low-carb option for diabetics
CONS
Some controversy about the accuracy of the labeling
Chewy to the point of being difficult to eat
3. 2nd Runner-Up Protein Bar Option: MET-Rx Big 100 Colossal Bars
Anyone that’s been around the protein bar block a few times knows Met-Rx bars. MET-Rx Big 100 Colossal Bars isn’t just a marketing gimmick, these bars are massive and have the macronutrients to back it up. They can even double as meal replacement bars at 420 calories per bar.
Everything about these bars is over-the-top. They pack 32 grams of protein, which is more than any other bar on this list. Met-Rx also isn’t shy about packing in carbs and fats as well. Each bar has 14 grams of fat and 26 grams of sugar.
In terms of ingredients, these bars have everything, but the kitchen sink thrown in. That’s not a bad thing, though. Met-Rx is exceedingly thorough about listing every ingredient and breaking it down to its constituent parts. There are no surprises here at all – what you see on the label is exactly what’s in the bar.
In addition to being a great source of protein, Big Colossal has a decent helping of several vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A, B, C, and E, as well as zinc and iodine. They’re a meal replacement bar in every sense of the word.
Met-Rx bars are sweetened with corn syrup and sugar. While these aren’t exactly the healthiest sources of carbohydrates, they certainly make them delicious. They come in a variety of flavors, with the most popular ones being super cookie crunch and chocolate chip cookie dough.
If you’re looking for a good way to replace a meal and you’re not overly concerned about macronutrients, these are a good option. If you want to stick to a weight loss plan, you’ll find Big Colossal to be just that – big and colossal.
PROS
They taste fantastic and have a great texture and come in a variety of great flavors
They have numerous vitamins and minerals making them an effective meal replacement bar
The labeling is explicit and comprehensive and doesn’t obfuscate one bit
Has a whopping 32 grams of protein per serving
Features a blend of both slow- and fast-digesting proteins
CONS
420 calories per bar; not exactly conducive to weight loss if that’s your goal
Contains genetically modified ingredients
4. Best for Flavor: Zing Dark Chocolate Coconut Vitality Bar
If you’re looking for a protein bar that doesn’t taste like chalk when you bite into it, the Zing Dark Chocolate Coconut Vitality Bar is your best choice. It has the right amount of sweetness to make this health bar feel like a decadent dessert, yet packs in good protein, healthy carbs, and other nutrients.
This is due to its main ingredients, which are dark chocolate, coconut, and almonds.
Created by nutrition experts, each Zing bar is guaranteed to provide great flavor and health support. The dark chocolate used for this product contains powerful antioxidants.
In addition, the high-quality almond butter base is a wonderful source of good fat, and the other plant-based proteins provide essential amino acids. You get heart-healthy ingredients with every bite.
These bars are plant-based, making them a wonderful vegan option. Moreover, they are great for those looking for a product without artificial flavorings, colors, or sweeteners.
Not only are these bars good for the heart, but they also contain prebiotics to help maintain gut health. They are gluten-free and GMO-free.
There is a wide variety of delicious and exotic flavors to choose from, such as:
Peanut butter chocolate chip
This product can serve as a quick snack or meal replacement while you’re on the go.
PROS
Available in a variety of flavors.
Dessert-like and decadent.
Supports heart and gut health.
Can be used as a meal replacement.
CONS
Tends to melt in hot weather.
Becomes rock-hard when placed in the refrigerator.
Contains only 10 grams of protein.
5. Most Budget-Friendly Protein Bar: KIND Breakfast Protein Bars
Do you want to get your protein fix in a convenient bar, but don’t want to spend big bucks? You’re in luck. KIND Breakfast Protein Bars are an excellent option with all-natural ingredients that won’t break the bank.
In terms of protein, you’re getting eight grams from every KIND bar. That’s not a spectacular amount, but it works well as a protein-rich snack. They’re a little high in carbohydrates at 26 grams per bar and the fat content is about what you’d expect, 10 grams. The total adds up to 220 calories per bar.
The protein in KIND bars comes mostly from whole food sources such as almonds, oats, and quinoa. They do add soy protein isolate for a small boost in protein, but all the protein is of plant origin.
They offer three great flavors. Almond butter is their top seller followed by dark chocolate cocoa and maple cinnamon. While the flavors are consistently good, there’s not a lot of variety to choose from. The texture is much better than some popular options, with a crunchy, nutty outside, and a soft, chewy middle.
Sugar alcohols are a common ingredient in protein bars, but KIND bars contain zero grams of these organic compounds. That’s good news for people who have sugar alcohol sensitivity.
Overall KIND bars are a fine snack, but they really shine for being the most affordable option on the list. When you buy in bulk, you’ll end up paying well under a dollar per bar, which is what we call excellent value.
While they’re gluten-free, non-GMO, and kosher, they do contain several types of nuts, so you should be careful if you have nut allergies.
PROS
An excellent value, the most inexpensive bars on this list
Great nutty texture
Numerous plant protein sources
Made with 100% whole grains
An excellent choice for a snack bar that won’t fill you up or make you bloated
CONS
Not terribly filling
Relatively low protein per bar
6. Best Tasting Protein Bars: RXBAR Protein Bar, Coffee Chocolate
RXBAR Protein Bar, Coffee Chocolate display all of the ingredients on the label, which is great for consumers who are especially concerned about eating anything artificial. The unique thing about these bars is that they are the best kosher option on the market.
RXBARs are made with whole foods that are both clean and simple. Egg whites, dates, and nuts are used in every flavor in conjunction with other delicious flavors to create a protein bar full of nutrition.
The coffee chocolate bar allows you to have the taste of your favorite cup of coffee combined with the rich flavor of 100% unsweetened chocolate, giving you a boost of energy during the day.
These bars contain no added sugar, gluten, dairy, soy, artificial flavors, preservatives, or filler. They are non-GMO, perfect for people who follow the Whole 30 diet, and kosher. Each bar has 12 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber, and 210 calories.
PROS
Made with high-quality egg white protein.
Kosher.
Made with simple ingredients that are listed on the front of the package.
CONS
Different batches can vary in taste.
Some people find these hard to chew.
The bars are sticky.
7. Best for Keto or Paleo Diets: Epic Uncured Bacon Bars
Epic Uncured Bacon Bars is the best Paleo-friendly bar because it is made from meat. The smoked maple bacon meat bar is a portable way to enjoy meat on the go. It provides you with a great protein-rich snack and is made from 100% natural pork.
The company works toward its mission when making this product by aiming to use the entire animal to provide consumers with the most nutrition. This bacon pork maple flavor has eight grams of protein, five grams of sugar, and seven grams of carbohydrates per bar.
PROS
Best for people who follow a Paleo diet.
The meats used in these bars are harvested in a sustainable manner, organic, and grass-fed.
Have a great balance of fat, carbs, and protein.
CONS
The taste between batches is sometimes inconsistent.
With a recent recipe change, some people think these bars are too sweet.
More expensive than some other options.
8. Best Vegan Protein Bar: Organic MacroBar Protein Paradise Bars Box, Cashew Caramel
Organic MacroBar Protein Paradise Bars Box, Cashew Caramel is the best option if you are looking for a vegan protein bar. GoMacro MacroBars will keep you fueled throughout the day. The Cashew Caramel MacroBar contains 11 grams of plant-based protein with cashews and a hint of mesquite to create a naturally sweet caramel flavor.
The protein in these bars is easily digested and safe for people who have allergies. These bars use clean, plant-based ingredients that are responsibly sourced, meaning they are good for you and good for the environment.
These bars are perfect for replacing a light meal, or for a heavy afternoon snack. They come in many other flavors that people have made a part of their routine diet.
PROS
Certified vegan.
USDA organic and R.A.W.
These bars have a soft texture that people enjoy.
CONS
It is not uncommon to find pit or nut shells in these bars.
Some people prefer a bar with more flavor.
Some find these bars to be too chewy.
9. Most Wholesome Ingredients Protein Bar: RiseBar Lemon Cashew High Protein Bar
RiseBar Lemon Cashew High Protein Bars are made with the highest quality wholesome ingredients. They are considered to be a “clean” food, with only four ingredients: cashews, coconut nectar, lemon extract, and 15 grams of pea protein isolate per bar. This health snack is made using pure pea protein isolate, which is easy on the digestive system, Paleo-friendly, and completely vegan.
Every Rise bar is individually made in a small batch each day to ensure top quality. They are made using only all natural and non-GMO ingredients that cause small variations in each bar, making every bite a new experience from the last.
This is a great option to eat for a pre-workout energy boost, recovery after a workout, afternoon snack, or even a meal replacement if you’re in a rush. Each bar is high in protein, fiber, potassium, vitamins, and minerals.
PROS
Doesn’t include any junk or filler ingredients.
Free from gluten, soy, peanuts, sugar alcohol, and artificial ingredients.
Has a short and recognizable ingredient list.
CONS
Some people wish these bars had a more prominent flavor.
Some find the texture to be sandy.
The bar is dense and can be hard to chew.
10. Best Protein Bar for Women: think! (thinkThin) Vegan/Plant Based High Protein Bars, Sea Salt Almond Chocolate
This bar uses only wholesome ingredients to create a powerful snack that is rich in protein and fiber to help your body stay nourished while also crushing your sweet cravings.
Each bar has nine grams of protein, three grams of fiber, and 190 calories to create the perfect snack. The bars have nutritious ingredients such as rich dark chocolate, roasted almonds and a hint of sea salt. The ingredients are also great because they are 100% non-GMO and gluten-free.
PROS
Tastes great.
Low glycemic index.
Have an enjoyable, crisp texture unlike other bars.
CONS
Contains soy protein, which some people don’t prefer.
Higher in sugar than some other bars.
The artificial sweetener used in the coating may hurt some consumers’ stomachs.
11. Best Low Sugar Protein Bar: KIND Bars, Almond Walnut Macadamia + Protein
If you are looking for a low-sugar option, KIND Bars, Almond Walnut Macadamia + Protein is the best bar for you. The KIND bars have a wide variety of nuts in them, including whole almonds, macadamia nuts, walnuts, peanuts, cashews, and Brazil nuts. This means they provide you with 10 grams of all-natural protein.
These KIND bars are made from high-quality, wholesome ingredients and taste great along with being nutritious. They are a good source of fiber while also being low in sodium. This is a perfect snack to carry with you on the go for when you need a quick boost of energy.
PROS
Low sugar content.
Perfect for kids and adults.
Great for people who are trying to eat clean.
CONS
Smaller than other options.
The ones that include peanuts have very little other variety in nuts.
Contains soy protein isolate, which some people do not prefer.
Final Thoughts on the Best Protein Bars
After reading the descriptions of each protein bar, hopefully you can decide which is best for your needs. Each one has its own unique qualities that make them all great options for various needs.
Built Bar Peanut Butter
If you are looking for a safe, everyday option, the Built Bar is a great choice because the taste will always perk you up. But it is also a good idea to keep a rotation of a few different bars so you can have some variety in your diet.
There might be affiliate links on this page, which means we get a small commission of anything you buy. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Please do your own research before making any online purchase.
No time to read the entire review and just want to find out what the best water flavoring enhancers is? We recommend Hydrant’s Rapid Hydration Mix as the best overall choice.
Hydration is key to a healthy lifestyle
Staying hydrated should be everyone’s priority, including you.
Human bodies are around 60% water, and it is essential to drink enough water every day. But water can be so boring. How can you drink 64 ounces + of unflavored “nothing”, 7 days a week?
The answer is enhancing your drinking experience with flavored water.
There are many kinds of flavored water, but most of them are bad for you since they have tons of sugar and calories. We have sorted through the chaff of the worst flavored waters to find you the top choices for natural & healthy flavored water.
Top Picks for Best Water Flavoring Enhancers
If you are in a rush, here are your best options for water flavoring. Each of them stands out as a top pick in its respective category.
For more details about the products, and some great hydration tips and information, keep reading the article.
Hydrant was founded by John and Jai, who realized that their busy lives and daily drenching in coffee, energy drinks, and even water, weren’t keeping them hydrated. They studied the science and realized that water alone isn’t the best, fastest way to quench thirst and restore hydration.
In fact, water, along with essential electrolytes and a small amount of sugar, is the best way to ensure rapid absorption. Hydrant’s water enhancers are based on research and recommendations from Oxford scientists and the World Health Organization, to ensure optimal hydration with every drink.
Not only are these drink mixes the best way to hydrate the body, but they are also made with real fruit juice powder, with no GMOs, no stevia, no synthetic colors, and no artificial sweeteners.
This formula is the best hydration mix, because it contains the perfect balance of water and electrolytes, along with just enough sugar to make sure that the body absorbs and hydrates.
Hydrant’s Rapid Hydration Mix has three times more electrolytes than the average sports drink, making it the perfect way to start the day and recover from a long night with no fluid intake.
It has the perfect balance of sodium, magnesium, potassium, and zinc, to help the body regulate nerve impulses, grow new cells, and synthesize DNA and new proteins.
These electrolytes create more effective hydration than water alone and maintain the electrolytes you need for energy and peak performance. This drink powder is vegan and non-GMO, and is also free of gluten, dairy, and soy. It’s made in the USA in an FDA compliant facility.
Hydrant’s Rapid Hydration Mix comes in flavors of lime, grapefruit, blood orange, or a variety pack. Each packet can be diluted with 8-16 ounces of water for the amount of flavor you prefer. You can save 20% off the purchase price by starting a subscription, with a risk-free money back guarantee.
PROS
Electrolytes and a small amount of sugar provide more effective hydration than water alone
Delicious lightly sweetened fruit flavors
Vegan, non-GMO, and free of artificial ingredients
No soy, gluten, or dairy
Electrolyte balance for hydration, energy, and performance
Made in the USA
CONS
Because sodium is an important electrolyte, this mix is a balance of gently fruity and mildly salty. Some people want a stronger, more potent fruit flavor, so they mix it stronger, but then they also get a saltier flavor. It is best appreciated as a mild water enhancer, and not as a fruit drink.
Nuun offers some of the best water flavoring products on the market.
The Nuun Electrolyte-Rich Sports Drink Tablets are all you need to turn plain water into a tasty, healthy, and energizing drink. This particular product doesn’t have caffeine, and it also lacks artificial sweeteners and flavoring.
It
adds 1 gram of sugar and 15 calories per serving. Speaking of which, you should
drop in a single tablet of the Nuun Sports Drink in a 16 oz. bottle of water.
Wait for about three minutes until it dissolves, and then you can drink it.
With each purchase, you get four bottles of tablets with different tastes, including grape, tropical, strawberry lemonade, and fruit punch.
If you are curious about the ingredients, they include sodium, magnesium, calcium, potassium, citric acid, natural flavors, dextrose, stevia leaf extract, rice extract blend, avocado oil, malic acid, and some natural coloring.
Like
other Nuun sport tablets, these are also kosher, vegan, gluten-free, and soy-free.
You can carry the Nuun sport tablet bottles with you anywhere you go. They will
fit a backpack, purse, gym bag, etc.
This water flavoring is the best for athletes, physically active people, people on a diet, etc. If you are not feeling 100%, these sports tablets might give you a natural boost of energy.
The most important thing about the best water flavoring is natural ingredients. That’s what you can expect from Stur’s Classic Variety Pack Natural Water Enhancer. With this purchase, you get five bottles, and each has a different flavor.
The
flavors included are orange mango, pomegranate cranberry, strawberry
watermelon, blueberry and blackberry, and fruit punch. A great variety of
flavors might incentivize you to drink more water and make it enjoyable along
the way. The taste is better if you have access to clear and safe drinking
water.
The
way you should use Stur is straightforward. Just flip bottle cap open, point it
to your water glass and squeeze for only one second per 8-ounces of water. You
can squeeze for longer if you want a more intense flavor. With every bottle of
Stur, you get 20 servings of 8 oz. of flavored water.
Stur
claims that their natural water enhancer has zero calories and sugar, and lots
of vitamin C. The sweetness comes from stevia leaves, which were naturally added
to the product. Besides water, you can use this flavoring in smoothies,
sparkling water, yogurt, or even cocktails.
This
product is kosher and keto-friendly. It can help your diet and overall wellbeing.
It is also easy to take anywhere you go.
True Citrus offers some of the cheapest water flavorings on the market.
Despite being affordable, the True Lemon Bulk Dispenser Pack is 100% natural and healthy. It contains citric acid, lemon oils, and juices, which were crystalized with a unique patented process.
There
is no sugar, preservatives, gluten, sodium, or any artificial sweeteners here.
This product is also GMO-free. You can mix it with water, hot or iced tea, etc.
You can choose from many flavors and bulk packages.
The flavors include lemon peach lemonade, regular lemonade, lemon strawberry lemonade, unsweetened lemonade, and wild blackberry pomegranate.
You can choose unsweetened options for zero calories, or sweetened with some stevia and sugar. The latter option only has ten calories and a gram of sugar per serving.
The
True Lemon bulk dispenser pack gives you 100 units, but you can also get a pack
of 500 or even a pack of 10. The bigger the package, the more you are saving, making
this an ideal budget natural water flavoring.
Hydrant’s Caffeinated Hydration Mix has all the benefits of their hydration mix, along with caffeine to give you a bigger energy boost in the morning.
Hydrant has less sugar and more electrolytes than a sports drink, and has healthier, longer-lasting effects than an energy drink.
Hydrant has 7 grams or less of natural cane sugar (no stevia or artificial sweeteners) per serving, which is just enough to activate the sodium-glucose transport mechanism in the digestive system, helping your body quickly absorb the nutrients and re-hydrate.
The subtle formula has low osmolality, with fewer solid particles suspended in the liquid than many other mixes. Low osmolality allows for faster absorption and improved hydration. This science-backed approach to hydration is a great way to start the day, with a caffeine boost.
Hydrant’s Caffeinated Hydration Mix has all the electrolytes of their Hydration Mix, along with caffeine derived from organic green tea, and antioxidants for improved focus and awareness.
As always, this mix is vegan and non-GMO, with no gluten, dairy, or soy. It’s made from real fruit juice powder, with no artificial colors or sweeteners. It’s made in the USA, in an FDA-compliant facility.
Hydrant’s Caffeinated Hydration Mix comes in raspberry lemonade, lemon, and orange flavor. You can save 20% with a subscription, which is risk-free with a money back guarantee.
PROS
Healthy hydration, electrolytes, antioxidants, and energy in one drink
If you need some caffeine alongside the great flavor, Nuun might have the best water flavoring for you. The Nuun Sport and Caffeine electrolyte tablets are a great supplement for athletes, and also for regular people on a diet and exercise regimen.
When
you sweat, you lose salts, i.e., electrolytes. Besides water, your body also
needs some salt to stay energized and in top form. Dehydration is a severe problem,
and it occurs not just when you’re physically active, it can also happen during
travel, or even in your sleep.
If you feel sluggish and tired, even if you sleep eight hours a day, it’s because you’re partially dehydrated. Nuun sport and caffeine electrolyte tablets are ideal for you then, because they will get you energized in no time.
With the purchase, you get four tubes (10 servings per tube), which you can carry anywhere with you. Each one has a different flavor, including mango orange, wild berry, cherry limeade, and fresh lime.
These tablets are only sweetened with Stevia and have no artificial flavors or sweeteners. This product is also GMO-free, soy-free, gluten-free, kosher and vegan. It contains potassium, magnesium, calcium, chloride, and sodium.
PROS
A perfect combination of flavor, electrolytes, and caffeine
Keeps you hydrated and energized
Excellent for athletes and others who are physically active
A beverage that quickly replenishes lost fluids and restores electrolyte levels is a “must have” for endurance athletes to maintain optimal performance.
The formulation of DripDrop ORS electrolyte powder delivers fast rehydration, making it the best choice for serious athletes. It was created by a doctor, with three times the amount of electrolytes and less than half of the sugar content found in most sports drinks.
Using a patented formula, this dehydration relief powder contains the precise amount of electrolytes and glucose your body needs to keep you hydrated.
It also contains vitamins and minerals, such as Vitamin C, magnesium, and zinc, to boost immunity. Its formulation provides the same benefits as an IV and is an affordable way to treat dehydration.
This product prevents the symptoms of dehydration, such as fatigue, brain fog, muscle cramps, and dizziness, which can impede athletic performance and compromise one’s safety while engaged in sports activities or workout routines.
It is also ideal for post-workout recovery, providing proper hydration to slow heart rate and speed up muscle recovery.
With a science-backed product such as this, it is even more impressive that the available flavors are so enjoyable. DripDrop ORS is available in several great-tasting flavors, including berry, lemon, orange, watermelon, and cherry.
PROS
Delicious flavors.
Science-backed formulation.
Provides quick dehydration relief.
Contains less sugar than regular sports drinks.
CONS
Some people find that this product can be hard on the stomach.
Can cause allergic reactions in people sensitive to certain ingredients.
Sakara is an innovative company focusing on life-changing nutrition. Their meals and products are formulated with cutting edge science along with traditional healing wisdom, to help the body thrive.
Their ingredients are sourced from only trusted suppliers and organic farms with sustainable practices, so that you always feel good about what you’re eating.
With these beauty water drops, your water becomes a functional food, restoring your mineral balance, fighting the effects of stress and aging, and providing incredible hydration for your whole body.
If you want to restore your mineral balance, promote healthy skin and aging, and feel like a queen, the Sakara Beauty Water Drops are the ultimate water enhancer for you.
Sakara Beauty Water Drops contain a full-spectrum blend of 72 ionic trace minerals naturally harvested from the Great Salt Lake. This mineral-rich formula provides deep hydration that helps to remove toxins, plump skin cells, and promote a healthy glow.
It restores the minerals that are needed to support collagen and keratin production that naturally declines with age, so the skin can be more supple, and hair and nails can be stronger and more resilient.
The alkalinity of this formula helps the body maintain the ideal pH balance to reduce inflammation and boost energy. This beauty water comes in a small, TSA-friendly bottle with a dropper, so you can have functional water anywhere, any time.
PROS
Balanced blend of 72 trace minerals
Supports hydration, healthy skin, and healthy hair and nails
Reduces inflammation and provides energy
Compact and convenient to take with you
CONS
Has a salty taste some find unpleasant
Contains mercury, which has no known health benefits
MiO is one of the first and still the most famous water enhancers, and their Arctic Grape Sport enhancer has no sugar. It is packaged in a small bottle that is easy to take with you and enjoy anywhere.
Just a squeeze allows you to add delicious flavor, electrolytes, and B vitamins to any water you enjoy.
Your water can have added vitamins and minerals, without any caffeine or calories. You can use a little bit, for a subtler taste, or more MiO to get more flavor. The bottle is portable, resealable, and doesn’t require refrigeration.
Elete offers something unique, an electrolyte supplement packed in a 24.6 ml pocket bottle. It allows you to make 2.5 gallons of electrolyte-rich water. It is an electrolyte concentrate that is best used by athletes and people who sweat a lot in general.
If
you live in a high-temperature climate, this product will suit you great.
Without electrolytes, your body becomes weak; you can quickly get cramps and
risk dehydration.
Athletes need electrolytes to stay explosive, sharp and have fast movement and brain-muscle coordination.
This product contains zero calories, fats, and sugar. It gives you plenty of magnesium, potassium, chloride, and sodium. All the ingredients in this pocket bottle packed with electrolytes are natural, kosher, gluten-free, and cholesterol-free.
Use
about 16 drops of Elete per serving. This bottle is very compact so you can
take it with you to the gym, on a trip, or anywhere else. The only downside of
this product is that it is not exactly cheap.
PROS
Vegan, kosher, without any additives
Packed with essential electrolytes
Great for athletes and active people
Pocket-sized bottle
A large number of servings
CONS
Salty flavor not to everyone’s liking
Slightly expensive
The Importance of Staying Hydrated
Proper hydration is not optional; it is a must if you want to stay healthy, full of energy, and even looking good.
Some drinks can serve as a replacement for water, but most of them can’t. Also, you are taking in some water through food, but that is not nearly enough.
You should never replace the water entirely. Sodas, juices, and other drinks with artificial flavoring are the worst water replacements. If you want your water to be tastier, you can use natural water flavoring.
How much water you should drink to stay hydrated is subjective, but in general, you should drink around eight 8-ounce glasses of water every day. That’s the amount recommended by doctors across the world, but it is not set in stone.
If
you are drinking plenty of tea or eating soups and broths regularly, you don’t
necessarily need as much water. The climate also plays a significant factor in
how much water you should drink. People who live in hot climate areas should
drink more water.
A
good indicator of hydration can be your urine. If its bright yellow, you have
nothing to worry about. If it is dark yellow or amber, you may be dehydrated.
Caffeine drinks can help you with hydration, but you should not drink too much
caffeine, especially not in energy drinks.
Fruit
juices are a great replacement for water, and that’s why the best water
flavoring resembles tasty, natural fruit juices like lemonade. Fruits and
vegetables that contain the most water are watermelons, cucumbers, tomatoes,
lettuce, etc.
Eating soups and broths helps with digestion but also with hydration. It’s a smart idea to eat something in liquid form at least several times a week to stay healthy. Some sports drinks are great because they have electrolytes and natural ingredients.
Electrolytes are also vital because they replace the salts you lose when you sweat. Water flavoring that contains electrolytes is an excellent choice for anyone, but particularly athletes.
Tips for Staying Hydrated
Staying hydrated all the time can be difficult.
People usually aren’t actively thinking about hydration, which is probably the biggest reason why they aren’t adequately hydrated. That reason is not as bad as enjoying sodas and other unhealthy drinks more than water.
Staying hydrated is very important and comes with a lot of benefits especially during working out.
If you dislike water, it is best to use water flavoring and make flavored water. That way, you get the best of both worlds, instead of pumping your body with added sugars and calories.
Here is a list of practical tips for staying hydrated you can use on an everyday basis:
Buy a reusable water bottle and keep it with you throughout the day (and next to your bed when you go to sleep). Thinking ahead will keep you hydrated, you won’t have to think about it if the bottle is with you all the time. The bonus is that you’ll save a lot of money too
Flavor your water with natural water flavoring. The very best water flavoring has no sugar, calories, or additives. It has natural ingredients and electrolytes. More details on this later in the article
If you are hungry, try drinking some water before you eat. Sometimes our brains confuse thirst for hunger. In case you’re still hungry, grab a bite, but also drink some water with it. Drinking water sometimes makes you feel full, which is great if you are on a diet. Staying hydrated helps weight loss too
Make a schedule for drinking water if you keep forgetting to do so. The plan doesn’t have to be strict, tie drinking water to some other everyday activity, such as having your daily meals, waking up, going to bed, etc. It is a great idea to start your day with a glass or two of fresh water, and end it in the same fashion
How to Know if
You’re Getting Dehydrated
Dehydration
has many symptoms, even when it’s not too severe. You should always try to
prevent dehydration instead of waiting for the signs. Here are some of the most
common symptoms of dehydration:
Having very little or no urine. If you are rarely urinating, you might be dehydrated
Headaches are a common sign of dehydration
A severe sense of thirst and a sore throat might mean you’re dehydrated
Confusion, impaired thinking, and sluggishness are also common symptoms
Very or slightly dry mouth
Amber or dark yellow urine might mean you’re dehydrated
If you’re dehydrated, you might feel dizzy or lightheaded
‘Dry’ crying, i.e., crying without any tears
If
you notice any of the symptoms, drink water immediately, and they should pass
soon. Some people are more prone to dehydration than others. They need to drink
more water and take more care. Who is more prone to dehydration? Here is a
list:
Athletes and people who exercise intensely
Older adults and the elderly people
People with medical conditions such as bladder infections, kidney sand, kidney stones, etc.
People with stomach problems and people who are sick. Diarrhea, vomiting, fever, etc. can all cause dehydration
People living in hot climates, deserts, islands, or at the seaside. Unfortunately, you can’t stop climate change for now, but you can drink a lot of water throughout the year, no matter where you live
Use
this knowledge to avoid dehydration and recognize it faster. If you are
drinking plenty of water, and you notice you’re still dehydrated, visit a
doctor immediately. Dehydration can be a symptom of an underlying medical
problem.
What are Water Flavoring Enhancers?
Water flavoring enhancers come in many forms. They can be tablets, powders, or concentrated liquids.
Whatever you do, you shouldn’t consume them without water. Follow the instructions on the package and add an appropriate amount of flavoring to your water bottle or glass.
Some water flavoring enhancers are sizzling, while others dissolve without making any noise.
The primary purpose of flavor enhancers is quite apparent. They make plain water taste better. If you drink flavored water, you are still getting hydrated and staying healthy.
Of course, you should get only natural flavoring, without calories, sugar, GMO, fats, etc.
Electrolytes and vitamins are great additions to flavoring enhancers. The best water flavoring has all of the mentioned ingredients and is suitable for any diet, including vegan and keto.
Water flavoring enhancers make plain water taste better. Drinking flavored water will help you get hydrated and stay healthy.
Water
flavoring is usually rich in vitamin C because most of these products have a
citric acid-base (they’re made of lemons). Electrolytes are great if you don’t
have enough salt in your diet, or if you are working out hard.
Intense
workouts cause salts to evaporate from the body, and that is not good. Sugar is
not good in water flavoring products unless it is there in tiny amounts to add
some sweetness. Stevia and other natural sweeteners are much better than sugar.
You
don’t want to add empty calories to your diet through water, right? If that were
the case, people would drink soda or Gatorade instead of water.
Some
water flavoring products have caffeine, which is not bad in small doses. If you
get such flavoring, you can try replacing your morning coffee with some
flavored water with caffeine.
How to Choose the Best Water Flavoring Enhancers
Honestly, it is difficult to recommend the best water flavoring, because the taste is very subjective. Something that tastes great to someone can taste bad to you. Like with all things in life, you’ll have to pick your favorite yourself.
However,
if you’ve read through the entire article, you’ve probably picked up some
things about the best qualities of water flavoring enhancers. These are not
just about the taste; their primary purpose is to keep you hydrated.
That should be your top priority, so if you don’t like the taste of an enhancer, perhaps you should try a different one.
You’re doing this to replace the natural flavor of water, so make it pleasant and fruity. If you are trying to reduce the amount of soda you drink, try getting a flavoring that tastes similar to your favorite beverage.
If
you are an athlete, or you’re hitting the gym regularly, you might want water
flavoring with electrolytes. It will help you stay energized, focused, and
achieve better performance and results in your workouts.
Caffeine
is also a great bonus for people who work hard, no matter if its physical or
mental work. Some water flavoring products have caffeine, and if you’re looking
to quit coffee, those enhancers might be the perfect fit for you.
You
shouldn’t solely rely on vitamins you get from these flavoring products, to be
frank. You should keep a balanced diet, exercise regularly, and stay hydrated to
remain healthy.
The Best Water Flavoring Enhancer
The best water flavoring product in our book is the Hydrant’s Rapid Hydration Mix. It covers all the bases — it tastes great, it’s healthy, and made of natural ingredients. Also, it’s quite affordable and suitable for people on special diets.
Also, you get a nice variety of tastes without having to buy multiple products. When you are bored with one flavor, switch things up a little and grab another. Stur flavoring is healthy and natural. It only has good stuff and none of the bad stuff.
There might be affiliate links on this page, which means we get a small commission of anything you buy. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Please do your own research before making any online purchase.
Do you want to make the world a better place? Then, be kind.
This is not a gimmick.
In a world beset by negativity, kindness is like a ray of sunlight shining through the dark clouds of pessimism, anger, and misery.
It does not take too much effort to be kind. Moreover, it does not cost so much to extend kindness to others.
Doing random acts of kindness is an awesome antidote to negative experiences. It can lift your mood and leave you feeling inspired. In addition, an act of kindness can make someone’s day. On a more dramatic scale, it can change the course of a person’s life or re-write history.
You don’t need to have a certain educational background or economic status in life in order to be kind.
If you’re a parent, you can set a positive example to your children by being compassionate, charitable, and thoughtful. (In fact, this can be one of the most enjoyable activities you can share with your kids.)
These are important values to learn, and with mom and dad showing kindness at every opportunity, kids will most likely follow the example and grow up to be kind human beings.
And isn’t that the ultimate goal — to become the best versions of ourselves?
In this post, we are featuring the best 151 random acts of kindness ideas that you can use to make the world a better place. They are guaranteed to infuse positivity into your day and to others as well.
Here we go…
1. Set aside your phone.
These days, time is the greatest gift we can give to others. If you’re usually on the phone a lot, take a break from this habit. Take time to engage in a meaningful face-to-face conversation with a friend or family member.
2. Send a care package to a friend.
A care package is a wonderful thing to receive. Not only does it contains things someone would be happy to have, but the good thought that goes along with it can help boost positive feelings.
3. Leave notes with positive and encouraging messages.
A little written reminder from you about someone’s positive attributes or how much you appreciate their presence in your life can lift anyone’s spirit.
4. Hug someone today.
We are now more isolated from each other that some people go for weeks without having physical contact with another human being. Hug someone today. Studies have shown that not only does a hug improve mood, but it can also strengthen the immune system.
5. Write a letter to someone and actually mail it.
Text messages are good for quick exchanges of information and status updates. However, to rekindle the connection with either a friend or a family member, the best way to do it is to send a letter where you share news about your life in written form.
6. Prepare a meal for someone.
A hot, home-cooked meal is a boon for most people who have hectic schedules. It’s a welcome break from the usual fast food fare. Add value to the experience by sharing the meal with them.
7. Gift someone with a souvenir from your trip.
When you return from a trip, give someone a souvenir that they’d appreciate. It’s a nice gesture that tells the recipients that they were in your thoughts while you were away.
8. Volunteer to do a friend’s or a family member’s laundry.
Doing the laundry is considered as one of the most tedious of household chores. People will appreciate it if you take the effort to wash their clothes for them.
9. Get someone to go on a spontaneous adventure with you.
You don’t need to tough it out in the wild. It could mean just exploring your city or town and discovering new things — a great hole-in-the-wall restaurant, perhaps? It does not even have to be about traveling.
Trying out new stuff and learning something for the first time are also considered adventures. Invite someone to come with you on these adventures.
If you’re short on adventure ideas, why not create a bucket list? Watch the video to get a quick overview of what a bucket list is and how to create one.
10. Give someone a list of the things you love about them.
Most people only see their failings. Change this by giving someone you know a list of their qualities that make them awesome.
11. Prepare and organize a surprise party for someone.
Throwing someone a surprise party takes commitment and resourcefulness. People appreciate that others will go the extra mile to celebrate happy moments in their lives, especially if it’s a surprise.
12. Be a baby/dog/cat-sitter for the day – for free.
Many parents (of humans and fur babies) forego taking time out for themselves because sitters’ rates are often expensive. They will certainly appreciate your offer to look after their precious little ones without charge.
13. Ditch your usual route and offer someone a ride home.
You don’t lose much if you offer to drop someone off away from your usual route. What’s more, you could ease someone’s loneliness by providing company for the entire duration of the drive.
14. Treat someone to the movies.
Invite someone to the movies, not as a date but as a chance to connect or bond with each other. Choose a film that the person will like. Buy them a popcorn, too!
15. Treat a teenager to lunch at a restaurant.
There is something about dining with proper cutlery and glassware that brings out the best in most people. Taking a teen out to lunch in a resto tells them that they are special and worth treating well.
16. Mow a neighbor’s lawn after mowing your own.
Get the most out of the adrenaline rush of cutting your lawn grass by also mowing your neighbor’s yard. It could just restore their faith in humanity.
17. Prepare breakfast in bed for your family.
Show how much you care for and appreciate your family by making breakfast in bed for them. Your effort will be appreciated.
Random act of kindness: Prepare and organize a surprise party for someone.
18. Bring some eatables to work for sharing.
It could be cookies you baked by yourself or some donuts you bought from the shop on your way to work. This kind gesture will likely inspire your coworkers to do the same the next time around.
19. Prepare two lunches: One for yourself and another for giving to someone.
There is such a thing as free lunch if you’re the one sharing it with another person.
20. Teach someone a skill.
One of the best ways to show a kindness to someone is to teach them a skill. Whether it’s basic cooking, how to pay bills, how to build a how, the know-how will be your lasting legacy to someone’s life. As a kind gesture for yourself, learn something new as well with pointers from this article.
21. Take time to listen to your grandparents reminisce about the “good old days”
Grandchildren often roll their eyes whenever their grandparents begin to talk about their younger days. It is an act of kindness to sincerely listen to these stories that are part of your heritage.
Random act of kindness: Take time to listen to your grandparents reminisce about the “good old days.”
22. Volunteer at a homeless shelter
Most shelters are usually understaffed. Volunteering can ease the burden and gives you a chance to make a difference.
23. Be a storyteller for kids’ story time at the library
Develop a child’s sense of wonder through storytelling. Sign up as a storyteller in your city or town’s library.
24. Keep the elevator door open for someone rushing to take a ride
It takes just a few seconds’ wait. You could avert a crisis by preventing a person from being late.
25. Hold a musical performance in a retirement home.
Do you know how to sing or play a musical instrument? Share your talent by providing entertainment for the elderly.
26. Tip generously.
People who work in the service industry usually rely on tips for their income. Help them meet their needs by tipping fairly or, better yet, generously.
27. Smile at people you meet.
A smile could brighten up someone’s day. Why not have it as your default greeting?
28. If you see a mother taking pictures of her kids, offer to take their family picture.
The self-timer on the camera is another option but not always the best one. Parents would be happy to be included in a well-composed family picture of a day together with the kids.
29. Instead of giving your leftovers to the homeless, buy some food for them.
When you decide to give, give the best that you have. It’s the core of true generosity.
30. Write a letter to former teachers who made a difference in your life.
Teachers often do not realize how much influence they have on their students’ lives. Write them a letter (email or regular post) and tell them how they contributed to who you are at present.
31. When someone speaks, listen intently.
The art of mindful listening is nearly extinct. Keep it alive by stopping yourself from constantly thinking of ways to one-up the person’s experience with something of your own. Just be present and let the other tell their stories with you as the captive audience.
32. Talk to the person sitting by their lonesome at a party.
Even if you are feeling shy yourself, get out of your comfort zone and muster the courage to strike a conversation with someone who’s alone in a corner while the party rages on.
You could be forging a friendship that would last a lifetime.
33. Let them cut you in line.
Develop the habit of cutting people some slack. Let people go ahead of you in a line or give them the parking space. It could be that they are in a hurry because of some personal emergency.
34. Do your best to make people feel included during conversations.
There are those who monopolize conversations. Make sure you are not one of them. Develop eye contact with everyone in the group while you speak, to assure each individual that you acknowledge them and are communicating with them.
35. Say thank you to the janitor.
They are often the unsung heroes of every building. Acknowledge what they do with sincere words of thanks.
36. Buy a glass of lemonade from the kids’ stands.
It does not cost much and could develop children’s confidence in their abilities.
37. Show up when you are invited to a party.
It might not be an ideal way to spend your time, but showing up tells the host that you acknowledge the effort they made to plan the gathering.
Random act of kindness: Showing up to a party tells the host that you acknowledge the effort in planning it all.
38. Be courteous and kind to customer-care representatives.
It is easy to be an irate customer on the phone when a company’s service is not up to par. However, always remember that you are speaking with another human being. Moreover, the issue you’re calling in about is most likely not their fault.
39. Wash the dishes even if it’s someone else’s turn.
Chores can be tedious. Give someone a break from doing the washing up shows you care.
40. Respond to an unsolicited phone call or email.
You might want to respond to a cold outreach every once in a while. Although we view spam and telemarketing as a nuisance, the people who do this often expect only rejection. Replying to their emails or spending time to listen to them pitch their ideas is a true act of kindness.
41. Introduce someone to a potential employer or business associate.
Receiving outside help when one is building up a career or a business is a wonderful gift. The introduction you made could be the break that someone is waiting for.
42. Help someone cross the street.
Whether it is an elderly, a kid, or a person carrying a huge parcel, be their guide as they maneuver the sidewalk to the other side of the road.
43. Pay for the lunch of the person standing behind you in line.
It does not cost much, but the gesture shows that there are still strangers who care.
44. Let an inspiring influencer, e. g. a blogger or journalist, know that they make a difference.
Email your thoughts to encourage those who spread positivity through media to continue what they are doing.
45. Buy the seedling and plant a tree.
Even better, plant several trees. It is an act of kindness not only for the environment but also for future generations.
46. Praise someone’s performance in front of other co-workers.
Most workplaces have office politics, where each one watches their own backs. Change the negative office culture into something positive by praising a colleague in front of others.
47. At the grocery, let the person purchasing just one or two items check out ahead of you.
It would probably take less than five minutes for them to check out. You could use the time to practice mindfulness.
48. Support local businesses.
Most local businesses are family-owned enterprises that do not have the might of major brands or international conglomerates. Support your neighborhood coffee shop, farmer’s market, or artisans making a conscious choice to patronize their products or services.
Random act of kindness: Support your local shops and make a conscious choice to patronize their products or services.
49. Tell a manager about the wonderful service given by a waiter or waitress.
Spread more kindness in the world by highlighting the positive things. Approaching the restaurant manager and speaking to him/her of the great waitress/waiter.
50. Forgive even when no apology was offered.
The act of forgiveness even when the person who has done you wrong didn’t offer an apology frees you from the pain of the past. It is an act of kindness that mainly benefits your health and your well-being.
51. Write a gratitude letter.
Thank those who have made a positive impact on your life. Sometimes, people do not realize that they have made a difference to others. It’s an act of kindness to inform them that their actions matter.
52. Relay a compliment you’ve overheard to the person himself/herself.
Negative people only relay criticisms that make others feel bad or unsure about themselves. You can counter this and brighten someone’s day almost instantly by relaying a compliment you’ve overheard about them.
53. Keep in touch with your friends.
Call them on the phone and have a long chat. Suggest meeting at a local coffee shop to catch up how life’s been for each of you.
54. Become an agent of positivity.
It’s almost second nature for most people to be negative. Choose to be more positive as a way of being kind. You can learn how to stop being negative with tips from this article.
55. Be kind to yourself.
Your random acts of kindness should not only extend to others. It is also important to show kindness to yourself. Learn to practice some good self-care habits for your own sake.
56. Wash your neighbor’s car.
The most tedious thing about washing your
car is getting everything you need out and putting it away. If you’re already
washing your own car, it won’t take much effort to wash your neighbor’s car as
well while you still have all of the materials out.
57. Leave money in a vending
machine for the next person.
Treat a stranger to a snack by leaving money
in the vending machine after purchasing your item. While they may not know it
wasn’t a mistake, the person who finds it will still feel like it is their
lucky day.
58. Pick up litter that you see.
It’s easy to walk by litter and tell yourself
that it’s not your problem. But, if everyone did that, we would live in an even
messier environment. Take the time to clean up behind others when you see the
need.
59. Write letters to people in
the military.
People who overseas appreciate hearing from us back in their home country who appreciate all of the work that they do. Write letters to them giving them words of encouragement and thanks.
60. Offer to walk someone’s dog.
If you have a friend who works full time and
has to take time in the middle of the day to drive home to let the dog out,
offer to do it for them on occasion if you’re able to. This can be a huge time
relief for people who are busy at work but still need to care for their pets.
61. Learn to say “hello” in a
variety of languages.
Prepare yourself to be able to greet people of
any background in public by learning how to say “hello” in different languages.
Being able to do so can help a stranger who is surrounded by unfamiliar people
feel a small sense of comfort.
62. Give away a gift card.
If you win a gift card at work or are given
one to a store that you know one of your friends especially loves, give it to
them to use. This will be an unexpected but very welcomed surprise for a
friend.
63. Don’t complain out loud.
While this is something that you aren’t doing, it is something that can take some effort and spare other people’s stress.
If you tend to verbally complain about work, traffic, the weather, or anything else, make a determined attempt to keep the negativity to yourself. This will help prevent you from bringing other people down.
64. Bring coloring books to the
children’s hospital.
Buy some coloring books and markers to bring
to children who are sick to help brighten their day and give them a fun
activity to do. When you drop them off, take some time to visit with the kids
and do a little bit of coloring yourself.
65. Donate your hair.
If you have long hair, donate it next time you get a significant amount cut off. Find a company that collects donated hair to make wigs for children who are experiencing hair loss due to cancer treatments or other medical-related issues.
66. Volunteer to take a shift.
If you have a co-worker who needs to take some
time off or have their shift covered for any reason, volunteer to work for them
to take that pressure off of their plate.
67. Ride your bike to work.
Ride your bike to work, it will help in reducing traffic and pollution.
While you may not be able to see the impact of
this random act of kindness, riding your bike to work instead of driving will
help reduce traffic and pollution. If you made a lot of these small changes
every day, it would add up to create a better world for
future generations.
68. Pick up groceries for your
neighbor.
Next time you’re running to the store, ask
your neighbor if you can pick anything up for them. Saving someone else a trip
can be a huge help, especially if it is during a busy time like a Sunday
afternoon when the grocery store is probably packed. Don’t ask for anything in
return, of course.
69. Sign up at your church to
make dinner for those in need.
Oftentimes, churches will provide dinners for members of their congregation during times of need, which are made by other members of the church.
If you are not a member of a church, find one nearby and just put your name on the list so they can contact you next time there is a family in need who could use the help of having dinner provided for them.
70. Offer to babysit.
Tell a friend to leave the kids with you and have a night out, free of charge. Free babysitting is always something that parents are looking for, so if you can offer this to someone, you will be giving them a much-needed break.
71. Leave positive comments for
people on social media.
Leave a positive feedback on a blog post or compliments on someone’s social media profile, especially for people that you don’t know very well. This can help uplift people in an arena that is often filled with negative comments.
72. Help the new person.
If you have someone new in your office,
introduce yourself and offer to help show them the ropes. This will allow them
to have an ally at work where they don’t know many people and are probably full
of questions. Let them know that they can come to you if they need anything.
73. Donate towels to an animal
shelter.
If you have old towels or blankets that you’re
no longer using, donate them to the local animal shelter. They will use these
donations to put in the animals’ cages to help them stay warm and comfortable.
74. Create handmade cards.
Next time it’s someone’s birthday or there is a celebration of some sort, take the time to make them a card by hand instead of buying one from the store. This will show that some extra thought went into the process of creating the card and it will leave them with a nice, handmade keepsake.
75. Donate blood.
Blood donations are critical for patients suffering from trauma and those who are going through a variety of medical situations, such as transplants, surgeries, and chronic illnesses.
Out of all of those who are eligible to donate blood, only 10% tend to do so, so this is an important act of kindness that you can do to help others who are in need.
76. Let someone into your lane.
I know you have watched that poor person who waited until the last minute just sit there with their blinker on while all the cars speed on by.
Be the one to let someone who needs to get over into your lane, even if you have to make an effort to slow down and do so. You know you would want someone to do the same for you.
77. Volunteer for a crisis
hotline.
Volunteer to help people who are going through especially tough times by working at a crisis hotline.
You may not think you’re prepared to do this,
but you will receive ample training before getting on the phones. Volunteer to
help people who are going through especially tough times by working at a crisis
hotline. You could make an immeasurable difference in someone’s life.
78. Buy a round.
If you’re out at happy hour with co-workers or
even just out with friends, buy a round of drinks for the bar. This will put
everyone there is a grateful mood, which could influence them to turn around
and do something nice for someone else.
79. Donate your clothes.
My rule is if I haven’t worn it in a year and it’s not a special occasion item (like a fancy dress that I wouldn’t necessarily have a reason to wear every year), it goes to the donation center.
This helps the environment by reducing landfill waste, it helps people in need, and it will help you get rid of clutter so you can organize your space better.
80. Tutor a child.
Schools often get volunteers to help tutor
students in reading and math. Go to your local school to see if you can sign up
to be a volunteer to help children keep up with their classes and get that
extra help they may need for success.
81. Help someone move.
Moving is a huge task that anyone would
welcome help in doing. If you have a friend who is moving, offer to help take
some boxes from one house to the other or help move furniture until it is set
just how they want it. Moving day can be fun, you just have to get on board!
82. Return the lost cart.
There is always that one lost grocery cart in
the parking lot, left by someone who didn’t want to take it back inside or to
the corral. Grab the cart and return it (or use it) so an employee doesn’t have
to chase it down. By doing this, you could also be helping prevent someone from damaging their car by hitting it.
83. Write a recommendation letter
for someone.
If you have a LinkedIn account or you’re on
another professional social media site, write a general letter of
recommendation for someone you have worked with in the past. Even if they may
not need the letter right now, it will always come in handy down the road when
they’re looking for a new job.
84. Take the survey.
You know when you’re asked if you want to take
a customer service survey after you call a company? Go ahead and take it and
leave some positive feedback for the person who helped you.
85. Strategically place your
coupons.
If you have some extra coupons, place them on
top of the items in the store that they match. This will help someone save some
money when they weren’t expecting it on something that they had to buy anyway!
86. Compliment people on the
positive behavior of their children.
Compliment people on the positive behavior of their children. Let them know they are doing a good job.
People often get nasty looks or comments under the breath when their children are misbehaving in public, but rarely do you see people complimenting parents on how well behaved their children are.
Let parents know that they’re doing a great job because chances are, they will need to have that positive comment in their memory arsenal the next time their child has a tantrum in public.
87. Learn people’s names.
You know the people that you see every day but
don’t interact with? The security guard at your work, the front desk associate
at your gym, a neighbor who is always walking their dog…
Learn their names and greet them when you see
them. This is such an easy act of kindness that can help bring people together.
88. Make a playlist for a friend
who is going through a hard time.
Next time you go out to a sit-down dinner, ask
your server to send dessert to another table in the restaurant and add it to
your bill. Let it go to their table as an anonymous surprise.
90. Switch seats on the plane.
If you have a window or aisle seat, offer it
to the person in the middle. No one likes to sit in the middle.
91. Share your table.
If you’re in a busy food court or somewhere
that seating is at a premium and you have extra space, offer it to a stranger
who doesn’t have anywhere to sit.
92. Pay for someone’s medical
debt.
It is easy to get way over your head in medical debt and it can have a very negative impact on your life, especially when it’s coupled with the medical issue that’s being paid for.
Donate to RIP Medical Debt, a non-profit that pays off people’s medical debt at a rate of 1% per $100. Every $100 you give pays for $10,000 in medical debt, which can make a huge difference in someone’s life.
93. Create a book of memories.
Next time a friend’s loved one passes away,
contact friends and family members to compile a book of stories about the
person who passed away. Give your friend the book and make sure to add any old
pictures that people can give you.
94. Donate as you shop online.
If you shop on Amazon, you can donate money to
your favorite nonprofit through Amazon Smile. It takes under a minute to set it
up and Amazon will donate to your charity every time you buy something from
their site.
95. Shovel your neighbor’s
driveway.
If you get a big snowstorm and you’re heading out to shovel your driveway, allow yourself enough time to help a neighbor out and shovel their driveway as well. You can even wipe off their car if they haven’t done so already.
96. Stick a note in your loved
one’s lunch box.
If you’re making lunch to send off with your
kids or spouse, write a little love note in there or a reminder of how
important they are to you. Offer some words of encouragement to help them get
through their day.
97. Donate the flowers.
After a big celebration, don’t just throw the flowers away. Donate them to a local nursing home to use in their common areas.
After a wedding or other big celebration,
don’t just throw the flowers away. Take them to a local nursing home to use in
their common areas. Or, you could take it one step further and deliver a flower
to each resident.
98. Send an article to someone.
If you come across a magazine article or
something online that reminds you of someone or you think it could help someone
out that you know, take the time to send it to them. Let them know that the
article made you think of them and you think it could be useful to them in some
way.
99. Join the bone marrow registry.
Donating bone marrow can help save a life.
Collecting bone marrow from donors is one out of just two ways that doctors can
collect blood-forming cells to use in bone marrow transplants. This is a generous
and selfless act that will significantly impact many people’s lives.
100. Keep a spare umbrella
around.
Keep an extra umbrella at your desk at work so
you can lend it to a co-worker on a day of unexpected rain.
101. Offer services for free.
This random act of kindness is dependent upon your profession, but if you’re able to offer free services to people, do it.
For example, I know of a dry cleaning business that offers to clean suits for free for anyone who is unemployed and on the hunt for a job.
Another example could be if you run a bowling alley, offer free rounds of bowling to local residential facilities that house children who are in foster care.
102. Be there for a friend in
need.
If you have ever been through a particularly rough time, chances are that you may have been surprised at the people who were actually there for you.
Often, the people that we assume will be supportive when things get tough to run the other way and it is the people you would have least expected that show up to support you.
Don’t just tell a friend, “Let me know if there is anything I can do.” Check-in with your friend every day and make more concrete offers such as, “I’m going to pick up your groceries today and clean your house tomorrow.” Trust me when I say you will be in the minority.
103. Share the good things that
you see.
A friend of mine works with children who have
behavioral issues and whenever a child does something especially good, she
contacts their parents. This helps the family celebrate the small wins instead
of only hearing about negative behaviors or incidents that happen with their
children.
104. Stop negative talk.
When you hear people speaking poorly about
someone else, step in and say something positive about that person.
105. Sign up to give Christmas
gifts to families in need.
Every child deserves a magical Christmas. Find
a way to sponsor a family in your area for Christmas and buy gifts to put under
their tree for everyone in the family.
106. Invite someone to dinner.
If you have a friend or co-worker who doesn’t
have family in town, invite them over for Thanksgiving dinner so they have
somewhere to go. Make sure that everyone you know has someone to celebrate the holidays with.
107. Think before you speak.
Think before responding. This can help prevent you from saying something hurtful.
If you’re having a conversation or discussion
that is making you upset, take a few moments to breathe and think before
responding. This can help prevent you from saying something hurtful or
something that you may regret later.
108. Introduce people to each
other.
Connect people who you think can benefit each other in some way. This could be setting two friends up for a date or making a professional connection between two people you know that could be mutually beneficial for them.
109. Paint rocks.
I’ve known people to find small rocks and
bring them home to paint and put a positive or inspirational message on of some
sort before returning the rocks to where they found them. They are then
discovered by strangers and can help lift up someone’s mood.
110. Leave a note in a library
book.
Leave an uplifting note for the next person
who checks out the book. You already know you have something in common with
them since they read the same types of literature as you!
111. Teach random acts of
kindness to your kids.
Teaching your kids about doing random acts of
kindness will help spread the positivity into the next generations.
112. Offer the benefit of the
doubt.
Assume people are good until you are offered proof that shows otherwise. Have empathy for people if they handle a situation differently than you would and don’t be cynical.
You’ve probably been in situations where you needed other people to give you the benefit of the doubt, so practice doing this with those around you.
113. Join a senior buddy program.
Find a program in your area that will put you
in touch with a senior who has no family around or is isolated in some way.
Take an hour each week to go visit with the person and play games with them,
get to know them, and even help around the house a bit.
114. Answer someone’s question
online.
Go on some online forums that talk about a
topic in which you’re an expert and answer some questions. Giving free
professional advice for information to those in need can be very helpful and
you may prevent them from getting incorrect information from other sources.
115. Fold someone else’s clothes.
If you open the dryer to put your wet laundry in there and there are already clothes in there, don’t put them in a heap on top of the dryer. Instead, take the time to neatly fold them for that person.
116. Turn a family recipe into an heirloom.
Turn a cherished family recipe into an heirloom by either printing or framing it or by printing on vinyl and adhering to a cutting board and giving it as a special gift.
117. Give care packages to the homeless.
The homeless need more than shelter. Create care packages with a toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, soap, sanitizer, tissues, and bandages, and give to someone in need.
118. Give a positive book review.
Self-published authors face hefty competition, so if you read a book you loved, leave a raving review.
119. Send Christmas cards to the elderly.
Some elderly have no family, so lift their spirits by signing up with a program like the Angel Card Project and sending them Christmas cards.
120. Leave inspirational notes in a store.
Print cards or stickers with inspirational quotes and leave them in unexpected places, like the bread shelf in the grocery store, to encourage others.
121. Plant a tree.
Donating to a program like the National Forest Foundation allows them to plant trees in areas that are ravaged by wildfires.
122. Give a positive review of a restaurant or business.
Help a business gain more customers by leaving a review about great customer service or a delicious dish.
Leaving a positive review of a restaurant or business can help them gain more customers.
123. Knit or crochet a gift.
Share your wonderful talent with someone by creating a special gift like a scarf, hot pad, or blanket.
124. Leave quarters at the laundromat.
Brighten someone’s wash day by leaving a few quarters for the next visitor.
125. Host a fundraiser.
When you hear of a person or foundation that needs some help, sign up to host a fundraiser and gather support for the cause.
126. Give an inspirational book.
Give a book that inspired you to someone you believe needs that same motivation.
127. Leave a gift for the mail carrier.
Show your appreciation for the person who delivers your precious packages in rain, hail, sleet, and snow.
128. Celebrate someone’s victory.
Celebrating any victory, big or small, encourages someone to keep going, so celebrate passing an exam, getting a promotion, running a race, or starting a new career.
129. Organize a neighborhood cleanup party.
Help your neighbors show pride in their homes by organizing a party to clean the streets and yards.
130. Give a handmade card or gift.
Making a gift is special and shows the receiver that you cared enough to give them your time.
131. Build a library box for your neighborhood.
Make it easy for anyone to read a good book by building a library box in your neighborhood and filling it with books for readers to share.
132. Pay for a stranger’s bus fare.
When you see someone struggling to find change, pay for their fare. They’ll appreciate the kindness and the free ride.
133. Adopt a wild animal online.
There are several foundations, like World Wildlife Fund, whose main purpose is to protect endangered species. Join their cause by adopting an elephant, dolphin, bald eagle, or other animal.
134. Take homemade treats to the police or fire station.
Police and fire personnel risk their lives every day to keep us safe. Show your appreciation by dropping off a tray of homemade treats.
135. Give a welcome gift to a new neighbor.
Make moving easier for a new neighbor by dropping off a gift basket filled with snacks and gift cards to keep them energized and fed when they can’t find the box with the cookware.
136. Insert extra coins into the parking meter.
Digging for change can be a major hassle, so surprise someone by adding coins to the parking meter when you leave your spot.
137. Leave tennis balls at the dog park.
Make a day at the park more special for furry friends by leaving a few tennis balls.
138. Befriend the new kid.
When a new family moves to your neighborhood, welcome the parents and ask your child to befriend theirs and show them around their new school.
139. Leave painted rocks at the park.
Decorate rocks with inspirational words or pretty colors and leave them near benches or trails.
140. Give a journal with an inspirational note.
Keeping a journal can increase happiness. Give a journal to someone to help improve their mental health.
141. Give flowers to the nurses at the hospital.
Nurses work tirelessly to improve the health of their patients. Show them some appreciation by delivering flowers.
142. Donate a new owner kit to the animal shelter.
Make it easier for pet lovers to adopt by donating a kit that includes a bed, food and water bowls, a collar and leash, and a bag of food.
143. Bake someone a cake.
Convey your love and appreciation by baking a special cake for someone.
144. Give a plant to a stranger.
Keep succulents in cute pots in your car when you run errands and give them to people who need encouragement.
Give a plant to a stranger who needs encouragement.
145. Talk to someone standing alone at a party.
Make that person feel welcome by striking up a conversation.
146. Give a wellness box to a teacher.
Show a special teacher some appreciation by giving them a wellness box with gifts for their home and the classroom, like candles, bath bombs, nut free granola bars, sanitizer, and tissues.
147. Celebrate someone’s half birthday.
Why wait a full year? Surprise someone special by celebrating their half birthday.
148. Check in on an elderly neighbor after a storm.
Summer and winter storms can cause damage and blackouts, so make sure all is well with them and their home.
149. Have your child buy a gift for a child in need.
Show your child how good it feels to give to others in need.
150. Register to be an organ donor.
An organ donor can save up to eight people, so register today.
151. Encourage someone to pursue their dream.
The path to realizing a dream can be long and winding. Encourage someone to keep going.
Final Thoughts on Random Acts of Kindness
Being kind does not just benefit others but you who perform the act as well. It creates a ripple effect of positivity that inspires people.
It is more advantageous for our health and well-being to have kindness rather than negativity as our default attitude in life.
Moreover, as a good mom or dad, it is also very important that you lead by example so that your children will adopt positive values.
As a challenge, choose from among this list of the 151 random acts of kindness ideas that we just provided and do a few daily for the next month.Record your experiences, thoughts, and insights in a journal. When possible, share your experience in the comments below.
And yet, we can’t get ourselves to stick with ANY of these things for longer than a few weeks.
Why?
Simple: Building new healthy habits is tough, our lizard brains crave instant gratification, we don’t fully understand how habits are built, life gets busy, and our default behavior is often as unhealthy as it is easy.
As a result, we don’t put the right systems in place in order to make changes stick.
If you’re somebody that eats a typically poor diet, never runs, and hasn’t set foot in a gym since grade-school dodgeball with Mr. Wazowski, changing alllll of these at once is almost a surefire way to succeed at precisely NONE of them.
We’re conditioned these days to expect and receive instant gratification. If we want food we can get it from a drive-through, stick a frozen meal in a microwave, or sit down at a restaurant that’s open 24 hours. If we want a game we can download it to our computers/phones/PS5s within a matter of seconds. If we want to watch a TV show, it’s a few clicks away.
Hell, Netflix even starts the next episode for you without any action required!
We expect getting in shape to go the same way.
And this is why we suck at building healthy habits that stick.
We tell ourselves “Hey, I’ve been dedicated for a whole two weeks, why don’t I look like Ryan Reynolds yet?”, not remembering that it took us decades of unhealthy living to get where we are, which means it’s going to take more than a few weeks to reverse the trend.
And then we miss a workout because life was busy or our kid got sick. And we get disheartened that exercise or giving up candy is not nearly as fun as Netflix and video games and Peanut M&M’s.
This is where everybody gives up:
They try to change too many habits too soon
They get impatient the results don’t come more quickly
Before we do ANYTHING with actually building habits, it can help to have a good reason as to why you want to build them in the first place or the changes will never stick.
This whole “change who I am” stuff can be really powerful for keeping us focused when life starts to get busy.
If you’re here because you decided you “should” get in shape, you’re going to fail the second life gets busy.
If you are dragging yourself to the gym because you think you “should” run on a treadmill five days a week even though you hate it, you’re screwed!
As you’re determining the habits or resolutions you’re trying to set, make the habit part of a bigger cause that’s worth the struggle.
You’re not just going to the gym, you’re building a new body that you’re not ashamed of so you can start dating again.
You’re not just learning to like vegetables, you’re getting fit so you can feel great while on vacation this summer.
You’re not just dragging yourself out of bed early, you’re getting up earlier so you can work on your side business before your kids get up so you can set money aside for their college education.
Tie your journey to a greater cause and you’re more likely to push through the muck and mire to get it done.
So dig 3 levels deep and ask “why” until you get to the root cause of WHY you want to build a new healthy habit or change a bad one. Write it down. And hang it up somewhere you can see it every day.
As Charles Duhigg points out in The Power of Habit (a must-read for anybody interested in behavior change), there are three parts to a habit:
#1) Cue (what triggers the action): It can be a feeling: I’m tired, I’m hungry, I’m bored, I’m sad. Or it can be a time of day: it’s Monday at 9am, work is done, etc.
#2) Routine (the action itself): This can either be a negative action you want to cut back: I drink soda, I eat cake, I snack, I drink alcohol, I smoke cigarettes, I watch TV – or a positive one: I go to the gym, I go for a run, I do push-ups, I read a book.
#3) Reward (the positive result because of the action): I’m now awake. I am temporarily happy. My hands/mind are occupied. I can forget the bad day I had. I feel energized. I feel good about myself.
Depending on your routine/action above, habits can either be empowering and amazing, or part of a negative downward spiral. Your body isn’t smart enough to KNOW what it needs to do: it just wants to fix the pain or chase the pleasure of the cue, and whichever way you choose to respond will become the habit when it’s done enough times.
Factor in genius marketing, behavioral psychology, and an environment set up for us to fail – and bad habits rule us.
It’s why we crave certain foods, why we can’t help but check our phone every time it vibrates, and why we can’t keep ourselves from watching one more episode or grinding one more level in World of Warcraft.
Duhigg lays things out very clearly:
“There is nothing programmed into our brains that makes us see a box of doughnuts and automatically want a sugary treat.
But once our brain learns that a doughnut box contains yummy sugar and other carbohydrates, it will start anticipating the sugar high. Our brains will push us toward the box. Then, if we don’t eat the doughnut, we’ll feel disappointed.”
Picture this:
We have trained your brain to take a cue (you see a doughnut), anticipate a reward (a sugar high), and make the behavior automatic (nom nom that donut).
Compare that to a cue (you see your running shoes), anticipate a reward (a runner’s high), and make the behavior automatic (go for a run!).
The Dark Knight himself said it best: “It’s not who I am underneath, but what I do that defines me.”
Let’s take a look at each part of the habit-building process and start to hack the sh** out of it!
Whether you are trying to change an old habit, stop an unhealthy habit, or begin a healthy habit, it starts with the first step in the process:
“The Cue.”
If you want to stop drinking soda, but feel like you need it every afternoon to get through work, your brain has been wired to think SODA after the cue:
Cue: I’m tired, thirsty, and have no energy.
Routine: I drink a soda around 3pm.
Reward: Weeeeee caffeine! Sugar! Happy! My life has meaning!
When identifying bad habits to avoid, it starts by becoming aware of the cue that sets the habit in motion. Simply being aware of the cue is a great start to breaking the cycle:
When I get bored (cue), I eat snacks (routine), and it fills the void with a happy stomach (reward).
When I come home from work (cue), I plop down on the couch and play video games (routine), and it helps me forget about work (reward).
When I get nervous (cue), I start to bite my nails (routine), to take my mind off the awkwardness (reward).
So if you are looking to break a bad habit, it begins by identifying what the cues are that make you take the action that you’re trying to stop.
At the same time, you can mentally train yourself, just like Pavlov’s dog, to build a new healthy habit by identifying the habit you want to build and the cue you want to use to proceed it:
When I wake up (cue), I will go for a walk (routine), and reward myself with an audiobook on the walk (reward).
When I get tired (cue), I will drink black coffee instead of soda (routine), and along with the caffeine boost. (reward), I’ll get new running shoes after 30 soda-free days (reward), and satisfaction from the weight loss thanks to fewer calories (reward).
When I come home from work (cue), I will walk straight to my computer to work on my novel for 30 minutes (routine), and reward myself with Netflix after I have written 500 words (reward).
So, whether you’re breaking a bad habit or starting a new one, it begins by recognizing the cue that triggers the habit.
Once you recognize or pick the cue, you can start working on fixing the routine (action).
“Steve, I get it, but I still struggle with the ‘building the routine’ part…for some reason I just can’t bring myself to do it.”
Yup – welcome to the toughest part of a habit:
The Routine (the action itself!).
This is where we’re going to start thinking and acting like nerds and scientists.
Whether we’re trying to stop a negative routine (stop drinking soda) or start doing a healthy routine (start running), both need to be addressed with a different plan of attack.
For starters, we’re going to stop relying on two things:
Willpower: if you have to get yourself to exercise, you’ll give up when you get too busy or it’s too cold.
Motivation: if you need to be motivated, you’re going to give up and then beat yourself up for not being more motivated!
Both motivation and willpower are finite and fickle resources that will abandon you when you need them most. Most people hope and pray that they have enough motivation and willpower to build a habit.
Not us though!
We’re going to remove both from the equation and use systems and outside forces to make the routine even easier to build (or tougher to build if it’s a bad habit you’re trying to swap!).
This can be done in a few ways:
Environmental hacks: making the routine easier by removing steps needed to complete it, or adding steps between you and a bad habit.
Programming hacks: add your habit to your daily calendar, track your progress daily with a journal, and make it part of your day.
We are products of our environment. We can use this information to our advantage and make the process of building a new habit or changing a bad habit easier by modifying our environment. I dig into this more fully in our article: “Build your Batcave for Habit Change,” but I’ll cover the basics here.
Look at the places you spend your time. Reduce the steps between you and a good habit, and increase the steps between you and a bad habit. You’ll be less reliant on willpower and motivation and more likely to do the healthy habit or skip the bad habit.
Here are five examples of environmental hacks you can use:
RUN EVERY MORNING: Go to sleep with your running shoes at the foot of your bed, with your running uniform laid out already. Hell, you can sleep in your running/workout clothes. Put your alarm clock on the other side of the room so you HAVE to get out of bed to turn it off.
GO TO THE GYM AFTER WORK: Pack your gym bag BEFORE going to sleep the night before. That way, every morning you already have a bag to throw in your car or bring with you. As soon as 5pm hits, you are in your car on your way to the gym. (Don’t want to head to the gym? Here’s how to build a gym in your home).
EAT HEALTHIER: Don’t give yourself the option of not eating healthy – throw out the junk food in your house and start preparing meals the night before. Put a lock on your web browser from ordering pizza online (yes, you can do that now), and don’t drive down the street full of fast food places.
WATCH LESS TV/PLAY FEWER GAMES: Use your laziness in your favor. Unplug the TV/system. Increase the steps between you and watching the TV. Put parental controls on your own system and have your friend set the time limit and the password. I knew somebody who put his TV in his closet and cut his TV viewing by close to 100%. Don’t rely on willpower – make it more difficult!
CHECK YOUR PHONE LESS: Turn off your notifications and uninstall the apps that waste your time. Put your phone in Do Not Disturb mode when you are at work, and put it in your desk drawer. Don’t rely on willpower to get yourself to not check your phone when it buzzes – get rid of the buzz.
You can also use programming hacks to help build NEW healthy habits:
EXERCISE: If you want to exercise more, set calendar alerts at the beginning of your week so that every day at 8AM you receive a cue (ding! on your phone) and a reminder to do the activity. You’re much more likely to stay on target when the activity has been scheduled ahead of time.
HEALTHY EATING: Consider batch cooking! If cooking healthy meals every night sounds like way too much work (I hear you on that), consider doing it all on ONE day – it’s a significant time-saver, and it also will reduce the steps between you and healthy eating because the meal is already cooked and in the fridge!
WRITING: If you want to write a book, tell yourself you have to write 500 crappy words every day. This is how I wrote Level Up Your Life. Buy a calendar, and draw a big red X on every day you complete your task. Make your singular focus every day continuing the streak[1].
This step will require some analysis, by digging into the reward you’re trying to recreate, without the negative action. This can lead your brain to some tough places, but it’s healthy to dig into it.
For example, if you want to start drinking less (or give up completely), you might discover that the reward you’re chasing is actually “escape from a job I hate” and “avoiding social anxiety.”
Dig into your reward and what your brain is craving, and then see if you can reverse engineer a healthier routine with the same reward.
And then use outright bribery to get yourself to actually do the new healthier and choose the better action/routine.
What works for science and physics also holds true to building habits: inertia and momentum will work against you when it comes to building habits…until it starts to work for you as the habit becomes automatic.
We can fix the third part of the habit-building loop, the reward, with momentum-building prizes or results to bribe ourselves to continue. With each healthy and positive reward, with each completed routine, we make the habit sliiiiightly more likely to become more automatic the next time.
In other words, create rewards that reward you back!
DO reward your routine (running for 5 minutes every day for 30 days straight) with a reward that makes you want to keep running (a snazzy new pair of running shoes).
Our new app, Nerd Fitness Journey, specifically follows this “cue, routine, and reward” format to help build new habits. In the app, we “reward” you with cool loot and XP, so you can level up (literally) while you getting lean and strong.
If you’re interested, you can try it for free right here:
There will be days when you don’t want to do your new habit. Or you want to backslide and go back to old habits. Actually, that will pretty much be every day, especially early on.
So don’t leave it up to yourself!!!
Stop relying on yourself and start relying on outside forces. Here are the best tips you can use to get yourself to actually follow through with a habit:
1) RECRUIT ALLIES: find a friend or group of friends to build the habits with you. A recent study [2] showed that:
Among the weight loss patients recruited alone and given behavioral therapy, 24% maintained their weight loss in full from Months 4 to 10.
Among those recruited with friends and given therapy plus social support, 95% completed treatment and 66% maintained their weight loss in full.
You do not have to go on this habit-building journey alone. Building a guild or recruiting a group of people to support you and help you and make you better could be the difference-maker in building habits!
When your friend is already at the gym waiting for you, you HAVE to go. If it was up to you, skipping out and watching Netflix has no negative consequences. Recruit friends and allies!
Remember, those first few weeks are the toughest, which means they’ll require the most effort to get started.
2) CULTIVATE DISCIPLINE WITH ACCOUNTABILITY: When you can’t get yourself to follow through on a new healthy habit you’re desperately trying to build, make the pain of skipping the habit more severe than the satisfaction you get from skipping it.
Allow me to introduce some comical consequences:
Every time I skip ______________ this month, I will pay $50 to my wife/husband/friend who will donate my money to a cause I HATE.
Every time I decide not to _______________ this month, I have to run around my house naked.
Every time I do ____________ when I shouldn’t, I will let my three-year-old do my makeup before work.
Do any of these results sound like fun? If you can’t afford to pay your friend $50, if running naked around your house might get you arrested, and if you’ll get fired looking like a drunk clown thanks to your kid’s makeup skills…maybe you just do what you know you need to do. The more painful it is to skip something, the more likely you’ll be to actually suck it up and do it.
3) NEVER MISS TWO IN A ROW. What happens if you miss a day? Who cares! One day won’t ruin you – but two days will, because 2 missed days can become a month or a year in the blink of an eye.
It’s something I bring up in this video over on our YouTube Channel:
As pointed out in a research summary:
“Missing the occasional opportunity to perform the behavior did not seriously impair the habit formation process: automaticity gains soon resumed after one missed performance.[3]
4) DON’T PICK HABITS YOU HATE: “Steve, I know I should run so I’m trying to build a running habit even though I hate running.” Stop.
Can you get the same results with a different habit, like rock climbing or hiking or swing dancing? Pick a habit that isn’t miserable and you’re more likely to follow through on it.
At the same time, we have tons of success stories of people who went from hating exercise to loving how it feels.
It’s because they made the habit part of a bigger picture: “I am working out because I am building a kickass body so I can start dating again!”
Or even if they don’t LOVE strength training, they love feeling strong and confident and powerful, so they build the habit and make it a priority.
It’s because they had a BIG enough why to overcome their initial dislike of exercise until they learned to love how exercise made them feel.
5) TRY TEMPTATION BUNDLING: Consider combining a habit you dislike with something you LOVE, and you’ll be more likely to build the habit.
If you hate cleaning your apartment, only allow yourself to listen to your favorite podcast when you are cleaning or doing the dishes.
Want to go to the gym more? Allow yourself an hour of watching Netflix, but ONLY while you’re on the elliptical.
Now that you’re educated like a boss on the different parts of a habit, it’s time to build one!
I’ll leave you with a final bit of advice: if you decide that you want to run a marathon or save the world or lose hundreds of pounds, you’re going to screw up unless you internalize the following information:
DO WAY LESS.
Or in the immortal words of Kunu from Forgetting Sarah Marshall: “The less you do, the more you do”:
Pick ONE habit, make it small, and make it binary.Something that at the end of every day you can say “yes I did it” or “no I didn’t.”
Habits that are nebulous like “I am going to exercise more” or “I’m going to start eating better” are more useless than a Soulcycle membership for Jabba the Hutt.
Here are big examples. Be specific. Be small. And track it:
Want to start exercising more? Awesome. For that first week, ONLY go for a walk for just 5 minutes every morning. Literally 5 minutes.
Want to start cooking your own healthy meals? Just aim for one meal per day or one meal per week. Whatever works for you and your schedule.
Want to stop drinking a 2 liter of Mountain Dew every day? Scale it back to 1.9 liters a day for a week. Then 1.8 for a week. Then 1.7…
Want to get out of debt and build the habit of frugality? Start by saving an extra five bucks a day, or finding a way to earn an extra 5 bucks a day.
Want to learn a new language? Speak your new language out loud for 10 minutes per day. That’s it!
Keep your goals SMALL and simple. The smaller and simpler they are, the more likely you are to keep them. And the habit itself pales in comparison to the momentum you build from actually creating a new habit.
I don’t care how many calories you burn in a 5-minute walk, just that you can prove to the new YOU that you can build the habit of walking, and only then can you up the difficulty.
We’re thinking in terms of years and decades here! So think small.
My real-life example: I wanted to build the habit of learning the violin at age 31, but couldn’t get myself to do it because I told myself I was too busy, which is a lie (“I only have 25 minutes; I need 30 minutes to practice…might as well not practice at all”), and thus I never played!
Once I lowered the threshold to “I have to only play for 5 minutes per day,” it gave me permission to pick it up here and there – and I ended up practicing WAY more frequently, and got better much faster.
I still suck, mind you, but I’m lightyears ahead of where I was before!
And please: DON’T BUILD ALL THE HABITS AT THE SAME TIME.
If you’re new to building habits, or you have never stuck with anything long enough to make it automatic, it’s because you did too much. Habits are compound interest.
As you build a new habit, it bleeds over to other parts of your life and makes future habits easier to build too – momentum!
“Willpower is like a muscle. It can be exercised and practiced and built up. It can also be forgotten, weakened and atrophied.
Just like going to the gym and building up strength and endurance, you can build up your discipline and willpower over a long period of time by setting and accomplishing a series of tasks on a consistent basis.”
You’ve probably tried the whole “build all the habits at once” and it doesn’t work. So try building ONE habit for 30 days. And then pick a habit that stacks on top of that one and helps you build more and more progress and more and more momentum.
I’ll leave you with a final quote from Duhigg’s The Power of Habit:
“If you believe you can change – if you make it a habit – the change becomes real. This is the real power of habit: the insight that your habits are what you chose them to be. Once that choice occurs – and becomes automatic – it’s not only real, it starts to seem inevitable, the thing…that bears us irresistibly toward our destiny, whatever the latter may be.”
You’ll need more brainpower initially, until your default behavior becomes the automatic habit-building you’re chasing.
With each day of you building your new habit, you’re overcoming any self-limiting belief, building momentum, and becoming a habit-building badass! And then those habits become automatic. Then, we rejoice:
So today, I want you to look at just ONE habit you want to change:
Identify the cue that spurs it on – Is it the time of day? Boredom? Hunger? After work? Stress?
Identify the potential rewards – Happiness? Energy? Satisfaction?
Identify a new routine you’d like to establish that results in the same “reward” from the negative behavior…but in a more productive and healthy way.
Want more help?
I write the best newsletter in the galaxy – it’s two short emails a week, directly from my brain to your inbox, and I promise to make you laugh and live a bit better!
Want expert guidance on your healthy habit building in 2024? Sign up for a free call with our coaching team in the box below to learn more about the program and see if it’s the right fit:
I want you to leave a comment below: pick ONE habit that you’re going to build this month and identify the three portions of the habit you’re looking to build.
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You have probably heard about Organifi Green Juice, but are you still curious to see if it is right for you?
There are many similar green juice powder products, but I found this product to be better than the others I had tried. After taking Organifi for the past few months (and seeing its effects on both my health and my morning routine), I can say that it has become my #1 favorite product for supplementing my diet.
Hopefully, the following Organifi review will help you decide if Organifi is right for you.
First, we’ll start with an overview of what the product is, and then we will go into more detail about its ingredients and both the positive and negative aspects of this product.
What is Organifi Green Juice Powder?
Organifi is a green juice powder that allows you to drink green juice without having to go through the trouble of preparing it with a juicer. It is a powder made with gently dried organic greens that can be added to water, stirred, and then consumed.
This provides you with a nutritious superfood drink that is ready in only seconds with no clean-up process.
The unique blend that is used in Organifi provides your body with energy as well as the nutrients that your body needs to power you through the day. It gives you a quick boost that you need in the morning, but it does not result in an energy slump a few hours later.
Organifi has just 24 calories per serving and delivers two grams of protein, 2 mg of iron, 31 mg of calcium, 5100 mg of alkaline greens, and 1450 mg of a superfood blend.
The container comes with 30 servings, however, some have been able to stretch the product out into 36 servings from the powder that is provided.
What Ingredients are in Organifi?
Drew Canole, the founder of Organifi, has a lot of first-hand experience working with this type of product and juicing for health.
He has used what he has learned throughout the years to make sure that only the best ingredients are used in this product. Organifi is USDA organic, vegan, and includes no GMOs, gluten, or soy.
Here are the ingredients in Organifi:
Chlorella
These single-celled freshwater green algae are rich in protein and healthy polyunsaturated fats.
Chlorella benefits your body by encouraging healthy hormonal function, promoting heart health, lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, and helping detoxify the body. Chlorella’s green color is due to its high concentration of chlorophyll.
Chlorella has the unique ability to reproduce eight times every day, which makes it a sustainable nutrient source. It is great for immune support, digestive health, and can also increase good bacteria in the digestive tract.
Moringa
Moringa is native to Africa and Asia and is one of the most nutrient-rich plants in the world. Its powder is derived from the leaves of the plant, which have a delicious spinach flavor. Moringa is 25% plant protein and has all 9 of the essential amino acids.
It is 24% fiber and a rich source of iron, calcium, and vitamins K, E, and A. It is high in antioxidants as well. Because moringa is a natural source of nutrition, it is very bioavailable so the body can absorb the nutrients very easily.
Spirulina
This natural algae powder is very rich in protein and a good source of antioxidants, B-vitamins, and other nutrients. When spirulina is harvested from non-contaminated bodies of water, it is one of the most potent nutrient sources for our bodies.
Spirulina is made up of protein and essential amino acids and is recommended for people who do not eat meat due to its high natural iron content. Its high protein concentration also makes spirulina perfect for pregnant women, people coming out of surgery, or whenever the immune system needs to be boosted.
Mint
Mint is one of the most effective antioxidants of any food. It has a pleasant taste that is often used to counter nausea or other gastrointestinal troubles and it also has a number of health benefits.
For example, mint plants contain rosmarinic acid, an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent. This acid is effective in relieving seasonal allergy symptoms and the common cold.
Mint is also used as a common pain relief as a natural alternative to aspirin. When it is applied topically with an oil, ointment, or lotion, mint can calm and cool skin that has been affected by insect bites, a rash, or various other skin reactions. The mint leaf has also been for healing cramps, whitening teeth, and as a sleep aid.
Beets
While a lot of people choose to not eat beets due to their flavor or texture in their full form, they are a great source of folate and manganese (which is great for bone health, liver health, kidney health, and your pancreas).
When beets are isolated into a powder, they taste great and add a nutritious super ingredient to a drink blend.
Beets help boost the immune system with their rich source of vitamin C, fiber, and minerals such as potassium (which is important for healthy nerve and muscle function). Beets also contain folate, which helps to reduce the risk of birth defects.
Matcha Green Tea
Matcha green tea is the highest quality green tea available that comes in powder form. Matcha comes from the nutrient-rich leaves that are picked from Camellia sinensis plants. It is then steamed and stemmed before being ground into a very fine powder.
Matcha green tea powder is high in anti-oxidants and rich in catechins, especially catechins called epigallocatechin gallate. It helps boost the memory and concentration while also calming the mind. It can increase energy and burn calories and help detoxify the body.
Wheatgrass
Wheatgrass is a great source of chlorophyll. Its juice is an effective healer because it has almost every mineral in it that is known to man. It also has vitamins such as vitamins A, B (complex), C, and K. Wheatgrass is rich in protein and has 17 amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein.
Wheatgrass also has up to 70% chlorophyll, which helps build blood. Chlorophyll also contains enzymes that help decompose superoxide radicals in the body into a manageable form, which slows the aging process.
Ashwagandha
Ashwagandha is made up of a combination of amino acids, vitamins, and herbs that all work together to manage your response to stress. Ashwagandha helps the body cope with external stressors such as environmental toxins and internal stressors such as nervous tension, stress, and anxiety.
Ashwagandha can also help reduce blood sugar levels through its effects on insulin secretion and sensitivity. Animal tests have even shown that Ashwagandha can kill tumor cells, possibly making it effective against various types of cancer. This can also help decrease inflammation in the body.
Turmeric
Turmeric, the yellow spice in curry, has been used in India for thousands of years as a spice and as a medicinal herb.
Science has recently shown that turmeric really does contain compounds that have medicinal properties. Curcumin, the compound found in turmeric, has powerful anti-inflammatory effects and is also a very strong antioxidant.
Curcumin is also a natural anti-inflammatory that helps the body fight off foreign invaders. Curcumin can also boost levels of BDNF, a brain hormone that increases the growth of new neurons and fights degenerative processes in the brain, keeping the brain healthy.
Lemon
In addition to being an appetite suppressant, lemon has also been known to alkalize the body. This is important for stabilizing blood sugar that is already within normal ranges.
Lemon also has nourishing elements such as vitamins C, B6, A, and E, folate, niacin, zinc, thiamin, copper, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, and protein.
Coconut Water
Coconut water is a natural refreshment that is high in potassium. It helps all of the ingredients in Organifi move throughout the bloodstream.
If you’d like to learn more about the nutritional facts about Organifi, here is a screen shot of the label on the bottle.
What are the Benefits of Using Organifi Every Day?
I can only share my personal experience using Organifi with you for this Organifi review. I can’t verify firsthand many of the claims that have been made. However, we will cover my personal experience using Organifi in the next section.
That said, Organifi might be able to help you in several ways.
First, it can help you save time. Making juice from scratch using a juicer is not only messy and time-consuming, but it is also expensive and leaves you with a lot of waste.
This drink takes a mere minute to put together. It will also help you mentally in the mornings by giving you energy and mental clarity. You will be able to boost your brain power and focus on the task at hand throughout your day.
Next, using this product daily will help improve your health and immune system with its superfoods, vitamins, and minerals. It will also help restore health to your skin and balance your hormones to help reduce your overall stress.
Finally, it helps flush toxins out of your body so you will be free from free radicals that promote aging.
Why I Recommend Organifi Green Juice Powder?
There are three main reasons why I’m reviewing (and ultimately recommending) the Organifi product.
First, I find that it is an easy way to supplement my diet as a busy dad who runs multiple businesses.
I don’t have time to prep food in the mornings and evenings to make sure that I eat healthy throughout the week rather than grab something at the local deli. I need something that is quick, easy, and thoughtless at home that I can pack with me on-the-go and be set for the day.
I don’t always have the time to eat a proper diet, so Organifi gives me an opportunity to supplement the things that I can eat.
While I know this doesn’t completely replace a plant-based diet, it is a great product to complement your plant-based diet. I know I slip up every now and then, so I feel better knowing that my go-to snack is a nutritious drink rather than a candy bar disguised as an energy bar.
That said, it would be essentially impossible for me to take the time and energy to juice all the ingredients that are included in Organifi. So by using this product daily, I have had an easy and great way to add all of these important nutrients that I am unable to get into my normal diet every day.
Second, Organifi has also been a great help for my energy level. I have been using it for a month now as a part of my new and improved morning routine.
As part of “Packing a Meal, Snack, and Coffee” I can use Organifi to help myself make a healthy choice and a smart financial decision at the same time. It helps me eliminate the small, recurring purchases that add up at the end of the month to a lot of money.
Since I started, I have noticed a huge improvement in my energy levels and my mental clarity. I feel sharper and more motivated and excited to get on with the day ahead of me.
Third, Organifi tastes much better than some of the other green powders that I’ve tried. I have tasted some green juice powders that taste like “old boiled socks”. Organifi is not like that.
While I would not stretch things to say that drinking Organifi some “special treat” that I look forward to drinking. I will gladly say it is not a taste I avoid.
Organifi is relatively easy to drink, especially when compared to some of the foul-tasting samples of similar products that I have tried in stores.
To me, Organifi tastes like a watered-down mix of mint gum and green tea. While others claim that it is “delicious,” I would not go that far, but it is not bad tasting.
Like I mentioned before, Organifi Green Juice Powder doesn’t taste amazing.
I’d rate it as being about what you would expect from a green juice powder, but it is certainly far superior to many of the others that you have probably tried. To me, the addition of mint really makes this particular product more refreshing than others.
Organifi Recipes
Is taste an important factor to you?
If so, one thing you can try is to use Organifi as part of the 15 recipes that the company offers for free on their website. Here are a few of my favorites:
Organifi Power Balls
In a bowl, mix three tablespoons of almond butter, one tablespoon of coconut oil, and one tablespoon of coconut flakes together. Sprinkle one teaspoon of maca powder onto a different plate.
Form small one-inch balls of your batter and roll them in the maca powder. Place the balls on a clean plate and sprinkle them with 1 teaspoon of Organifi Green Juice powder. Refrigerate and enjoy!
Chocolate Chia Pudding
Pour one cup of coconut milk into a bowl and mix in one tablespoon of chia seeds, one teaspoon cacao, and one teaspoon of Organifi Green Juice powder.
Stir this together for 30 seconds or until all of the ingredients are combined. Let your pudding sit in the fridge for 30 minutes or longer until it gels. Top it with a dab of greek yogurt to enjoy a treat!
Organifi Banana Smoothie
Pour one cup of your favorite almond milk into a blender and add one scoop of Organifi Green Juice powder. Then add half of a frozen banana and one tablespoon of almond butter. Add about 4-5 ice cubes and blend until the smoothie is at your desired consistency.
Where to Buy Organifi at a Discounted Price?
Your first impulse is probably to head out to GNC, Walmart, or Amazon to purchase Organifi, but I think that the best place to purchase a bottle is directly from their website. This is because buying directly from their site saves you 8%, even when you are looking to get it through Amazon.
If you buy it directly from their website, it is $58 for one bottle or $150 for three jars. If you take the time to look at the numbers, you are saving 8% by cutting out the middleman and buying directly from the website.
Here’s a quick reference of the current price points:
Amazon
Organifi website
Total Savings
Cost per 1 bottle
$71
$58
8%
Cost per 3 bottles
$184
$150
8%
I do often look for coupons or discount codes when I am buying products online, but, unfortunately, I don’t have a coupon or discount code for Organifi. My best suggestion is to buy directly from their website because that’s where you’ll get the best savings.
What if I Don’t Like the Organifi Product?
Organifi offers one of the best return policies that I’ve ever seen with a nutritional company. It has a 30-day, 100% no-questions-asked refund policy. If you don’t like it, ship the unused portions back to get your full refund.
The Organifi team can be reached Monday – Friday from 10 am to 9 pm EST by calling (760)487-8587. They also offer their return address and a return confirmation number so no materials are wasted.
Organifi aims to keep its customers completely satisfied through their 30-day money back guarantee. You can even use the product for a week or two and decide you don’t love it and still get your money back.
You are always protected by their high standards and guarantee. If you don’t love the product, you just have to send them the empty bottle and they will give you a full refund. Here is more information on their return policy.
Organifi Review: Final Thoughts
Factoring in the taste, I’d give this product 4.5 out of 5 stars. I am deducting half of a point because it does have a slight aftertaste that is undesirable.
However, it is overall a great product because it is an easy and effective way to boost your energy levels and your immune system. It is also such a simple habit to add to your morning that you really don’t have an excuse to not do it. It only takes one minute each day to give your health an overall boost.
Organifi has truly carved a niche for itself in the realm of superfood blends. Hopefully, this article answered all your questions about the Organifi green powder product.
So whether you’re seeking an energy boost, a convenient way to sneak more greens into your diet, or a healthy addition to your daily routine, Organifi Green Juice Powder seems to deliver on all fronts.
It’s not just a drink; it’s a wellness ritual that nourishes your body with the goodness of Mother Nature.
And if you’re looking for other options, be sure to check out our other reviews:
There might be affiliate links on this page, which means we get a small commission of anything you buy. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Please do your own research before making any online purchase.
Self-care is popular these days. It has become a buzz topic for many millennials.
But don’t let that fact make you think that self-care is synonymous with some sort of self-indulgence, or that is it is another example of the laziness of youth, or even aspirations for some unachievable state of bliss and nirvana
Self-care is not indulgent. Self-care is real, and it matters—more than you might think.
What Is Self-Care?
Self-care is the mindset, activities, practices and habits we bring to bear against stress, unhappiness, illness, depression and many more negative emotions.
Self-care is about giving ourselves relief when we feel overwhelmed. It is about addressing our problems holistically. Self-care activities are usually carried out, or at least initiated by, the person themselves. To care for yourself, you need to know you needs and seek them out.
While it is easy to say that self-care is some new indulgent fad, this is simply not true. People have been talking about the needs for self-care—and the mind-body-spirit relationship that self-care helps foster—for many years.
In fact, the first mention of self-care goes back as far as the Egyptians, where they discussed self-care ideas like using specific oils to improve moods and fight ailments (similar to our modern day essential oil benefits.)
How Practicing Self-Care Can Change Your life
The first thing to remember about self-care is that it is not indulgent.
As with a plane that has lost pressure, the right thing to do in life is to always help you first. Then, when you have your gas mask in place, you can assist others.
The reason for this is simple. Until you are helped, you are likely to cause more problems and become part of the overall problem rather than being part of the solution.
Self-care is all about taking care of the little things that matter to help heal you so that you can become part of the solution.
Self-Care Ideas
There is no single viewpoint on the best self-care ideas, because not everyone gives the same importance to all self-care activities.
For example, my wife views getting a pedicure as one of the most relaxing and at the same time invigorating experiences in her life. Getting a pedicure restores balance for her, and gives her energy to face many challenges.
But when I get a pedicure, it actually builds tension in my body and mind. I don’t like people playing around with my feet, and the process annoys me.
So for my wife a pedicure is one of the best self-care ideas in the world, but personally I would never put that on any list of self-care activities.
This, of course, adds to the complexity of self-care. There is no cookie-cutter formula for caring for you. Just because one form of self-care works for me doesn’t mean it will help others.
That is the reason I tried to make this self-care idea list as detailed as possible, filled with lots of self-care activities. I wanted to include as many options as possible for people to choose from.
That way, people are free to ignore the ideas that don’t excite them and focus on the self-care ideas that actually make a difference in their holistic well-being.
273 Self-Care Ideas for Coping With Life
With a list of 200+ self-care ideas, it may not seem easy to hunt down the 30-40 that might really apply to you and make a significant impact on your overall mind-body-spirit well-being.
To make things easier, I have divided these 200+ self-care ideas into seven categories:
Emotional
Mental
Physical
Pleasure
Sensory
Social
Spiritual
The idea is that if you know the type of self-care support you are looking for, it is easier to browse through the self-care ideas in that section alone.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at some of the best self-care ideas and activities.
54 Mental Self-Care Ideas and Activities
I feel that mental self-care is one of the most important of the seven sections. At times, your mind may need rest and recuperation, while at other times you may be looking for stimulation and challenges.
Take another route to work, or do a routine differently. Develop new neural pathways and keep your brain healthy by mixing up your routine in small ways.
Sew, quilt, or crochet something. Engage your hands.
Try something new in your living space. Rearrange all of your furniture in a way that makes you more comfortable. When your home “looks” new, you receive constant new stimulus until your mind is completely settled with the new look.
Establish and stick to a routine. Your personal routine can be grounding in times when life seems chaotic.
Use online tutorials to learn something new (i.e., Photoshop or Excel).
Discover your stress indicators, such as mood swings, shortening temper, or feeling drained, overwhelmed, or angry. Use these “warning signs” to let you know you need “me time” and some self-care.
Listen to a podcast about a topic that interests you, but you have yet to explore.
Declutter your wardrobe. Every month, pick three clothes that you don’t love (or love least) and give them away.
Do something spontaneous.
If you are going through something, be it an illness or major life change, educate yourself by learning about what you’re facing, what to expect, and where you can get support.
Clean up just one small corner of a room in your house. Tidying up can help calm our minds.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, create a plan by listing out your three most important tasks and tackling them first. (See what qualifies as important according to the Eisenhower Matrix.)
Unplug from email and social media for an hour.
Read a magazine.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed with too much social interaction, go home. Don’t be afraid to cancel plans or say “no.”
Self-care is about a lot more than just mindset. While self-care can be a big help for your mental health days, it is often an even bigger response to your in-the-moment emotional needs.
Giving your emotions free rein—or at least acknowledging your emotional state and moving on—is an important part of self-care. Before you can get better, you must acknowledge what is and was, and make those changes
Our emotions often dictate the way we behave, so we need to be mindful of what we’re feeling, especially in stressful situations. It’s not helpful to label emotions as “good” or “bad.”
It’s better to give each emotion a descriptive term showing exactly what it is (e.g., anger, fear of rejection, sadness, etc.). When we assign negative emotions specific labels, we rob them of some of their power to terrify us.
Allow yourself to feel and express all of your feelings (in a safe and appropriate environment). For example, if you are angry, go into a private closet and scream, rather than taking it out on your secretary.
Ask three good friends to give your positive feedback. What do they love about you?
Dedicate a week to saying only positive things on your favorite social media channel.
Learn 4-8-7 breathing.
Do one thing today just because it makes you happy.
Finish this sentence every day after you wake up: “I love myself because I ___________.”
Keep a running list of great things people say about you. Read it when you feel down.
Try some adult coloring as a form of anxiety and/or stress release. This can also serve to help you focus, be more mindful and perhaps spark some creativity.
Look at yourself in the mirror and imagine that you’re your best friend. What would you tell you right now?
Define only three daily goals. This makes goals achievable, while also allowing for normal “emergencies” at work that might take up your time.
Better yet, learn to create SMART goals. Watch the video below for a quick overview of SMART goals and the three examples for each of the seven areas of your life — for a total of 21 examples.
Need help coming up with new ideas? Create an inspirational collage and hang it in your workspace.
Read some feel-good poetry.
Remind yourself of the good stuff in life by writing a list of things you’re grateful to have. Then post it somewhere you can see it often to help refocus your emotions when you feel down.
Revisit happier times by reading old emails, letters, or postcards from friends and family.
Give. Do it unconditionally, and with no strings attached. See how good it feels to help others without expecting reciprocation.
Set photos of your loved ones as the wallpaper of your phone or laptop so you can look at them when you need inspiration.
Take a moment to name your emotions without judging them.
Stop being your harshest critic. Allow yourself to make mistakes. No one is perfect. Realize this means you too!
Tell your pet all of your darkest secrets. Your pet’s nonchalance will remind you that you’re going to be okay.
Unfollow or mute toxic “friends” in your social media feeds.
Tap into your creative side. Use painting or another creative art to release your fear, anxiety, anger, and frustration on paper.
Use 15 minutes to write out your thoughts about anything bothering you. Then burn or throw away the paper.
Remove any equipment or appliances that make you feel bad about yourself, such as the bathroom scale.
Clean up your work area. (Many people find a clean and neat work area to be cathartic.)
Write encouraging affirmations or inspirational quotes on Post-its and place them where you will see them every day.
29 Physical Self-Care Ideas and Activities
In the first two sections of this massive self-care ideas list, we concentrated on the mind—first dealing with self-care for mental fatigue, and next sharing some self-care activities for handing emotional distress.
Of course, the mind is not the only thing that needs care. Remember that there is a mind-body-spirit connection. Each one of these aspects links to the others, creating a web where negative emotions can display as physical ailments and physical ailments may cause psychic pain.
The best self-care for the body is always going to revolve around two essential facts.
Your body is your temple. If you put good stuff in, you get more good stuff out (and vice versa).
You body wants to be active. It wants to be healthy. The more activity you can give it, the better your physical abilities will be. Engaging your body can even help you break away from unhelpful mental chatter.
These following self-care activities are designed to help you stay fit and healthy. They provide the energy to get things done and fulfill personal and professional commitments.
These ideas are not JUST about the exercise they give you, but also the mental training and energy they provide throughout rough days.
Commit to attending a free martial arts class.
Get up out of your chair and dance to your favorite upbeat song.
Know and use your self-soothing activities, like stroking your arm or leg, petting a dog, or sipping hot tea.
Know your body intimately. Use a mirror and get to know your naked self. Remember: no judgment.
Play some basketball (even if you don’t know how).
Scream, pound pillows, tear up paper, or shake your body to move the energy out.
Sleep in. Life can be hectic. Sometimes you need to just dump your schedule and go ahead and rest.
Slow dance for 30 minutes.
Roll it out. The benefits of foam rollers on the body are big. They stretch your muscles and give myofascial release to your body, which allows contracted muscles to relax, improving blood and nutrient flow to the area. This speeds healing and muscle regrowth, and just makes you feel awesome.
Take a long shower, dry your hair, and put on clothes that make you feel good.
54 Pleasurable and Pampering Self-Care Ideas and Activities
Now we get to the fun stuff—things you can (and need) to do just for you. This pampering and self-care is important to us for the times when we are overworked, deprived, and stressed.
Life is a balancing act. It is often bad to live a self-indulgent life where we constantly get to do whatever we want. This often leads to addictions, issues with limits, and a lack of happiness because people do not feel they have earned their right to this self-indulgence.
But when you are doing these activities as part of a self-care routine, they can be essential. We all need the joy of just sitting back and enjoying life and the things we love from time to time.
Remember: Pampering yourself by engaging in pleasurable activities can help reduce stress and increase the body’s production of “feel-good” hormones.
Relaxing activities also help lower blood pressure, reduce muscle tension and pain, and improve concentration and mood.
Let’s get to it, and check out some favorite indulgent and enjoyable methods of mental and physical self-care.
Go on a two-day holiday for the weekend.
Allow yourself to fantasize and daydream.
Attend a local high school sporting event.
Bake something just for fun.
Book a night in a fancy hotel. Take a bubble bath. Get room service. Relax.
Wrap yourself up in a cozy blanket and sip a cup of hot tea while reading a book.
18 Sensory Self-Care Ideas and Activities
Sights, sounds, tastes, smells, touch: For those of us who are HSP, these can be big distractions, and even cause our self-care to derail.
Sensory self-care for highly sensitive people may actually look like a list of “avoids”:
Avoid bright sunlight
Avoid crowds
Avoid loud noises
But even those without HSP tendencies may be either soothed or enraged depending on sensory input.
Sensory self-care activities help you focus on the present moment. Focusing on sensations of sight, smell, taste, touch, and sound gives you a break from worrying.
Self-care can sometimes be a bit of a misnomer. Self-care also includes the work you do in making sure that relationships with others you care about remain healthy.
No man (or woman) is an island. We need other people in our lives. Even the most introverted person does not “hate” being around other people. They simply want their relationships to be on an even ground.
Social self-care is about maintaining healthy, supportive relationships, and authentically connecting with others. Engaging in social self-care activities also help ensure that you have diverse relationships, not just with family, friends, and co-workers.
This is not only good for the social butterfly. In fact, these self-care steps are more useful to the introvert. The social butterfly finds social interactions second nature, and needs to expend little (or no) energy on figuring out these relationships. But the introvert has to keep these things in mind.
Accompany a friend or family member while they run errands or attend events.
Ask for help. Let people know you need some help.
Ask friends and family to remind you that things will be OK, and that what you’re feeling is temporary.
Call a friend or family member you care about, just to say hi.
Choose who you spend your time with today. Spend time with people who are enthusiastic and positive.
Converse positively with someone in customer service.
Cuddle someone or something. Don’t be afraid to ask for it!
Dress your pet in a silly costume and show them around to make others smile.
Go out in public and be around other people. Engaging is optional.
Tell someone near you what you appreciate or like about them.
Have a picnic with family or friends.
Host a family movie night over the weekend.
Intentionally reconnect with someone you’ve lost touch with or have unresolved conflict with.
Join a support group for people who are going through what you’re going through.
Join and attend a support group meeting. Share and listen.
Leave a funny voicemail for someone you care about.
Make cookies or brownies and give them away to a neighbor, family member, friend, or even strangers.
Post some dorky #ThrowbackThursday pictures of you from childhood and ask friends to do the same.
Schedule a regular date night with your significant other.
Seek out models of inspiration and read their stories.
Send a surprise care package to someone you love.
Send a letter or a postcard to someone far away.
Share a kind smile with strangers on your way to and from work.
Sit down and start a genuine conversation with a trusted friend or family member about things that are going well, things you’re having a hard time with, or things you are grateful for.
Not all self-care activities are physical and mental. Many self-care activities fall into a category we know as spiritual, religious, or internal thinking.
Spiritual self-care revolves around your values, and not just your religion.
These activities focus on helping you foster a calm mind and a sense of perspective beyond your day-to-day grind.
Do a 10-minute body scan technique to check in with each part of your body.
Do several one-minute body awareness meditations throughout the day.
Do several one-minute breathing meditations throughout the day.
Do several one-minute thought awareness meditations throughout the day to check in with your feelings and emotions.
Do something nice for someone in secret.
Donate money to a charity of your choosing. You can use a site like Charity Navigator that ranks charities according to how much money actually goes to the people you’re trying to help.
Help someone in some way. Open a door, carry a bag, or feed someone’s parking meter.
Intentionally find five unexpected beautiful things on your way to work.
Pay mindful attention to the things you do during your morning and evening routine.
Practice relaxation techniques.
Pray.
Read some spiritual literature.
Share with someone less fortunate, be it some extra lunch or clothes you no longer want.
Memorize passages from the Bible (or any spiritual or religious text).
Sit somewhere green and be still and quiet for a few minutes.
Soften your expectations of you and others.
Take a break from social media by deleting or deactivating it.
“Turn the other cheek” and be the better person when you disagree with someone.
Empathize. Try to understand why others think, feel, and react differently. Put yourself in their shoes and see how you would feel about their actions.
Volunteer at a local shelter, hospital, or nursing home. Be of service to others.
What are you good at? Find an opportunity to use that strength today.
Final Thoughts on Self Care Ideas
Remember, self-care isn’t just a luxury; it’s a necessity for your well-being. In the hustle of everyday life, taking a moment to prioritize yourself is not selfish; it’s a vital act of self-love.
So, whether you’re drawn to the simplicity of a cozy book nook, the invigorating power of a morning stretch, or the tranquility of a mindful breathing session, know that your self-care journey is uniquely yours. Embrace it with open arms, savoring each moment that contributes to your holistic well-being.
Hopefully, these self-care ideas can be your guide to creating a life filled with balance, joy, and a deep connection with yourself.
And if you’re looking for resources to make self-care an easy and natural part of your routine, be sure to check out these printables:
There might be affiliate links on this page, which means we get a small commission of anything you buy. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Please do your own research before making any online purchase.
If you have been paying attention to the general health of our country, you are well aware that high blood pressure is a common health issue among Americans.
While there is not one exact cause of high blood pressure, there are many contributing factors.
Some of these include smoking, obesity, lack of exercise, poor diet, stress, and genetics.
High blood pressure is dangerous because it requires the heart to work harder to pump blood through the body, and it contributes to atherosclerosis, stroke, kidney disease, and heart failure.
There are medications on the market to help control blood pressure, but many people prefer to take a more holistic and natural approach to either treat or prevent high blood pressure. Like many other health conditions, essential oils can be used for this purpose.
Here, we will look at some of the best essential oils on the market today to help people who suffer from high blood pressure.
Quick Look at Our Top Picks for Essential Oils for High Blood Pressure
Don’t have time to read the entire post? Here’s a quick summary of our favorite essential oils for high blood pressure. Simply click on the essential oil name to take you to it’s Amazon page.
How to Choose an Essential Oil for High Blood Pressure
Trying to determine which is the best essential oil for your high blood pressure management will require you to evaluate your individual health issues.
Think about which risk factors for high blood pressure you have. While there are a wide variety of options for natural blood pressure reducers, figuring out which essential oil is right for you depends on your specific risk factors.
Stress reduction and weight loss are the main benefits of a lot of essential oils, making high blood pressure reduction a secondary effect. Try to get to the root cause of your high blood pressure to help you pinpoint the way to best treat it.
How to Use Essential Oils for High Blood Pressure
Essential oils are safe to use for high blood pressure when they are used appropriately.
The three methods of doing this are aromatically, topically, and internally. Oils can be used either one at a time or mixed together to make a blend.
Aromatic
The olfactory sense, otherwise known as the sense of smell, can generate powerful responses in the body.
When essential oils are used aromatically, they are quickly absorbed by the smell receptors, which then have an effect on the limbic system.
This system of the brain supports several functions, such as smell, memory, emotions, and even behavior. Because of this, essential oils have a powerful effect when they are administered through an aromatic application.
Diffusion is one of the easiest methods to use essential oils aromatically. The best diffusers are those that use cold air or water, but you can also use essential oils aromatically by simply smelling them. You can just place a few drops of the oil in your hand and breathe deeply.
Need an Essential Oil Diffuser?
If you don’t have an essential oil diffuser (or want to grab a new one), then here are favorite three options. Just find the diffuser that looks interesting and then click the yellow button to get more information:
Topical
Topical application is also an effective method for using essential oils. Essential oils are lipid-soluble, allowing them to easily penetrate the skin. Once essential oils are absorbed, they are able to remain in the applied area to maintain a localized benefit.
Essential oils are easily absorbed on their own, but there are also ways to increase absorption.
Using oils during a light massage will help increase the circulation to the area of application, which will improve the distribution of the oil throughout the body.
Diluting an essential oil with a carrier oil such as coconut oil can also increase its absorption, especially in places where you have dry skin.
It is best to use a carrier oil when applying essential oils topically to help decrease the likelihood of having a skin reaction, especially if you have sensitive skin.
Diluting more potent oils is a good idea, as well as oils that you are trying for the first time. Typically, you can just add one drop of essential oil to every three drops of your diluting oil.
When using essential oils topically, apply several small doses throughout the day instead of one single large dose. Start with just one or two drops and repeat this application every four hours or so. Because everyone is different, the necessary dose may be different based on one’s size, age, and general health.
Essential oils can be safely applied to the neck, forehead, temples, chest, arms, legs, stomach, and bottoms of the feet.
1You should avoid applying essential oils to delicate facial areas such as the skin near the eyes, the inner ears, and broken, damaged, or injured skin.
In addition to adding oils to a carrier oil, they can also be added to a warm bath, or a hot or cold compress by soaking a towel in water that has a few drops of oil in it and then applying it to the affected area. You can also add oils to your favorite non-scented lotion before applying it to your skin.
Internal
Some essential oils can be used as a dietary supplement, supporting several health conditions. You already consume the compounds that are found in essential oils when you use cinnamon on your toast, drink peppermint tea, or add rosemary to your chicken.
Essential oils are a great way to add flavor to foods while also adding health benefits. One of the great things about using essential oils internally is that they can be used as a targeted application for specific and potent health benefits when they are in their concentrated form. Because the human body is physiologically sophisticated, the internal use of essential oils is a safe and effective method of application.
When oils are ingested, they enter the bloodstream directly through the gastrointestinal tract. Here, they are readily distributed through the rest of the body due to the fact that they are lipid-soluble. Oils are then metabolized by the liver and other organs before being excreted.
Some essential oils can be used as a dietary supplement
Essential oils have a complex composition, with each component having its own set of biochemical properties that react with the body differently. It is important to remember, however, that our bodies can only handle certain doses of essential oils when taken internally, so you should speak with a professional before consuming essential oils.
Some people like to use essential oils while cooking. This is a great idea, but it is important to remember that essential oils are very potent, so you only need to use a little bit and it will go a long way. In places where you would use a lot of dried or fresh herbs or spices, you would only need a small amount of essential oil.
For oils that are more potent, it may be best to use them by dipping the end of a toothpick into the oil before adding it to the food. You can also add oils to your drinks, such as water, milk, smoothies, or tea. Some people even choose to add their oils to an empty veggie capsule to take as a pill.
Common Questions About Essential Oils
Are they safe for children?
Some oils are great for kids, while others should be avoided. It is best to review product labels for complete information on the appropriate age for using an oil, along with any cautions.
Because every child is different, it is best to test a small amount of the oil before using it in a large area to make sure that no irritation or reaction occurs. This should also be done when diffusing essential oils near babies.
Make sure to thoroughly dilute the oil, and use fewer drops than you would for an adult.
Make sure to review the product labels of essential oils you ‘re using
Are they safe to use during pregnancy?
Just like with children, some oils are safe for pregnant women, and some are not. The smell of some essential oils may improve pregnancy nausea, but others should be avoided, such as clary sage, hyssop, fennel, and sage.
Pregnant women should talk to health professionals who have experience using essential oils before using them.
Do essential oils expire?
Most essential oils do not use preservatives or synthetic fillers, so they do expire. The good thing is that they are relatively stable and can last for many years without breaking down or changing their smell or chemical composition.
Every oil has a different shelf life, and some are more prone to oxidation than others. It is best to store oils in amber glass bottles so they are protected from sun exposure, and their shelf life can also be extended by storing them in a cool, dry place that is away from the sun.
18 Best Essential Oils for High Blood Pressure (Our Selection for 2024)
Now we will go over the 18 best essential oils that are on the market right now for high blood pressure. These oils have many other uses as well, but they are all beneficial for people suffering from high blood pressure.
Bergamot Essential Oil has a crisp and refreshing smell. Studies have shown that bergamot can reduce high blood pressure if it is diffused and inhaled for 15 minutes to one hour. People who diffuse bergamot essential oil show a significant reduction in their blood pressure and their heart rate.
Studies have also shown that this essential oil can improve people’s mood and reduce anxiety. When it is inhaled, the brain releases neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin to create a feeling of well-being. This increase in dopamine can also help users of bergamot essential oil reduce their cravings for comfort foods.
PROS
CONS
Has skin purifying benefits
The oils are cold-pressed from the peel
Versatile oil
Expensive
Some people find the smell is not refreshing
The oil is a bit diluted, so you have to use a lot
Studies have shown that Clary Sage Essential Oil is able to reduce both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. It also helps to reduce the respiratory rates of people who use this oil during aromatherapy. Clary sage is a popular oil to use among people who do not need to be relaxed but have to lower their blood pressure.
Clary sage decreases both stress and symptoms of depression. Many people suffer from depression due to alcohol abuse, which is one of the risk factors for hypertension, and clary sage is effective to use as an anti-depressant.
Frankincense Essential Oil is able to calm the body and the mind. This helps reduce stress levels and regulates the heart. The body often requires an increased dose of prescription medications over time for hypertension, but the benefits of this tonic substance increase over time without having to increase the amount that is used.
Frankincense essential oil has been used for centuries to reduce stress levels and increase mental clarity, as well as encourage peace of mind and stillness.
PROS
CONS
This oil is therapeutic grade
Great to mix with other oils
Pleasant fragrance
Oil is thin, so you have to use a lot
Oil evaporates quickly
Some people find this oil to smell more like tea tree oil
When you have high blood pressure, your mind may be overactive, which can trigger stress and anxiety. Geranium Essential Oil is great to use to deal with stress because it improves blood circulation and balances out emotions.
Geranium essential oil also improves the quality of sleep and digestion and increases the body’s ability to detoxify itself. This is a great essential oil to use before going to sleep to help get a full night’s rest.
PROS
CONS
Helps improve skin complexion
Gently harmonizing and uplifting
Great to blend with other floral fragrances
Has to be diluted a lot because the smell is strong
Some people have received bottles that are unsealed
Studies have found that Helichrysum Essential Oil is an effective natural remedy to help reduce blood pressure.
Once this oil is absorbed into the bloodstream, it acts as a natural vasorelaxant and is able to encourage smooth muscle function, resulting in a decrease in blood pressure.
PROS
CONS
Users have found that this oil helps heal the skin
Budget-friendly
Users find that this oil smells great and is soothing in baths
Due to its consistency, it must be used with a carrier oil
Lavender Essential Oil is one of the most versatile and well-known essential oils on the market today. It has many health benefits, including reducing high blood pressure.
This general-purpose healing oil comes with a wide variety of therapeutic uses and is often used to encourage sleep by reducing nervous tension and stress. Lavender also has analgesic properties that make it helpful for curing headaches.
Studies performed on the electrical impulses of patients’ brains have shown the positive effects of lavender oil. Pulses were measured before and after inhaling this essential oil with an EEG machine and revealed that lavender oil has many health benefits, including reducing one’s blood pressure and increasing relaxation.
Patients who use this oil in aromatherapy report feeling more alert and refreshed after doing so.
PROS
CONS
Great to use for children
Perfect for decompressing after a long day
Very fragrant and not watered down
Some people think this oil has a slightly chemical scent
Mandarin Essential Oil can relieve muscle cramps and stiffness, quiet the nervous system, and even improve liver function. With these positive effects, your mind will become relaxed and your stress and anxiety can disappear.
Mandarin oil is an effective way to cool your mind so that your blood vessels will not become constricted and your blood pressure remains healthy.
PROS
CONS
This oil encourages blood flow and promotes healthy and vibrant skin
Melissa Essential Oil, also known as lemon balm, has an uplifting effect on the body. It can lift one’s mood with its antidepressant properties, and restore balance to the emotions. It also promotes healthy digestion by increasing the production of bile in the stomach.
For the heart, this essential oil acts as a tonic by reducing high blood pressure and preventing heart palpitations and heart attacks.
Neroli Essential Oil has an anti-hypertension property. In a 2012 study, this essential oil was mixed with ylang-ylang, lavender, and marjoram essential oil, and was found to have both immediate and long-term positive effects on blood pressure in patients.
The results of this month-long study were significant when they were compared with people taking a placebo.
Petitgrain helps support healthy blood pressure and heart function. Petitgrain Essential Oil can lower high blood pressure due to its ability to dilate arteries and blood vessels.
It also acts as an antioxidant and reduces oxidative and emotional stress, which can both lead to high blood pressure. The balancing benefits of petitgrain essential oil also improve breathing and calm nervous anxiety, which can bring a sense of ease to a stressed nervous system.
PROS
CONS
This oil acts as a calming and refreshing mood enhancer
Increases motivation and clear thinking
Improves digestion
Some people find that this oil has a grassy scent
When combined with other oils, this scent tends to overpower them
Chamomile is one of the oldest known medicinal herbs, and Roman Chamomile Essential Oil, in particular, is effective and easy to use.
People can get all of the benefits of chamomile from this essential oil by diffusing it or applying it topically to the skin. It can help calm the mind, decrease digestive issues, treat skin ailments, and reduce inflammation.
Roman chamomile gives the user cardiovascular protection due to its high levels of flavonoids, which significantly reduce mortality from heart disease when they are ingested. Because Roman chamomile essential oil has flavonoids, it can help lower blood pressure and also relax the heart.
PROS
CONS
This product is just as potent as pricier oils
A little goes a long way
Good price for a high-quality oil
Bottle tends to leak
Some people think this oil smells musky
Not 100% chamomile—this oil also contains jojoba oil
The energizing and refreshing scent of rose is able to calm the mind, among other things. Rose has anti-inflammatory properties and produces a relaxing effect throughout the entire body.
Rose balances both hormonal and emotional disturbances, and its cooling properties leave one feeling more refreshed. It also increases blood circulation, making it suitable for people with high blood pressure.
PROS
CONS
One drop goes a long way
Great for skincare
Affordable
Some people think this oil smells more like geranium than rose
Tea Tree Essential Oil is extracted from a plant that is native to Australia. This oil is able to calm the nervous system, and also has antidepressant, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory properties to enable the body to relax.
Studies have shown that using this oil for high blood pressure can help reduce heart rate and stress, and increase blood circulation. During one study, a group was instructed to use tea tree essential oil three times per week, while the other group did not.
After one month, those who used the tea tree oil on a regular basis had higher levels of oxytocin, which is a hormone that is responsible for reducing stress. They also had a lower blood pressure than the people who did not use the oil.
Sandalwood Essential Oil can be helpful when it comes to lowering blood pressure. It can be added to a glass of water and consumed to help bring down numbers quickly.
One may also consider making a paste of sandalwood oil to apply to various parts of the body for the same effect. Studies have shown the positive effects of sandalwood essential oil on blood pressure.
PROS
CONS
Contains no synthetic additives
Great, strong scent
Great for both men and women
Diluted and weak scent
Bottle is used quickly because you have to use a lot at one time
Marjoram is the most popular oil out of all essential oils that are known to be able to dilate the arteries to reduce high blood pressure. Sweet Marjoram Essential Oil has a calming and soothing effect on the mind and eases the symptoms of hypertension.
Marjoram oil can also be used to help support the digestive system, improve mental health, balance hormones, and reduce muscle pain. Marjoram oil helps lower blood pressure without decreasing your heart rate, meaning that your vascular wall will relax without putting pressure on your heart.
Valerian root has sedative effects and acts as a nerve relaxer. This allows your tense nervous system to be soothed with the application of this oil.
Hyperactivity, muscle tension, insomnia, shock, and fast heart rate can be reduced with the help of Valerian Essential Oil. It is a great oil to use if you are not able to sleep due to your high blood pressure.
Studies have shown that Ylang Ylang Essential Oil has beneficial properties for high blood pressure, especially when it is blended with a mixture of essential oils specific for hypertension reduction.
Cortisol, a hormone released by the adrenal glands, can lead to high blood pressure. Studies show a reduced level of cortisol and blood pressure after inhaling a ylang-ylang mixture, suggesting it is effective for blood pressure management.
PROS
CONS
Certified pure therapeutic grade
Comes in careful packaging
Beautiful fragrance
This oil gives some people a headache
Some users find that this oil is diluted
Conclusion
In conclusion, the clear winner of this roundup is the Roman Chamomile Essential Oil. With the most studies to back it up and the high number of positive reviews, this oil seems to be an all-time favorite.
It can be used in many ways, depending on how the user prefers to administer their essential oils. It can also be mixed with other favorite oils to create a proprietary blend.
Here is a picture of the bottle that holds this product. Don’t rely on prescription drugs that you have to keep increasing as time goes on to help with your high blood pressure. Order Roman Chamomile Essential Oil today to get started on a holistic regimen towards health.
And if you’re looking for more resources on essential oils, be sure to check out these blog posts:
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Do you remember when you were younger–maybe 12 or 13–and your parents would go out to run errands and leave you home alone?
If you’re like me, the second you heard that door shut and you had the house to yourself, you felt this incredible sense of unprecedented freedom to do whatever you wanted for the next few hours–and it was absolutely wonderful.
Fast forward however many years to the present, and, for many people, the formerly coveted time of having no one around may not feel quite as indulgent.
Of course, we all need some time to ourselves to either tend to our responsibilities or simply take a break from our hectic lives, but many people ultimately want to have someone in their corner to come home to at night.
During the pandemic, we have all had a little more “alone time” than we ever anticipated, and it’s probably fair to say that it was challenging for everyone. While some may think that social distancing was tougher for extroverts than it is for introverts, studies show that the opposite may actually be true.
Extroverts are more likely to be active on social media and keep in touch with friends–and they’re more likely to be resilient during these times and maintain hope for the future.
But, despite anyone’s personal characteristics or social tendencies, we’ve all were forced to navigate life a bit more solo than we’re used to during the COVID-19 pandemic. It undoubtedly affected everyone in unique ways. And even if you do have a family that you still come home to every night, that sense of isolation is still lurking.
Yes, the current collective practice of social distancing is a critical component of minimizing the spread of illnesses, but this same practice can have a large negative impact on people’s happiness and mental health.
In fact, having positive social interactions is among the strongest predictors of happiness, so is it possible to live a full life if your “social distancing” practice is set for a more long-term basis?
People come by happiness in various ways. Studies show that the three main things that make people happy are:
Having close relationships with other people
Having a meaningful job or hobby
Helping other people
No matter what challenges, crossroads, and lifestyle changes you encounter, your happiness is what truly matters the most at the end of the day. And whether you live alone by choice or you just haven’t found the right partner, it is absolutely possible to live a fulfilling life.
Being Alone vs Being Lonely
Now, if you’re questioning how to do this, it’s important to distinguish between being alone and lonely because these are two different things.
Of course, if you don’t want to be alone, but you’ve ended up in that position, you may have a hard time resisting feelings of loneliness, which can negatively affect your health. And that is exactly what we are addressing in this article.
If you like doing things in solitude, it doesn’t necessarily make you antisocial or loveless. You are simply just content with your alone time, and you probably also look forward to it. That is what we describe as being alone. It is not what being lonely is.
On the other hand, if you are surrounded by people but find it hard to relate to them, you can feel very disconnected from everyone. You may still be longing for company because current company isn’t as engaging for you. This may be described as loneliness.
Now, you’re probably thinking, “I do know myself. How can you not know yourself?” But since you’re reading this article looking for tips to be happy and live a full life, then chances are, you haven’t yet found what really makes you tick.
The good thing about being alone is that it gives you the freedom to be selfish with your time and put your needs, desires, and ambitions above all others (as these being alone quotes suggest).
It’s time to set your short-term to-do list aside, take a break from your everyday process of “getting things done,” and consider the following questions:
If you knew you had no risk of failure, what would you want to do or be in life? How often have you fantasized about changing careers, moving to a new city, or becoming an expert in something you’re passionate about, only to be deterred by the risk of failing? Envision your ideal scenario where success is guaranteed.
In the same vein, how would you live if you had an infinite amount of money? People often mistakenly equate happiness with money, but according to studies, wealth has a small impact on one’s overall happiness–and that’s only if you’re living with extreme wealth that you earned yourself (which, by default, means you’ve been incredibly successful in your job, which more than likely suggests that you enjoy what you do for a living).
You have 90 seconds to give someone an elevator speech about who you are and what’s important to you. Go.
What are your core personal values? What are your foundational beliefs that guide your everyday decisions? Knowing what your values are will help you determine your priorities, so you can align your daily life with the things that are important to you. Here is an assessment you can take if you need help identifying your values.
Not only will answering these questions help you uncover what truly makes you happy, but it can also help you refocus your energy to head in a new (and improved) direction.
2. Give Yourself a Fresh Start
Yes, it is healthy to have a routine. But when looking back, if you can’t distinguish 2018 from 2012, you’ve taken the “routine” thing a bit too far. You have to keep yourself stimulated with things happening in your life and give yourself opportunities to grow and evolve.
And you can start small. Sometimes all it takes to feel refreshed and happy is to change something simple about your daily routine. Or maybe it’s time to rearrange your furniture or redecorate your house.
By changing something about your surroundings or your day-to-day life, you can start fresh and rid yourself of feelings that your life is stagnant.
Remember, part of being happy alone is realizing that you’re living for yourself and no one else. If you want to start a new hobby, do it. If you want to travel somewhere, do it. If you want to paint your living room neon yellow, do it.
The video below talks about the 12 best morning habits you can use to increase your focus, motivation, and energy for the rest of the day.
3. Practice Self-Love
Many of us are our own worst critics. We are often Striving for excellence and doing our best to get to the next level, striving for perfection. This leads us to unnecessarily beat ourselves up over our mistakes.
And when you’re battling with this inner bully and don’t have a partner to regularly remind you that you’re actually pretty amazing, it can quickly lead you down a path of depression and negativity.
Studies show that there are three main elements to having compassion for yourself:
Being kind to yourself when you fail entails treating yourself as gently as you would treat a friend in your situation.
Having a sense of common humanity, meaning you can recognize that all humans are imperfect and everyone’s lives have ups and downs, so you’re not alone in your suffering. We often feel isolated in our struggles, which makes overcoming them even more difficult.
Be mindful of your thoughts and emotions by recognizing them but not ruminating on them to the point of developing a negative self-concept. Being mindful of your feelings will give you a sense of clarity and perspective, which will help you show compassion toward yourself.
There are a lot of ways to increase your love for yourself, which will prevent you from placing blame on yourself for things that are out of your control and increase your satisfaction with your life.
Practice self-love. Know that being alone is normal and natural. It’s okay, and be perfectly happy while alone.
Here are some strategies to try:
Try to accept that aloneness is normal and many people share your situation. Don’t put any value on what society implies you “should” do, and you will start to realize that it’s perfectly alright to be living life solo–give yourself a break.
Create a journal about the things that you love about yourself. Focus on your strengths and build upon them.
Be aware of your negative thoughts. If you are constantly thinking with a dark cloud overhead, you will never have room to let the sunlight in. Reading this book can help you train your mind to project positive outcomes, making them start to happen naturally.
Having some time alone will allow you to be mindful of your thoughts and surroundings. You will be able to feel happiness and peace and know that you already have everything inside of yourself that you need to be completely fulfilled.
If you’re at a low point, make an effort to get out of the house and be around friends and family and other like minded people who love you and will help you take your mind off of whatever it is that’s bringing you down.
If you find yourself avoiding making plans, try committing to something upfront. For example, pay for a 10-week kickboxing class or sports league. Once you have made that upfront commitment, you will be less likely to back out when it comes time to do it.
4. Exercise and Build a Healthy Lifestyle
Maybe it’s time to reconnect with yourself physically by starting a new exercise program that will help you get into shape, feel good about your body, and give you the numerous benefits of endorphins.
Working out shouldn’t feel like a chore, which is why there are some great programs like spinning, Zumba, or even Xbox games that allow you to work out with others while having fun. Some other ideas include:
Commit to joining a class and have the right person sign up with you. Having an accountability partner will make you less likely to quit, and you will get to see your friend while you work out.
Or, start smaller by checking out 11 workout routines that you can do first thing in the morning, which will keep you feeling refreshed during the day. The best part about morning workouts is that you won’t be thinking about having to work out for the rest of the day because it’s already done!
If you have a dog, take them for a daily 20-minute walk or run. Your dog will love you for it and will help keep you committed by reminding you that it’s time for your daily walk. How can you say no to those cute little puppy eyes?
Exercising regularly will help you get into shape, feel good about your body, and allow you to reap the numerous benefits of endorphins.
The other part of building a healthy lifestyle is to look at your diet, which can impact both your mental and physical health just as much as your activity level. Keep a food journal for a week to get a quick reality check of your eating habits and make any necessary changes.
Look at both what and how much you’re eating. By controlling your portion sizes, you will help keep yourself healthier and happier and reduce feelings of lethargy. Also, be cognizant of times when you’re eating out of boredom or because you’re feeling sad.
And, of course, I look like I’m having the time of my life, but I know I was miserable living that lifestyle. And I knew it at the time, too! But I’d smile for two seconds for the camera, of course.
Don’t keep track of the number of social activities you have per week if they aren’t things that are making you happy. Honestly, sometimes the best types of social plans are the ones that are canceled.
I don’t mean to sound like a recluse, but the feeling of having a last-minute free night to yourself instead of fighting traffic to get downtown after work to sit in a loud restaurant is elating… 9 out of 10 times.
So when you’re sitting at home scrolling through social media and seeing pictures of friends out and about, are you really jealous? Chances are, several people in that picture would probably rather be in your shoes than their own.
6. Find Your Passion and Cultivate It
Think of something you’ve always wanted to do.
Now is the time to do it!
When you’re alone, you don’t need to worry about anyone else’s schedule aside from your own. So pick something you’re passionate about that will challenge you and start pursuing it.
For example, if you love animals, why not volunteer once a week at your local shelter? Or, if there is askill you’ve wanted to learn, go for it!
There is never any harm in trying something new, and sometimes it takes some trial and error and experimentation to find your passion. Trying new things will get you out of the house, allow you to be around new and positive people, and help you renew your confidence in learning new things.
7. Get Out of Your Comfort Zone
While you don’t have anyone around disagreeing with your plans, take the opportunity to get out of your comfort zone by doing something new every week.
As you’re looking for new opportunities to approach, don’t do so with the mindset of trying to “find” someone. Instead, do things that will benefit your inner self. If you end up meeting someone in a romantic sense, it will be someone that you genuinely have something in common with.
A great way to step out of your comfort zone is to go somewhere and do something new and fun each week.
Stepping out of your comfort zone and trying new things can lead to new friendships and amusing experiences. You just need to be willing to put yourself out there instead of waiting for things to come to you.
Be proactive in looking for things to do around your city, and when you’re out, be proactive in approaching new people. Seeing other people smile is contagious, so if you start the smile train, others will reciprocate, and you will both be in great moods.
A good way to get out of your comfort zone is to try a 30-day habit every month. Make sure to experiment by doing things you wouldn’t ordinarily do. You may even find some hobbies you end up adopting for a lifetime.
8. Use Your Alone Time Wisely
Many people might think that the answer to being happy is a simple one: just do things that make you happy.
However, due to psychological attachments, this is not true at all. You may enjoy chowing down on a quart of Rocky Road ice cream.
You may enjoy watching an entire season of Dexter in a single sitting. But will these things bring you happiness in the long run? No. They will bring you feelings of guilt and remorse.
Watching meaningless TV shows or eating your favorite comfort food might sound like a good idea at the time, but to achieve happiness, they are often counterproductive.
This doesn’t mean you can’t treat yourself once in a while, but it’s best to use the time that you can constructively by getting to know yourself better, learning something, or challenging your mind somehow.
Read a great biography, watch an inspirational documentary, start a new business, or create a new website. Lose yourself in your art, music, woodworking, cooking, or other meaningful work.
Find a new creative outlet. What is something you have always dreamed of doing but have been putting off? Maybe it is a home improvement project or a class you want to enroll in. Give yourself time to do it!
If you end up not liking it, it is something you can cross off your list as you move on to the next great thing.
Use your time wisely. Get to know yourself better, learn something about yourself, or challenge your mind.
Need some inspiration? Spend all day at a gallery or museum and let your mind experience different reactions and emotions to the exhibits or educational experiences. Be wise with your time and make sure that you‘re satisfied with whatever you accomplished at the end of the day.
Because you’re alone at this point in your life, you have the opportunity to create something meaningful and spend as much time as you want to do the things that ignite your passions.
When you lose yourself fully in your work, you will become proud of what you have created, which will leave you feeling fulfilled and happy.
Creating SMART goalswill help keep you motivated. Start small and focus on your most important tasks first. Once you get into a routine of positive habits, it will start coming naturally to you, and you won’t have to think twice before making efforts toward creating an amazing future for yourself.
Why not take this time to focus on one or two aspects of your life that you have wanted to improve? No matter what category your goal falls into, don’t let your aspirations remain on the backburner.
9. Learn to Appreciate the Present
Your life experiences have shaped who you are today, but that doesn’t mean you should hold onto your past mistakes. The only part of your mistakes that should dictate your future are the lessons that you got out of them.
Rather than focusing on the past, appreciate the small wins you’re making now and what they’re doing for your future. And make time in your busy schedule to stop and be mindful of the things around you, your achievements and the positive aspects of your life.
Don’t focus on the things that you don’t have; rather, garner an appreciation for the things in your life that you enjoy–no matter how small they are.
This leads us to…
10. Practice Gratitude for What You Have
Researchers have found that taking the time to recognize the good things around you can increase your positive emotions, improve your sleep, help you show more kindness and compassion toward others, and even strengthen your immunity.
It’s so easy to take everyday things for granted. Your house. Your car. Your family. Your job. Your education. The fresh flowers growing along the side of the road. Whatever you have in your life that brings you joy deserves a second thought.
Becoming more aware of your surroundings will enhance your gratitude practice. Try to notice new things every day.
But, here’s the thing. This seems like a pretty easy fast track to improved life in theory. Write down a few things every night that I’m thankful for, and in turn, I can avoid catching a common cold?
Sure, I’ll do it–maybe for a week or two. But once I’ve written that I’m thankful for my family ten times, I’m probably going to put the book aside because I’m not feeling this flood of dopamine I was expecting.
And I don’t think I’ve become much kinder toward others because I just gave unsolicited advice to a coworker that–when read between the lines–said, “Your work sucks.”
If you can relate to this, you’re doing gratitude wrong. To benefit from practicing gratitude, you need to learn to stop and notice new things that make you happy every day. Gratitude journaling works because it slowly adjusts how you observe situations by altering your focus.
If you write down that you’re grateful for your family every day, it won’t keep your brain attuned to identifying the fresh, grateful moments that you undoubtedly experience regularly.
Because of this, be as specific as possible when you’re practicing gratitude. “Today, I was able to call my mom on the way to work just to chat” or “My husband left me a note this morning on the kitchen table, wishing me a good day.”
And be sure to stretch yourself beyond the great stuff right in front of you. Becoming more aware of your surroundings will enhance your gratitude practice. Try to notice new things every day.
11. Build a Strong Network of Family and Friends
As you become more accustomed to being alone, you may realize that you’re putting less effort into socializing. While there’s nothing particularly wrong with that, having a strong network of family and friends is still important.
Nurture the relationships you already have by arranging visits with people you’re close to or calling someone you haven’t spoken to in a while to catch up. Here are some tips to strengthen relationships or form new ones:
Do things without expecting anything in return. For example, if you see an opportunity that looks ideal for a friend, let them know about it. Having an attitude that you always deserve something in return will prevent others from valuing their relationship with you.
Make your relationships meaningful by offering something above and beyond the norm or taking one step further than what’s expected. This may be as small as sending a birthday card or as big as helping someone get a new job. Doing so will help you maintain strong connections and close friends.
Show your appreciation toward others, whether with a card, small gift, or through genuine words. If somebody helps you in some way and you don’t show appreciation, they’re unlikely to help you again because you may appear to feel entitled. Let people know you value their help.
Don’t only call on someone if you need something. Maintain contact for other reasons to keep developing the relationship. This can even be through small gestures such as showing support for something they post on social media.
12. Recognize You’re Fine Being Alone
You add value to this world, and you don’t need someone else’s approval to recognize that. When you’re alone, be sure to remember that you’re alone because that is what you’ve chosen. The world hasn’t left you behind.
It’s easy to find just anyone to spend your time with, but when you have high standards for those whom you allow into your life, you’re acknowledging that you’re better off alone than with someone who is just there out of convenience.
13. Volunteer Your Time
There are so many ways to help other people by volunteering your time, whether you’re doing it in person or remotely from your home. Helping other people is rewarding, and doing so allows you to feel connected to your community and other people.
When volunteering, make sure the organization’s needs are a good fit with what you offer.
Being “alone” doesn’t mean you’re sequestering yourself from the rest of the world. It just means you have enough confidence to know that you don’t have to depend on other people to make you happy. And one good way to stay integrated with others is to surround yourself with the positive people you’ll find while giving your time to an objective that’s important to you.
Here are some great tips to help you find a suitable volunteering opportunity in your city that matches your skills and interests. It’s important to find something meaningful to you, so you don’t end up giving only 50% of your effort toward whatever you’re doing.
Make sure the organization’s needs are a good fit with what you have to offer, and once you find something, you will feel more fulfilled and satisfied with your life.
14. Make Plans for Your Future
Where do you want to be (both personally and professionally) in 10 years? What would be required to do to accomplish those goals? Writing your plans down will help guide your everyday decisions.
It’s pretty tough to feel good about yourself if you aren’t headed in some type of direction. Your plans don’t need to be extremely complex or overwhelming; they just need to exist. Once you have your plans, it’s easier to be proactive in taking action.
Don’t put your plans off. No matter what your goals are, go after them. Doing so will allow you to recognize that you’re living your life on your own terms, which will give you a sense of confidence that will attract new and interesting people into your life.
Having firm plans (that you can obviously modify as your life unfolds) can give you more hope and help you stay optimistic today about the opportunities for tomorrow.
It may even be in your best interests to take a solo trip. Find something to do that interests you, and mark the solo trip on your calendar. It will give you something to look forward to.
Value your own opinion over anyone else’s because you know what’s best for yourself more than anyone else. If you feel like you truly need advice, reach out for it. But first, try turning to yourself for the advice you’re looking for.
The more you do this, the less you will rely on other people’s input. If you can trust yourself to handle your problems, you will become more confident, and you will be able to pursue challenges that you once thought were beyond your abilities.
You’re normal, and your quirks are what make you unique from anyone else. Once you accept these thoughts, your world will become brighter, and the opportunities will be endless.
Short Term Tips on How to Be Happy Alone
Now that we have covered several tips to help in the long term, let’s uncover a few short terms tips you should know about when learning how to be happy alone.
Practice Self Love
Self-love is something you can do in the short and long term. You aren’t learning to love yourself in isolation when practicing self-love because we don’t actually exist in isolation.
When we practice self-love, we are enjoying our time alone. We avoid falling into self-hatred and shame. We try things we could fail, but we think of ourselves when we do this.
We are not leading a lonely life; rather, we are finding ways to enjoy our alone time while developing a healthy relationship with ourselves.
Give Social Media a Break
We already talked about scrolling through social media above. If you find that doing so stresses you out or makes you feel left out, it can turn problematic. Remember, a social media feed and a few photos do not necessarily tell a full story.
You can never know if the people posting are really truly happy or if they are trying to portray that they are. Take a break from social media for 24 to 48 hours and see if it makes any difference in your life and how you feel.
Let Your Mind Wander
Allowing your mind to wander from time to time can do a lot of good. Set a timer for five minutes and eliminate distractions like tv, music, the internet, podcasts, and books. Close your eyes and just let your mind wander. See where it takes you.
Soak Up the Perks of Being Alone
Finally, take advantage of being alone and spending time with yourself. Use up all the space you have because you can, and it’s yours. Spread out and get into a new hobby or revisit a previous hobby you may have given up.
Not done with what you’re working on? When you are alone, you can leave everything out so you can get back to it later. It is your space and your time to do as you please.
When to Seek Professional Help for Loneliness
You should never be afraid to ask for professional help if it is needed or even reach out to a family member or trusted friend for support. Sometimes, self care, exercise, and practicing gratitude aren’t enough to shake the feelings of loneliness you may have.
If you feel overly stressed, have difficulty coping, or experiencing feelings of anxiety or depression, seek help from a mental health professional.
Final Thoughts on Living a Full and Happy Life Alone
“You cannot be lonely if you like the person you’re alone with.” – Wayne W. Dyer
It is absolutely possible to be happy and live a full life without having someone next to you at all times. Follow the tips laid out in this article to put yourself on a positive path toward living your best life.
When you’re alone, maintain a routine that you enjoy, make an effort to stay connected to loved ones, and find a hobby that feels fulfilling. Being happy alone is about making consistent efforts toward self-improvement and feeling empowered to be able to trust your own decisions.
Self-awareness is key to fulfillment and happiness. So if you’re looking for resources to understand yourself better, be sure to read these articles:
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Do you feel fatigue and pain in your feet, legs and lower back caused by long standing at work or in the kitchen? Are you looking to provide relief and better working conditions to your employees and yourself?
If so, anti-fatigue mats can be the perfect solution to reducing the pain and suffering that comes from being on your feet for hours at a time.
Wearing quality shoes helps to reduce pain for extended standing. But the additional protection from purpose specific standing mats is really the best bet in the long run.
While one of the healthy habits that I often recommend to people is to frequently stand throughout the day. Unfortunately, this extended standing can cause a few minor issues, so that’s why it’s important have the right equipment before starting the standing habit.
In this article, I will show you the best anti-fatigue mats for your kitchen or home office.
Don’t have time to read the entire review? Then check out this table for a quick review…
What is the Purpose of Anti-Fatigue Mats?
The role of anti-fatigue mats is to relieve you of pain produced by standing on hard surfaces in one position for long periods. Standing in the same position for extended time will shrink and immobilize your leg muscles, restricting blood flow and causing pain.
Extended standing causes pain, but that is not all. It will often also make you lethargic. Your body loses energy because the heart works harder to pump blood through shrunken muscles.
One of the big advantages of anti-fatigue mats is that they widen your muscles and make them live again, stimulating normal blood flow and decreasing fatigue.
The final benefit of anti-fatigue mats is the potential savings. All the fatigue, joint stress and pain often lead directly to downtime, sick leave and decreased productivity. This downtime adds up.
Specifically when extended standing aggravates other injuries. Like any preventative measure, you may never know exactly how much money is saved, but studies of workplaces where workers who spend hours standing have shown a decreases of injuries and sick leave of as much as 30%-40%.
Do Anti-Fatigue Mats Really Work?
The health and performance boost you’ll see from your anti-fatigue mats becomes more noticeable over time. These mats are a great choice for corporate, industrial, and even home use!
They stimulate blood flow, increase oxygen levels and reduce fatigue in your legs, ankles and feet when standing in the same spot for hours on end. Watch this video to see the benefits an anti-fatigue mat can provide:
What Should You Look for When Choosing an Anti-Fatigue Mat?
During your search for the right anti-fatigue mat, you may be daunted by the choices available to you. The standing mats you will find come numerous sizes, colors and varying quality of construction.
Many mats on the market are sold as anti-fatigue, but don’t back it up with results. Don’t be cheated. Before you go to buy an anti-fatigue mat, answer the following questions:
1. What are your needs?
Anti-fatigue mats vary in cost, material, construction, features, size and more. Think about what kind of environment you’ll be using your mat in and do your research accordingly. You stand a much better chance of choosing the perfect mat for your needs when you shop for your specific criteria.
2. What characteristics should your mat have?
Will this be a large mat covering an entire workspace, or a smaller unit you’ll use in the kitchen? Will you leave it in place permanently or remove it once the work is done? What will you need to properly clean the mat, given the workspace?
3. How will the firmness level of the mat affect you?
An anti fatigue mat’s firmness has a great impact on how if combats fatigue. If you choose a standing surface that’s too hard or soft you could inadvertently increase your likelihood of fatigue or injury.
4. How responsive should your mat be?
If you have your own company and want to improve working conditions for your employees by supplying them an anti-fatigue mat, pay attention to mat responsiveness.
Mat responsiveness means that the mat returns to its original form when you move from it. If its responsiveness is slow, that means it’s probably too elastic for the weight put upon it.
Unresponsive mats will cause additional fatigue because the employee has to make additional effort to maintain their stability. On the other hand, a good, responsive mat should allow you to lightly and stably walk across or stand on it.
5. Does it bottom out?
It is very important that the mat maintains its thickness under weight. If it is very soft you can bottom out, negating many potential benefits. Professionals advise that the most efficient mats only lose between 5 and 10mm of their total thickness under weight.
6. Is it stable?
If you want to avoid fatigue, you will have to choose a mat with the right balance of stability and instability. Instability can be useful. In just the right amounts it can increase blood flow through your muscles.
Too much instability causes injures as a result of loss-of-balance, slips, and falls. Very firm mats can decrease blood flow, causing your legs to sleep. Low circulation causes often blood clotting and swelling.
These conditions can cause complications like varicose veins. Decreased blood flow in muscles means a reduction in protein and oxygen to the muscles as well. Too much stability puts painful pressure on muscles.
7. Does the mat shift as you use it?
It would be great to have always clean floors because it is one of the best ways to prevent your mat from sliding. Unfortunately, that isn’t always the case. An important point to consider when choosing the right anti-fatigue mat is the material it is constructed from.
There are kinds of foam that break down very easy and can create a slippery layer of fine dust between the mat and the floor, leading to mat sliding. This isn’t always noticeable at first because the top layer stays almost the same.
8. How long should your mat last?
Durability is significantly affected by the mat’s material and construction. The life cycle of anti-fatigue mats varies from a few months to a few years. The losing of foam cells during the time may not be visible right away but will eventually lead to the mat bottoming out.
As time passes, the mat’s edges will become damaged. This happens faster with mats made of low-quality foam. This can be dangerous, so you should be inspecting your mat every six months to a year, given daily use.
9. Is the mat easy to clean?
Mats consist of foam. Rough surfaces or mats with perforated textures are often susceptible to collecting dust and dirt, or being adversely affected by humidity. That makes for unhygienic and/or unpresentable conditions.
In kitchens or other areas where food is prepared, food particles can become trapped in the foam. This creates ideal conditions for bacteria propagation and can be almost impossible to clean.
Top 7 Anti-Fatigue Mat Models for Your Kitchen or Office (Our 2024 Review)
After a lot of time spent researching and testing a variety of anti-fatigue mats, I made this list of my top seven anti-fatigue mats of 2024.
1. Best Overall Choice: Imprint® CumulusPRO Commercial Grade Standing Desk Anti-Fatigue Mat
The Imprint® CumulusPRO Commercial Grade Standing Desk Anti-Fatigue Mat is a high quality, durable mat that responds to the highest requirements when it comes to health and comfort. This easy to use mat helps eliminate pain and fatigue. The main feature that makes this mat so amazing is its solid, one-piece polyurethane construction.
Another important feature of this product is its high-density core, which guarantees the mat will provide support for years to come. Besides the comfort and relaxation it provides during long periods of standing, it also ensures stability and safety for your employees, increasing uptime and productivity. The only downside is the cost, but you get what you pay for!
PROS
#1 Standing Desk Anti-Fatigue Comfort Mat – It relieves up to 40% of the pressure on your knees, feet and the delicate joints in the legs. This mat will be a benefit regardless of the length of time you use it. It is just as effective as a kitchen mat for making meals as it is as a standing mat where you work for hours at your office desk.
Lifetime 100% Satisfaction Guarantee
Multi-surface – This mat is designed to be used on marble, wood, laminate, and concrete. It will work effectively on any hard and flat surface. It is smooth and soft, but durable enough to withstand spills or kitchen disasters.
Non-rolling edges provide protection from trip hazards and slipping. One-piece, solid polyurethane material guarantees support over time
Environmentally friendly and non-toxic
Tested and certified by the National Floor Safety Institute
2. Runner-Up Option for Anti-Fatigue Mats: Royal Anti-Fatigue Comfort Mat
This healthy, body support based product can be used anywhere, whether it is a kitchen, bathroom or work station.
If you need a standing mat that is not as squishy as memory foam while giving you the same time pleasant feeling when you are standing, this is a good choice.
PROS
Anti-Fatigue – Same as Imprint® CumulusPRO™ Anti-Fatigue Mat, it relieves up to 40% pressure on your knees, feet, and joints. The pleasant feeling will be the same, regardless of the environment (kitchen, bathroom, office desk, etc)
Lifetime warranty
Multi-surface – This standing mat is designed to be placed on any kind of surface. Its key design function is to provide superior stability. It is easy to clean and resistant to all any kitchen accidents like spilling liquids. These standing mats are not resistant to heel pressure, so wearing heels can potentially damage the mat.
Applicable to any kind of environment and purpose – It provides you comfort in almost any environment, making it great for the kitchen, bathroom, or office use
Design – It’s the perfect size at 20″ x 39″ and comes in four different, beautiful colors (Jet Black, Burgundy, Caramel Brown and Sand Beige). Its beveled edges and no-slip bottom prevent tripping, and with a thickness of 0.75 inches it provides ample comfort and stability
3. Best Value for the Money: Anti Fatigue Comfort Floor Mat by Sky Mats
In their own words, Sky Mats is a company that makes “ridiculously comfortable mats.” In fact, these mats are as comfortable as they are affordable. Sky Mats’s anti-fatigue mats are one of Amazon’s Choice products across their entire line.
Anti Fatigue Comfort Floor Mat by Sky Mats are made of a specially designed SkyCore foam. Selected for its perfect balance of characteristics, SkyCore foam is ideally soft while still providing ample support.
Sky Mats undertook rigorous testing to find a foam that has all the necessary properties. They promise a reduction of knee and back pressure of up to 32%.
Safety is a big priority for Sky Mats. These mats have a wide beveled edge that makes it nearly impossible to trip over them. Additionally, the surface is textured to provide excellent grip even when used with slick-soled shoes or bare feet.
Moreover, it has anti-slip backing that gives it a secure hold on both hard surfaces and carpets. Under normal conditions, the mat won’t budge at all during use.
They’re made of high-quality materials that don’t produce odors or noticeable off-gassing. In addition, SkyCore foam is among the most durable materials used in anti-fatigue mats. They have a lifetime warranty against defects in materials and workmanship under normal use.
To ensure that the mats don’t compress or break down during shipping, SkyMats are shipped flat. This results in larger shipping dimensions, but ensures the longevity of the mat itself. They’re not the cheapest mat available, but they certainly provide the most value for the price.
PROS
SkyCore foam has the perfect balance of cushioning and support
The materials are highly durable, with a lifetime warranty
No toxic off-gassing or unpleasant odors
Numerous safety features are built into these mats
Wide range of colors and styles to fit any decor
CONS
Some customers find that SkyMats is a bit pushy about asking for reviews of their products
The printed designs are sometimes asymmetrical
4. Most Budget-Friendly: AmazonBasics Premium Kitchen/Office Comfort Standing Mat
It’s simple yet effective, a durable and comfortable mat for the cost.
It’s billed as a non-slip mat, but my testing showed a bit of sliding.
My experience showed that this mat is not a good all-day solution, but it is solid for a couple of hours of standing. It’s not fancy, but if you’re looking for an unobtrusive, practical mat that’s easy to clean, this is the right choice.
The Amazon mat is an efficient, simple and inexpensive solution. While it is not the BEST solution or the fanciest one, it is more than good enough for a few hours of daily standing.
PROS
A simple but comfortable mat that decreases fatigue when standing
The foam layer adapts to the shape of your feet
The surface is grease resistant and easily cleaned
Edges don’t roll, helping to avoid tripping or similar accidents. Non-slip base so the mat stays in place
Colors – Black, Light Brown, Dark Brown
5. Best High-End Anti-Fatigue Mat: WellnessMats Anti-Fatigue Mat
If you’re looking for an anti-fatigue mat that provides comfort while radiating style and elegance, look no further than WellnessMats Anti-Fatigue Mat. These mats are of the highest quality standards for both safety and comfort.
Accordingly, they’re used in a variety of professional settings. Many hotel chains, retailers, and restaurants rely on WellnessMats for their unparalleled durability and sophistication.
Design is a big part of the equation in WellnessMats. Anti-fatigue mats must be functional, but that doesn’t preclude them from looking attractive. And WellnessMats takes that to heart.
They have a huge variety of surfaces, colors, and designs. You’re sure to find the appropriate mat for any setting. And they don’t sacrifice safety in the least. Their mats all have a 20-degree beveled edge that’s ADA wheelchair compliant.
Made to be exceedingly durable, WellnessMats are puncture, heat, and dirt resistant. Any household cleaners are safe to use on WellnessMats. Plus, they’re easy to maintain and clean. The foam is non-toxic and PVC-free and has antimicrobial properties.
They use polyurethane composite technology that cushions without impairing balance. Their mats are 0.75” thick – the ideal thickness to provide safety and comfort.
The polyurethane foam is elastic but highly resilient, so it won’t tear or compress. The edges never curl up, which means no trip hazards common in cheaper mats after extended use.
WellnessMats are certainly at the top of the price range. However, their products offer fantastic value and come with a terrific 20-year manufacturer’s warranty. The warranty covers delamination, compression, and even accidental damage.
PROS
Many styles, colors, and sizes to choose from
High-quality materials never delaminate, flake, or compress
ADA-rated wheelchair compliant, great for professional settings
Resistant to punctures and heat
Anti-microbial and free from toxic chemicals and PVC
20-year comprehensive manufacturer’s warranty that covers most wear and tear
CONS
While they’re great mats, they’re also among the most expensive options
Dirt and stains are more obvious on some colors and designs than others
6. Best Flat Mat with Great Cushioning: Imprint Commercial Coutre Strata
The small team at Imprint Comfort Mats has been making mats since 2006. They exclusively focus on anti-fatigue mats and make every effort to produce a quality product that delivers outstanding results.
The Couture Strata series has their proprietary Cushion-Core technology present in their commercial models. The multiple cores in these mats are much more effective at distributing weight than full-foam mats.
The top layer is made of a softer foam that’s more comfortable for your feet. It’s followed by a more compact and denser layer that provides support.
The bottom layer is of durable foam with high traction that prevents the mat from moving around. The end result is a mat that conforms to your feet and reduces fatigue and overall discomfort from standing by up to 60%.
A beveled no-trip edge is practically mandatory in any quality mat, and this one doesn’t disappoint in that sense. The edges are specially formulated from polyurethane foam to never deform and curl up, and the mat will never compress under normal use.
Couture Strata mats are tested and certified by the National Floor Safety Institute as safe against tripping and slipping. Furthermore, Imprint is partnered with the American Chiropractic Association to design mats that provide real relief and support.
PROS
Multi-Core technology provides soft cushioning for your feet with durable support and stability
The eco-synthetic leather top layer is an elegant touch and provides pierce resistance
Guaranteed to not compress or lose support over time
Certified by the National Floor Safety Institute
100% lifetime satisfaction guarantee
CONS
Sensitive users have found these mats to be a bit too firm
Slips around somewhat on short-fiber carpets
7. Best for High-Traffic Areas: GelPro NewLife Bio-Foam Comfort Mat
If you need a mat for a heavy traffic area of your home or business, the GelPro NewLife Bio-Foam Comfort Mat is probably your best bet. This mat is made out of professional-grade materials with a focus on durability.
It’s a full-foam polyurethane, 0.75” mat. The premium foam is denser than less expensive alternatives and provides energy return when walking across it. This essentially means that as you “push” down on the mat when you walk across it, it “pushes” back. This energy return makes walking easier and less fatiguing.
The one-piece construction makes it less versatile than layered alternatives, but it will never delaminate. Again, durability is at the forefront of every design decision. The surface is resistant to chemicals and won’t stain.
The high-density Bio-Foam is eco-friendly and doesn’t produce off-gassing or bad odors. It comes in two surface types, brushed and embossed. The brushed surface is ideal for long-term standing, while the embossed surface is great for walking as it provides a little more traction than the alternative.
It features no-curl edges that are beveled and a non-slip bottom certified by the National Floor Safety Institute. Furthermore, GelPro mats come with a 10-year, best-in-class warranty. If you purchase the product directly from GelPro, you can return it within 30 days for a refund or replacement.
PROS
One-piece construction makes it impossible to delaminate
High-density foam with superb durability can handle a lot of punishment
Energy-return makes walking easier
Certified by the National Floor Safety Institute
Resistant to chemicals and stains
CONS
Foam is quite firm compared to some other brands
Warranty only covers residential use
Final Thoughts on Anti-Fatigue Mats
Anti-fatigue mats are an effective solution to problems of fatigue and pain from standing for extended periods.
The standing mats presented here all encourage better blood flow, help with posture, and relax your muscles. They save on additional costs due to injury, fatigue and missed work.
If you own a business with employees standing in front of machines all day, take the time to calculate all the costs and decreased productivity caused by sick leave and absenteeism. Downtime will cost much more than investing in anti-fatigue mats that will provide better working conditions for all.
The main reason why I recommend it because the Imprint mat has exceptional quality and durability that will stand the test of time when it comes to your health and comfort.
As a reminder, this anti-fatigue mat relieves up to 40% of the pressure on your knees, feet and the delicate joints in the legs.
Moreover, it can be used for any purpose. It is just as effective as a kitchen mat for making meals as it is as a standing mat where you work for hours at your office desk.
The Imprint® CumulusPRO™ Anti-Fatigue standing mat is designed to be used in any room. It is wear, tear and puncture-resistant. Additionally, it has a strong outer layer. Finally, it has a nice “grip” to it so you should never encounter any slipping problems using it.
This standing mat includes a lifetime 100% satisfaction guarantee provided by both the manufacturer and sellers, providing you peace of mind that your money won’t be wasted.
There might be affiliate links on this page, which means we get a small commission of anything you buy. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Please do your own research before making any online purchase.
Quick question:
Are you looking for a few simple tips how to make your body more alkaline? Or do you want to raise your pH levels?
If so, then it’s not too hard to achieve these outcomes!
In this post, you will get a comprehensive guide on how to alkalize your body. First, you’ll learn about the difference between your various pH levels. Then you will discover a simple strategy to test if your body is alkaline or acidic. Finally, you can check out the 15 tips on how to make your body more alkaline.
So you might wonder: “If I changed the foods that I ate and reduced my stress, would that make my body more alkaline?”
The simple answer is it depends.
Let’s talk about the pH levels in your body work…
Can you remember the pH scale? This scale measures how acidic or basic a substance is. If a substance is neither acidic nor basic, it is neutral. The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14.
Understanding the pH Level in Your Body
Most people don’t stop to consider the acid/alkaline balance in their blood, but an optimal pH is actually crucial to one’s health. Human blood is a solution, meaning that it is made up of a uniform distribution inside a liquid.
Having a balanced pH protects our bodies from the inside out. Some even say that diseases and disorders cannot grow in a body whose pH is in balance. An imbalanced pH allows unhealthy organisms to grow, damages tissues and organs, and hurts the immune system.
The body’s optimal pH is 7.36, which is just barely alkaline.
Because most people are too acidic, it is best to focus on alkalizing the body to maintain proper health. To measure your pH, you can dip a piece of litmus paper in your saliva or urine as soon as you wake up, before eating or drinking anything.
An acidic environment in one’s body will decrease its ability to repair damaged cells and detoxify heavy metals. It also creates an environment for tumor cells to thrive, and it makes the body more susceptible to fatigue and illness.
Acidosis is more common in today’s society than it was in centuries past due to the drastic changes in our eating patterns as compared to those who came before us.
Choosing to eat more alkaline foods can help to change your pH balance. This allows your body to function at its best.
Start your day with a tall glass of water with a hint of lemon.
However, many of the foods that people love are very acidic. Eating too many acidic foods over time stresses the body’s natural functions and can leave you feeling tired and sluggish.
So, which foods are alkalizing and which are acidic? As stated, the scale goes from 0 to 14, and you want to shoot for a balanced pH of 7. Our food today is far too high in acid-producing animal products such as meat, eggs, and dairy.
Alkaline-producing foods:
spinach
broccoli
carrots
cauliflower
collard greens
strawberries
wild rice
Acid-producing processed food & drinks:
white flour
meat & eggs
sugar
chocolate
cream cheese
coffee
soft drinks
fruit juices
Neutral foods (slightly acidic):
cooked beans
coconut
salmon
Neutral foods (slightly basic):
It is far too low in alkaline-producing foods such as fresh vegetables like spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, collard greens, strawberries, and wild rice.
Additionally, we eat acid-producing processed foods such as white flour and sugar, and drink acid-producing beverages like coffee and soft drinks. Popcorn, cream cheese, chocolate, fruit juices, and nuts are all acidic foods that harm our overall health.
Some more neutral foods that are only slightly acidic include cooked beans, coconut, and salmon. On the other hand, some foods that are only slightly basic are apples, olives, and bananas.
Further, all grains, whether they are whole or not, increase acidity in the body. Many people eat most of their quota of plant food in the form of processed wheat or corn. The problem is, if you do not consume enough alkaline-promoting foods to counteract this, the body can become prone to disease.
Calcium-rich dairy products actually lead to osteoporosis because they create acidity in the body. When your bloodstream acquires too much acid, it will take calcium out of the bones because calcium is an alkaline substance.
This will then help the body balance the pH level. So while many people think that eating calcium is the key to strong bones, the best way to prevent osteoporosis is actually to eat a lot of alkaline green leafy vegetables.
The big question here is, “How can you tell if your body is too alkaline or acidic?”
The quickest way to get this information is to measure your body’s pH level by using pH level strips that you can purchase at your local pharmacy or on Amazon. However, if you don’t have these handy and you want to know where you stand now, here are some symptoms of being too alkaline or too acidic.
Symptoms of Being Too Acidic
If your body is too acidic, you are likely to experience a lot of fatigue, even if you feel as if you are getting enough sleep at night. You may also have joint pain, headaches, chronic pain, or a stiff neck.
You are likely to feel an overall sense of sluggishness, and even depression at times. Many people whose bodies are too acidic also suffer from irritability and brain fog.
Symptoms of Being Too Alkaline
This is much less common than being too acidic, but can come with equally as disturbing symptoms. People who are too alkaline may suffer from hand tremors, nausea, vomiting, confusion, lightheadedness, and muscle twitching.
If you are still not sure after looking through these symptoms, here’s a great video from Dr. Eric Berg.
15 Ways to Make Your Body More Alkaline
As you can see, there can be a lot of negative consequences if your body is too acidic. An alkaline body is hard work, but worthwhile. If you’d like to balance it by becoming more alkaline, then here are 15 tips on how to make your body more alkaline.
1. Check your pH levels regularly.
These pH strips are relatively inexpensive on Amazon. They give a fast and accurate reading of your body’s acidity and alkaline levels. The results of these test strips will help guide you in keeping your pH levels balanced so your body can properly process essential nutrients.
These strips give you a convenient method to monitor your pH levels in the privacy of your home. You can use either saliva or urine to test your pH. Results appear 15 seconds after your test is administered, and the strips come with an easy-to-read chart to see what range you are in.
2. Start your day with a tall glass of water with a hint of lemon.
Lemon might seem too acidic, but it actually has the reverse effect because it helps boost your metabolism. Clean water and a slice of freshly squeezed lemon is one of the most highly rated energy boosters of all time.
Water with lemon gives the body clean energy through both hydration and oxygenation that provide extraordinary energy and mental clarity.
When added to your water, fresh lemon helps oxygenate the body and optimize enzyme function. This fruit is known to stimulate the liver’s natural enzymes and assist the liver in the process of getting rid of toxins such as uric acid.
One habit or hack that can help you maximize your lemon water intake is to use a “smart water bottle” like HidrateSpark that tracks the amount of water you drink and lights up as a reminder to drink more.
The video below talks about other healthy morning routine habits that you should focus on the first few hours of the day.
3. Eat more dark and green vegetables.
When we think of healthy foods, we usually think about the color green. Similarly, when we think about nature, we think about the color green.
Green is a color that is associated with all of the good aspects of life, but when it comes to choosing what is for lunch, we typically have a reluctance towards green foods.
Unfortunately, our taste buds have been conditioned to love artificial flavors and sugars. Food manufacturers have made us crave intense flavors that can only be found in packaged products.
So, how can you get yourself to eat more dark and green vegetables? Start by exposing yourself to new vegetables and experimenting with them in the kitchen. You likely don’t know that you will like some of these foods until you try them.
Also, make them easily available. When you reach for a snack, make sure that you already have cut-up vegetables in the fridge rather than a bag of potato chips.
Exercise helps your body sustain and restore its neutral pH balance of tissues, as well as blood and cellular fluids. Doing aerobic exercise is the best way to maintain the acid-alkaline equilibrium in your body because it works your muscles and can help reduce the accumulation of acid in your system.
When it comes to exercising, make sure to do at least one form of activity each day, whether that is walking, dancing, gardening, swimming, etc. Also, the more you exercise, the better off your overall health will be.
Alcohol changes your pH by altering your kidneys’ ability to maintain substances such as phosphate in your blood. Imbalances of substances in the blood can significantly decrease the effectiveness of your body’s metabolism.
When you drink a light form of alcohol, like a beer, you are drinking a significant amount of water while also reducing your kidneys’ ability to get rid of that water. This results in a fluid overload and a change in phosphate levels that then decreases the acidity of your blood, making your pH level rise.
In fact, a single drink of alcohol can begin to change your normal kidney function. If your liver is already damaged from previous alcohol consumption, alcohol’s effects on your kidneys will only become more harmful.
6. Use natural baking soda.
Add a teaspoon of natural baking soda to water and drink it first thing in the morning.
Sure, this doesn’t taste so great, but is a quick way to alkalize your body. It is an easy method, and you can feel the effects of it right away. To do this, mix a teaspoon of natural baking soda in a cup of water and drink it as soon as you wake up.
Among other health benefits, drinking baking soda dissolved in a bit of water helps balance the body’s pH and promotes overall well-being while increasing energy.
7. Reduce your intake of acidic foods.
Limiting your intake of acidic foods can help manage your pH levels, help preserve bone density, prevent kidney stones, and eliminate symptoms of acid reflux.
Foods that are acid-forming in the body should be eaten in strict moderation. Some of these foods include processed cakes and breads, processed cereals, eggs, peanuts, walnuts, pasta, rice, oats, and cold cuts.
When it comes to beverages, limit your intake of alcohol, milk, caffeinated drinks, and drinks that contain artificial sweeteners.
Pasta is an acid-forming food. Eat it in strict moderation.
8. Drink more alkaline water.
You have probably heard some of the health claims that are out there about alkaline water. While a few say that it can help slow the aging process, prevent chronic disease, and regulate your body’s pH level, what exactly is the hype around alkaline water?
Alkaline water has a higher pH level than normal drinking water. Because of this, alkaline water can help neutralize the acid in your body. While normal drinking water typically has a neutral pH of 7, alkaline water has a pH of about 8 or 9.
Many of the vitamins included in a multivitamin will help you alkalize your body. For example, vitamins A and C boost the immune system and strengthen the body’s cells while also making the body more alkaline.
Vitamin D also helps the body maintain an alkaline state while also improving calcium absorption and helping the body maintain healthy mineral levels.
While you may not get enough of these important vitamins and minerals in your diet, taking a multivitamin every day can help your body maintain a healthy pH level.
10. Go for a brisk walk.
Exercise helps move any acidic waste products that are stuck in your body so your organs can eliminate them more effectively.
Snack on raw, unsalted almonds throughout the day to help combat acidity in your body. Almonds are rich in natural alkaline minerals such as calcium and magnesium, which help balance out the acidity in your body while also balancing your blood sugar.
If you feel the need to reach for some chips or cake, opt for raw, unsalted almonds instead. They will keep you fuller longer, and have a better effect on the pH of your blood.
12. Reduce your intake of sugar.
The most acidic things you can put into your body are foods that are full of sugar, such as sodas, candy, and cakes. Sugar is actually everywhere you look, in plain sight, as well as being hidden in common food items.
Products like ketchup, yogurt, and even pasta sauce are full of sugar. Sugar comes in many forms, such as high fructose corn syrup, artificial sugar, corn syrup solids, fructose, sucrose, and dextrose, just to name a few.
Sugar (in all of its forms) is very acidic. When you stop to think about how prevalent sugar is in foods (and often in high amounts), it is easy to see its influence in contributing to an imbalanced pH in the blood. Here’s an article on how to reduce your sugar intake.
13. Reduce your caffeine intake.
Caffeine is often found in coffee and other drinks that are meant to provide you with a pick-me-up. You may be used to reaching for a soda in the mid-afternoon to help get you through the day, or even an after-dinner cup of coffee to help you finish up some work at the end of the night.
However, caffeine is an acidic factor that can damage the pH of your body. Instead of drinking caffeinated drinks, replace them with either water or tea.
Drink less coffee to be less acidic.
14. Reduce the amount of stress in your life.
Studies have shown that your emotional state affects the pH levels in your body. Stress affects the neuron-endocrine system, which leads to higher levels of cortisol, a stress hormone. As is the truth with any form of stress, half of the battle is realizing that the stress is happening.
Practicing mindfulness and recognizing what is challenging you, and whether you are having a helpful or hindering response is an important part of making sure your negative thoughts don’t have a lasting effect on your body.
15. Focus on consuming lots of high-alkaline foods.
While you are avoiding foods that make your body produce more acidic, make sure to also add in foods that help your body come to a more alkaline state.
Eat a diet rich in fruits, nuts, legumes, and vegetables. Think about raw Brussels sprouts, raw Swiss chard, raw mustard greens, raw eggplant, sweet potatoes, and yams.
If you get stuck, Ross Bridgeford has a list of seven of the most alkaline foods:
Spinach
Kale
Cucumber
Broccoli
Avocado
Celery
Bell pepper
The Dangers of a Body that is Too Acidic
Think about some of the dangers of having a body that is too acidic. It can lead to fatigue, headaches, chronic pain, lack of appetite, increased heart rate, depression, and more.
Without quick treatment, acidosis can lead to several more serious health problems, such as kidney stones, chronic kidney problems, kidney failure, bone disease, and delayed growth.
The list of foods that can cause your body to become too acidic can certainly seem a bit daunting, as can their possible effects. If you are looking for a quick solution to help alkalize your body, we recommend trying one of the green juice superfood powders that are mentioned on this review page.
Final Thoughts on How to Make Your Body More Alkaline
The key to a more alkaline body isn’t about drastic changes; it’s about incorporating sustainable habits into your daily routine. Small, consistent changes in your lifestyle can have a profound impact on your body’s pH levels and overall health.
From mindful eating to staying hydrated, each choice contributes to the alkaline environment your body thrives in. Soon, you’ll experience increased vitality and energy and a renewed sense of well-being.
And if you’re looking for more ways to develop healthy habits, be sure to check out these articles:
There might be affiliate links on this page, which means we get a small commission of anything you buy. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Please do your own research before making any online purchase.
Do you ever feel like your weekly routine gets a bit… monotonous? Repetitious? And maybe not as fun or challenging as it once was?
Of course, we all get into our predictable weekly routines that essentially define our lives. But what do you think about doing activities outside of work (and home) that you not only enjoy doing, but could also contribute to your success in other areas of your life?
There are a ton of benefits to having a hobby, ranging from mental and physical to possibly even financial. Spending time doing something that you enjoy that isn’t work-related will help you be more satisfied with life, especially if what you’re doing is only for your own personal benefit.
This increased feeling of happiness in life can overflow to benefit your relationships and your performance at work.
How to Select a Hobby
There are a few things to keep in mind when you’re considering starting a new hobby. Consider the following:
The Challenge: You may want to consider looking for a hobby that can become increasingly challenging as you progress. This doesn’t mean it has to have a huge learning curve or you need to become an expert, but if you tend to get bored with things quickly, look for something that you can continuously improve upon.
Your Strengths: Play to your strengths so you don’t get frustrated or bored. Also, consider your current fitness level, any costs that you may incur, and your passions when choosing a hobby.
Stress: What is the level of stress that the hobby could potentially cause? If you start playing poker (which I imagine can be a high-stress game), you may want to find another hobby as well that is a bit calming to balance it out.
Time: If you have a family and you work full time, you probably (hopefully) don’t want to take up a hobby that is going to consume your entire weekend if it’s something that doesn’t include your family.
This isn’t to say you should limit yourself–you may actually end up surprising yourself by loving something that you’ve never been interested in before. So, keep an open mind, but also consider the other factors in your life so you can find a good fit.
So let’s take a look at 65 fun hobbies that any woman could take up.
65 Fun Hobbies for Women of All Ages
1. Create Vision Boards
Creating and maintaining a vision board is something we talk about a lot on here because of how much it can benefit you in all areas of your life. Your vision board will give you a daily reminder of your long term goals and a tangible, visual source of inspiration to work toward them.
It’s ok if you’re not confident in your singing. You can learn how to sing! If it’s something that you enjoy doing, join a volunteer choir or sign up for voice lessons to finetune your skills. There are actually a lot of benefits to singing, including:
Not only are there environmental benefits to upcycling, you can also gain personal benefits by creating brand new things from items that may otherwise end up in a dumpster.
So, aside from minimizing landfill waste, you’re also reducing the need for the production of new things (which leads to a reduction in pollution, carbon emissions, etc.)
This is definitely a hobby that could turn a profit as well. Updating old furniture is a popular way to add unique pieces to home decor and people definitely are looking for cool things to add to their homes. You can sell your things on Facebook Marketplace or even at a local farmer’s market.
Volunteering is a great way to give back to your community and make you feel good about yourself. Volunteering for a cause that you’re passionate about can also help you meet like-minded people and could potentially open the door for some future job opportunities.
Resource: Find opportunities in your city to volunteer on this website.
6. Run
If you’re one of those people who think that running just isn’t for you…there is a good chance you’re wrong! You may assume the opposite, but running can be relaxing and it can definitely be a stress reliever.
Running will help you strengthen your muscles, build endurance, and maintain a healthy weight. You will also be benefiting your heart health as you run, which is crucial because heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States.
There are also many benefits to walking, so don’t feel pressured to run if that really isn’t your thing. You can walk for longer than if you were to go out for a run because it requires less intensity and endurance, but the more you do it, the more fit you will become.
Walking can reduce stress and can also be a social hobby if you grab a friend who also wants to get some fresh air.
If you prefer to walk alone, this may be a good time to listen to your favorite podcasts or practice walking meditation. If you need to, you can break up a long walk into two shorter walks during the day to gain the same benefits.
Take a break from online communities and get together with your friends in person with a purpose.
Getting a group together with a common goal on a regular basis for something aside from going to brunch can be stimulating for your mind, interesting, and social all at the same time. Plus, reading is super important.
Reach out to some of your friends who share your interests and take a poll of what they may want to read. Once you decide on a book, create a meeting schedule, grab some wine and snacks, and discuss everyone’s take on the book.
Many who suffer from stress and depression are triggered by boredom and a lack of structure. However, the focus that it takes to color helps take one’s mind off of negative issues and redirects their thinking in a more productive way. The process of acting and doing (rather than sitting back and watching) is an effective way to deter yourself from focusing on emotional turmoil.
This is a great hobby for those who suffer from anxiety, because focusing on harmless coloring is a calming activity that can put your fight or flight response to rest and allow you to relax while engaging in a safe activity. Focusing on coloring can replace negative thoughts from entering your mind.
What is a topic that you have some expertise in or what really interests you? Interior design? Upcycling furniture? Parenting? Book reviews?
Whatever your niche is, you can share your experience, opinions, and knowledge with the world by creating a blog. By doing this, you can also get feedback from your readers through comments, which can help you learn something new in return.
Blogging also has the potential to generate some income if you allow companies to advertise their products on your blog, which is an added benefit.
11. Go Camping
I know some families who go camping with their kids on a regular basis and love it. I’m not saying this is for me, but considering how popular it is, there’s a good chance it could be for you. And, go figure, there are a ton of health benefits that you can get from spending this time in nature.
Camping can reduce clinical depression by offering you a form of exercising that’s completely disconnected from your work life. All you need is some camping and hiking gear and supplies and you will be ready to face the great outdoors.
Get your friends together for your trip so you can sit around the campfire, bond, laugh, make s’mores, and create memories.
I know several people who have found local sports leagues to become involved with. It’s a great way to meet new people, get some exercise, and engage in some friendly competition.
I know softball and kickball are popular for this type of activity, but there are also tennis, soccer, bowling, basketball, and endless other options for sports leagues out there.
Combining socializing with being outside and getting exercise is a pretty ideal hobby.
Resource: This website allows you to put in your city to find a sports league of your choice.
13. Geocaching
This active outdoor hobby involves using a GPS to hide and find treasures (“geocaches”) in specific areas that are marked by coordinates all over the world. In its simplest form, geocaching requires:
Going to the “Hide & Seek a Cache” page on the website and entering your zip code into the search
Picking a geocache from the list that populates
Putting the coordinates that are given into your GPS and going out to find the geocache
Signing the logbook and putting the geocache back
Sharing your experience online
A typical cache is a waterproof container that contains a logbook in it for each person who finds it to sign. The caches have little treasures in them such as books or small trinkets.
People enjoy this hobby for a variety of reasons, such as having the opportunity to explore new places, meeting new people who also geocache, getting some exercise outdoors, and finding a hidden treasure.
Canning food has recently increased in popularity with COVID-19 and the survivalist movement that’s been taking place. Canning food is an effective way to ensure you have an emergency food supply and to preserve some produce that you’ve overgrown and don’t want to waste.
Canning is an inexpensive hobby that is easy to start.
Resource: This video walks you through the process of preserving food through canning.
15. Learn a New Language
I know this is a hobby that I would love to focus on. Learning a new language will challenge your brain in new ways while also helping you learn about a different culture.
While this may be a time consuming hobby, you don’t have to put a deadline on it and it will be worth the effort in the end. Plus, it will allow you to communicate with others that you would otherwise never interact with because of your language barrier.
And, interestingly enough, studying a foreign language will improve your knowledge of your own language because it will help increase your English vocabulary skills. You will start to notice the interrelation of different languages, and how many languages use the same base for words.
Resource: The best place to turn for your first lesson in a new language is the internet. Check out Rocket Languages, an app in which you can choose from a selection of languages you want to learn, and then sign up for a free trial where you can receive a few sample lessons.
16. Learn About Investing
This is important to do at all ages so you can have a handle on your finances and take control of your financial well-being. Also, learning about investing can hugely benefit you in the long run if you make it into an enjoyable hobby.
Learn how to set yourself up for financial success and be financially independent by learning about the best ways to invest or save your earnings.
While this might sound boring if it’s not up your alley, once you start to learn about investing, you will definitely find it to be a challenge and hopefully you’ll find it to be satisfying as well. There are also podcasts about personal finance that may be easier to get into if you would rather listen than read.
How cool would it be to have your name on a published book?
It’s easier now than ever to become a published author because you don’t have to rely on a big publishing company to accept your work.
You can relay your message on whatever subject is especially important to you–and it will end up in a tangible format that you can keep forever and can be passed on for ages. You can also express your creativity as you’re sharing your thoughts with others.
By self-publishing your book, you can take control of the process. Take your time and write a few hundred words each day until you’re satisfied with your work. Once you get into it, it will probably go a lot faster than you think.
Resource: Here is a website that will walk you through self-publishing a book.
18. Learn Self Defense
It is becoming increasingly important to know how to defend yourself in our troubling times. To ensure your own safety, you should be armed with techniques and skills to escape a potentially harmful attack.
Martial arts is a common form of self defense, as it’s designed to help people systematically defend themselves rather than fight back.
Learning self-defense will also help you improve your self-esteem, self-confidence, and gain awareness. Knowing self defense will help you make smart choices about the situations you allow yourself to be in, reducing your chances of becoming a victim of a crime.
I can’t count the number of times I have gotten completely lost in a documentary. There are so many outstanding documentaries out there on Netflix, Amazon, YouTube, HBO, etc that are interesting, educational, entertaining, and even downright scary.
Start by watching Three Identical Strangers because it is the best hour and 36 minutes you will ever spend, and then research your favorite genres and make a list of all of the documentaries that interest you. This may end up being the hobby that you most look forward to!
I recently met a new friend and went to her house for the first time and there were books…everywhere. Like, stacks of books in the living room, dining room, on the porch—just everywhere. So, of course, I said, ”uh, what’s the deal with the books…?”
Well, it turns out her husband finds books that are either free or really low-priced at flea markets and then he turns around and sells them online. She said that he will only get about $10 for some, but others have gone for $50, and it adds up over time.
If books aren’t your thing, go through your closet and find those gently used clothes that you don’t wear anymore and try to make a buck by selling them online. Even if you only make a few dollars, you will still be decluttering your living space.
It’s easy to forget about puzzles with all of the digital distractions we have, but I personally love doing jigsaw puzzles. And of course there are some cognitive benefits to doing them, including:
Exercising the logical and creative sides of your brain, giving you a mental workout that will improve your focus and problem-solving skills.
Improving your short-term memory by reinforcing neural connections and increasing processing speed.
Improving visual-spatial reasoning because it forces you to look at each piece and figure out how it fits into the big picture.
Relieving stress because when you focus on one thing for an extended period of time without interruption, you’re essentially meditating. Your everyday stress evaporates as your blood pressure and heart rate are reduced.
Getting away from the bustle and never ending stimuli of our digital lifestyle.
Learning about where your family came from and tracing your roots is a satisfying hobby that you can share with other members of your family. This can also help serve future generations for many years to come.
To learn about your genealogy, you just need some good research skills, the ability to organize information, and enough curiosity to keep you motivated. Doing this will help you understand your history a bit better.
No one minds saving a bit of money here and there. Couponing is a fun hobby that can save you a ton of money if you play your cards right. This might be the right hobby for you if you love finding great deals.
If you get really into couponing, you can start figuring out how much an item typically costs, where you can find the best deal, and how much to stock up on to last you until the next sale.
Resource: Check out this video on couponing for beginners.
24. Flower Arranging
Studies have shown that flowers have a strong impact on one’s mental wellbeing and immediate happiness. So what could be better than spending time around flowers yourself and making arrangements that can make other people happy as well?
Flower arrangements make great gifts for other people and they’re perfect for decorating your own home.
Resource: Here is how to make a flower arrangement under $15.
25. Get Into Pottery
One reason that pottery is regaining its popularity is because it’s a sustainable way to express your creativity in our wasteful society. Pottery involves focus, precision, and patience, as just one slip up could turn your creation back into a pile of mud.
However, doing pottery literally forces you to stay off of your phone while you concentrate on this creation that ends up being something functional in your life–such as a vase or a mug. And the creativity options are endless.
I’ll be the first to admit that I’m awful at tennis, but I love playing it anyway and it’s great exercise. Playing tennis is a good way to socialize, work on your physical stamina and hand/eye coordination—and, there are a lot of pretty cute tennis outfits to wear out there.
Even if your coordination is about as good as mine is (so, not at all), don’t let playing tennis be intimidating, just try it!
Resource: This video will teach you how to play tennis in ten minutes.
27. Start an Organizing Routine
If you want to get yourself organized and get rid of clutter, make a system for your cleaning processes, and organize any things in your house that don’t have a “home.”
Gather some supplies to declutter your living space. Doing so will help reduce your everyday stress and feelings of being overwhelmed with “things.” When your living and working space is neat and organized, you will feel more peace of mind as you move through your day.
There are a lot of opportunities to learn online–and many of them cost nothing. You can learn just about anything you want through online sites such as Coursera and Udemy.
Embrace lifelong learning by learning about things like self-improvement, business, nutrition, financial markets, psychology, money management, meditation, and tons of other things.
If online learning isn’t your thing, look into the classes that they offer at your local community college and see what you have to do to sign up for any that interest you.
If you like decorating, and you like essential oils, you will love making candles. (If you’re new to essential oils, here are 17 great options to use for a candle that you keep at your desk, as they help with focus and concentration). You only need some basic supplies to make candles, and you can pick them up at pretty much any craft store.
Decorating candles can be very relaxing as you express your creativity through various colors and scents. Furthermore, these make perfect gifts, so it can help save you money in the long run.
Resource: Here is a beginner’s guide to making scented candles
30. Pet Sit
If you love dogs and cats but can’t have your own for whatever reason (maybe you work or travel too much or your apartment building doesn’t allow pets), get into pet sitting as a hobby so you can still spend time with some furry friends.
Pet sitting involves caring for someone’s pet in their home while the owner is out of town. People also consider dog walking to be a form of pet sitting because it entails going to a pet owner’s home to give their pet exercise and attention.
There are a lot of advantages to getting a pet sitter, so they are in high demand. These include:
Pets are less stressed when they can stay in their own home while their family is gone
Their diet and exercise routines can remain unchanged
The owner’s anxiety is eliminated knowing their pet is with a trusted caretaker
Pets minimize their exposure to illness
This is also a great way to earn some extra income on the side.
One way you can be more altruistic is by focusing some of your time on the education system and offering your knowledge to tutoring a student. Tutors help students of all ages advance their education, refine their skills, and be more successful in a subject of their choice.
A lot of elementary schools welcome volunteer tutors to help students during lunch–especially with reading. Doing this can allow you to be a mentor to a child while also helping them excel academically.
Tutoring is a rewarding and flexible hobby because you’ll be making a positive difference in a student’s life. Whether you’re helping children or adults, the individual educational support that you give can empower them to live up to their full potential.
Studying philosophy is very interesting because it allows you to use both logic and reasoning to try to understand how people (including yourself) perceive life and the world.
Reading what other philosophers have come up with helps you exercise your critical thinking skills and decide what you believe to be true.
Different areas of philosophy can be determined by the questions that are asked Philosophy teaches the ways in which we might start to answer these, offering insight into ourselves and our life’s purpose.
Get involved in your community in a different way by attending various events, networking, and getting to know the people who live in your neighborhood.
Look at your community’s website (and the websites of towns nearby) or look on Facebook to find a list of events going on in your area, many of which are free. You may be surprised to see how many different activities are going on around you.
Doing stand-up comedy is a way to engage in joyous communication with others–making them feel what you feel (either positive or negative) while expecting to ultimately end up with a good laugh.
This style of entertainment is a good one to practice because even if you aren’t up on a stage, you can use your knowledge of comedy when talking to people on an everyday basis.
There are probably a variety of comedy clubs in your area that welcome amateur stand-up performers. Check them out, and even if you don’t perform on the first night, you can get used to the atmosphere.
Biking is a rewarding hobby because aside from being great exercise, it allows you to explore whatever area you’re in.
Many people opt to ride a bike to work instead of driving to get in some exercise or to help save the environment, and unlike some more expensive gym classes, once you have a bike, it is free to enjoy.
You can build stamina through riding your bike and go on exhilarating adventures that are unique from traditional workouts. Plus, with the availability of GPS, you can plot your course and pick a route that suits your individual skill level as well.
You can join a league and make some new friends or just practice on your own, but either way, bowling is a great pastime. There are a lot of reasons why bowling is a unique and exciting hobby.
Firstly, it’s inexpensive and there’s a low barrier to entry, as you don’t need to buy any special equipment to play. People of any age can bowl–even young children can enjoy this hobby by using bumpers.
And, you don’t have to worry if your aim is a bit off– with practice, you will get the hang of it and the feeling you get when you finally get a strike will be amazing.
Resource: Here are some basic bowling techniques.
37. Wine Tasting
Wine tasting is a great option for a more refined experience if you appreciate different varieties of wine and their histories.
Going wine tasting allows you to visit beautiful, open fields where temperatures are pleasant and humidity is low, which is an ideal environment for the grapes to grow that go into creating unique wines.
Wine tasting tours last for a few hours and give you an opportunity to taste rare blends that you may not get to experience otherwise.
You can also do wine tasting locally by attending wine tasting sessions at local stores. Or, set up a wine tasting experience for yourself and your friends by getting together and each bringing a bottle or two of wine for everyone to taste and talk about.
If you’re like me, you spent a lot of your childhood years trying to imitate the choreography that was on music videos on MTV and VH1. Then the best part was then getting together with friends to perform the routines together.
And I’m willing to bet that you had a group of 5 in which you were labeled one of the Spice Girls (I was Baby Spice).
Just like doing this in your childhood was fun, it can still be fun today. It’s challenging and helps you get out some pent-up energy because it’s a great workout.
Whether or not you have girlfriends who want to mess around with choreography like you did in the olden days, this can be a fun and expressive hobby. Plus, once you’ve learned something, you can put it on TikTok to show off your new moves.
Resource: Here is a video that teaches you how to learn choreography fast.
39. Golf
Golfing isn’t just for men, and seeing as a lot of executive business decisions are made on the golf course, it’s important for women to get in on this hobby as well. Plus, playing golf allows you to get more exercise than you probably think, especially if you walk the course.
You can make a lot of new connections while golfing–both personal and professional–and you can participate in golfing events that are often held as fundraisers.
Golfing definitely requires some skill, so you can continue to challenge yourself to improve. This is also an activity that you can do with your whole family, as a lot of children enjoy the feeling of victory when they’re able to putt the ball into the hole.
Resource: Check out the basics on how to play golf.
40. Play Video Games
This is usually something that is labelled as a hobby for guys, but escaping reality by playing video games can also be a source of stress relief for women. Even Forbes says so.
Swimming is a great hobby because you get a full-body workout as you move your entire body against the resistance of water. Swimming can:
Keep your heart rate up while reducing the impact on your joints
Build endurance, strength, and heart health
Help you maintain a healthy weight
Keep your muscles toned
Plus, it’s super relaxing to just float through the water.
Resource: Here are some tips on learning how to swim in your adult years.
42. Make Bread
Fresh, warm, homemade bread right out of the oven is the BEST. And, if you can deliver a loaf while it’s still warm to a friend, they will love you forever.
Homemade bread is completely unlike store bought bread–even if you get it from the bakery. Plus, you can experiment with different types of breadmaking and then use it for things like French toast and croutons.
You can experiment with different types of breadmaking.
43. Interior Design
If you have the eye for decorating and matching various pieces of art, furniture, and knick-knacks, then making a hobby out of it could even turn into an extra source of income for you.
First, use your skills to redecorate your own living space and then start an instagram page (or other social media outlet) to share your talent with others. This can help get the word out to your friends and family that you’re interested in interior design and you can help create their dream rooms.
Cards are getting expensive! I think my mom’s last mother’s day card was $9.99 or something close to that. And I know it would have been more meaningful to her to get a handmade card.
If you like to do arts and crafts, you can make a wide variety of cards to always have on hand so you never have to put that on your shopping list. Most of the cards out there these days are junk anyway.
Make your cards individual to your needs and say words that are coming from your heart instead of a company’s production team.
If you want to find a hobby that you can do alone or with friends, checking out the museums in your area is a great choice. Try to go to one museum each month to broaden your horizons.
Doing this will help you learn about history, art, culture, nature, science, etc through exhibits and displays. Make a day out of it by adding lunch and a walk too.
It’s amazing what some people have become famous for doing on YouTube…such as simply opening toys or videotaping their everyday lives.
If you have a certain skill (like cooking, or fixing appliances) that you can create “how to” videos on, you could help a lot of people while also engaging in one of your passions.
With the increase of people who are listening to books instead of reading them, there is a greater need for voice talent to record books. You can turn this demand into a fun hobby (and possibly make some money) if you have a pleasant voice and you enjoy reading!
Get your friends together for a fun and unique way to socialize with each other without having to spend a ton of money on going out!
Living this shared experience with friends helps create a bond that’s deeper than you can get by sharing a cup of coffee. During game nights, you learn together, you laugh, you compete, and you get out of your comfort zones together.
This is a great hobby to start with your friends to strengthen your bond in a memorable way.
As a system, astrology has its own logic. It’s the study of how the position of everything in the universe at the time of your birth impacts various aspects of your life, like your career, personality, and relationships.
The study of astrology has gained a lot of popularity lately, especially with the ease of access to information online.
There’s a low barrier to entry to starting this hobby, and nearly endless amounts of information to dive into if you end up falling down a research hole.
With a little studying, you can learn about your own astrological chart–and analyze any truths that you may find in it–and help other people understand this practice for themselves as well.
We can always improve ourselves in some way. Reading self-improvement books as a hobby is very rewarding because it lets you continuously learn about whatever topic that you want in order to better yourself in some way.
This inexpensive hobby is great for people of any age, despite your interests or lifestyle. Even if you just read a chapter a day, any personal development book will help inspire you to enhance your life by recognizing your strengths and eliminating any limiting beliefs you may hold about your potential.
Cooking is certainly a useful hobby to have, especially if you live with other people. You can make your cooking (or baking) as simple or as complicated as you want. Take some time to experiment in the kitchen to see what you like to cook, what you’re really good at making, and what other people seem to enjoy.
Cooking is practical, but also creative and can be artistic. Cooking combines art and science to create an end product to nourish your body. And that’s pretty cool if you think about it.
Learning to cook can help you become acquainted with and understand different cultures and customs better, in addition to learning life skills surrounding eating healthy, creating and sticking to a food budget, and cleaning up after yourself.
You need to exercise your brain just as much as you do your body so you can maintain your cognitive fitness.
Brain training and actively working to boost your intelligence encourages mental stimulation and neuroplasticity, which means your brain will continue to create new neural connections throughout your life.
With this continuous improvement in brain function, the nerve cells in your brain will be more equipped to compensate in the case of a brain injury or disease and to properly adapt their response to new conditions or changes in your environment.
Resource: Take up a hobby of playing brain games to keep your cognitive functioning astute.
53. Start Sewing
This may sound old fashioned, but learning to sew your own clothes will allow you to have a wardrobe that is perfectly tailored to your style and the shape of your body. Furthermore, you can save money on costly tailoring repairs to your existing clothes.
Sewing machines have made great strides over the years, and you would probably be impressed with the features that they offer. Even basic machines can accommodate a variety of fabrics and stitching designs, so you can still get creative if you’re on a budget.
If you don’t want to deal with the potential fuss of a sewing machine, consider learning how to knit.
This is a great hobby because once you get the hang of it, you can passively knit while doing something else (like watching a movie). You can knit your own winter accessories to stay warm and make matching sets to give as gifts.
Knitting is also convenient because you can bring your current project with you anywhere you go and quickly pick up where you left off. Pull out your project while you’re sitting in a waiting room or on the subway heading to work. Knitting is convenient, versatile, and practical.
Resource: Here is the first lesson of a free beginner’s knitting class on YouTube.
55. Photography
Whether you download some fancy photography apps and use your smartphone or you invest in a professional camera, taking up photography can be a really fun hobby.
Plus, it’s practical. With photography being digital these days, you can get immediate feedback from the pictures you take through social media or by just texting a picture to a friend.
Your photography can be as simple or complex as you want it to be. But, no matter what, when you get that perfect shot, it’s always a rewarding feeling. By capturing moments as they happen, you can immortalize your life’s events.
Photography can connect you to your past, associate you with something in the present, and preserve memories without the use of words, making it an influential hobby for anyone.
Rescuing a cat or dog will definitely add some responsibilities to your schedule while also giving you companionship. When you adopt, you can save a pet by making them part of your family, which also clears up space in the animal shelter for another animal who may need it.
Responsible pet ownership definitely requires time, patience, commitment, and a lot of research–so make sure you evaluate your current routine before bringing home a new buddy. For example, if you work full time, you probably don’t want to adopt an active puppy.
Doing yoga has a myriad of benefits. Aside from just making you feel good, practicing the postures, breathing methods, and meditation improves both your physical and mental health. Yoga lets you get in tune with your body, calm down, get in shape.
Many people do yoga to fix whatever is ailing them. Specifically, yoga helps manage depression and anxiety, arthritis, respiratory issues, back pain, blood pressure, chronic fatigue, diabetes, cardiovascular health, MS, stress, epilepsy, and other conditions. Additionally, yoga:
Improves flexibility, strength, and stamina
Reduces muscle tension
Helps improve self esteem
Improves your focus and concentration
Reduces body fat
Increases blood flow
Boosts your immune system
Resource: Here is a video that walks you through a yoga routine for beginners.
58. Make Your Own Jewelry
Making your own jewelry helps you express your creativity and end up with a final product that you will undoubtedly love. Making your jewelry is not only stress relieving, it’s also less expensive than buying it. Plus, you can use the jewelry you make as gifts, which can cut down on those costs as well.
If you find that you really enjoy doing this, you could even start an Etsy shop to sell some of your creations. Get unique in your designs and try to come up with styles that you’ve never seen before.
Make yourself stand out from the crowd with a statement piece or two–and help others update their personal style while you’re at it!
Resource: Here is a video to help get you started with making your own jewelry.
59. Learn How to Do Calligraphy
I’ve always admired people who naturally have awesome handwriting, as there are definitely times when I go back and can’t read my own notes. Taking the extra step to learn calligraphy can help you make homemade invitations and cards that are certain to impress people.
Writing calligraphy is a great way to get some “me time” in because it forces you to slow down and focus on what you’re doing. It also lets you express your creativity through both art and writing.
Imagine you want to send a standout thank-you note after a job interview. Beautiful handwriting coupled with a high-quality envelope presentation shows your potential employer that you’re meticulous, detail-oriented, and you strive to impress people, which are great characteristics of an employee–so knowing how to do calligraphy has additional perks you may not have considered.
Resource: Get started with some basic calligraphy strokes.
60. Start a Journal
Maintaining a journal helps you process your thoughts and take the stress that is in your mind and put it on paper. There are a lot of reasons people write in journals, and you don’t have to have a specific one, but some ideas include:
Consider what is important in your life and what you want to reflect upon the most and start writing.
Resource: Here are some of the best journals on the market to start out with if you aren’t sure what you want in terms of features of your journal.
61. Collect Something
I love looking through thrift stores and some of the (less expensive) antique stores around town. If you find an item that really strikes you, start collecting similar items and display them in your home.
But be careful, it’s easy to go overboard or get carried away with collecting by buying everything that you see that is related to your collection. Only pick out the pieces that you truly love. Plan out a strategy for your antique shopping before you go, and consider bringing along a buddy to keep you accountable.
By maintaining a garden, you can introduce more nutrient-dense, home grown produce to your family’s diet or you could simply add some curb appeal to your home.
Even if you live in an apartment, you can reap the benefits of growing herbs and some smaller fruits and vegetables. You may not realize the difference in taste of home grown foods than those that you buy conventionally until you try it!
Gardening is also a decent form of exercise if you have a yard, as it requires a lot of moving around. Many people find this hobby to be rewarding as they watch their seeds grow while connecting with nature.
Plus, this is a good activity that you can get your kids involved with if you want to teach them about responsibility.
Resource: Don’t think you have a green thumb? Here are some plants that are hard-to-kill.
63. Scrapbook
Sure, your memories are stored on your social media sites, but getting offline and starting a tangible scrapbook can be cathartic.
It can help you preserve the parts of your memories that you wouldn’t normally keep–like the nightly specials at the restaurant you went to while on vacation with your partner.
Keeping these smaller details is always fun to look back on later in life and it can help jog your memory of some pretty fun times.
Resource: Here is a good video on how to make your first scrapbook.
64. Dance
Dancing is a great way to stay in shape for people of any age. Not only will it strengthen your muscles, it can also increase your endurance and improve your overall fitness level. Plus, think of the balance, coordination, flexibility, and agility you can master.
Find a Zumba class or some local dance nights in your community. Or, grab your partner and take some Salsa lessons. Dancing can increase the release of endorphins in your brain and helps to get your body flowing, so it can benefit you both mentally and physically.
Painting is a good hobby because it has a lot of psychological benefits to offer. Not only can it help cultivate creativity, psychologists have related the experience of concentrating on the process of painting to mindfulness activities like yoga and meditation.
Your age and level of talent here are irrelevant. Anyone can gain the relaxing benefits of painting and expressing their own imagination through color. You can attend a guided painting class if you want some structure, or just get some brushes and paint and go somewhere that you feel inspired to paint.
You have a lot to choose from here, so I hope at least a few of these ideas resonated with you. The good thing about taking up a hobby is that if you end up not loving it, you can easily move on to the next one. Give some of these ideas a shot and see how they can benefit your life.
Finally, if you’re looking for other hobby ideas, check out our other posts:
Connie Mathers is a professional editor and freelance writer. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and a Master’s Degree in Social Work. When she is not writing, Connie is either spending time with her daughter and two dogs, running, or working at her full-time job as a social worker in Richmond, VA.
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
You might be surprised at the high percentage of high-achieving entrepreneurs, whose unique combination of traits or habits that accelerate their success early on, later find these same traits eventually become what hold them back.
They’re often the source of chronic stress, overwhelm, burnout and plateaued revenues.
So, while this combination of seemingly beneficial traits generally means you’re intelligent, driven, ambitious, hard-working, have a high work ethic and a high tolerance for stress, it may also mean you’re:
Often feeling overworked and undervalued
Constantly under pressure to deliver in tight deadlines
Surrounded by people who disappoint you and don’t meet your expectations
Apprehensive about more responsibility because you’re barely coping as is
So, while go-go-go may get you ahead in the beginning, there are dangerous consequences if you don’t get your habits in check early on. Stay there too long, and it will bleed into your relationships, health and personal life.
Here are five common harmful habit addictions we’ve observed in high-achieving entrepreneurs:
This behavior presents when you only feel “worthy” or like “enough” when you’re being productive, useful or valuable. If you’re not busy (over)achieving, you feel lazy, worthless or like you’re wasting time. You’re addicted to being busy and incapable of switching off — ever. This can impair recovery, creativity, problem-solving and long-term resilience.
2. Completion addiction
You never give yourself permission to be fully present, in the moment, at peace or in harmony with life — until ALL to-do lists are complete, all unfinished business is finished, all problems are solved and all unanswered questions are answered. You can’t stop thinking about a topic or project until you have closure, it’s signed off, over and done!
You’re desperate for the feeling of completion, which never comes, so you rush through your day, never taking time to stop, recover or be present. This is particularly problematic for long-term projects.
3. Over-attention to detail
Perfectionism is the antithesis of high performance. It’s an impossible standard and often stems from being afraid to make a mistake or look like a fool.
You always look for what’s wrong or not good enough, and you always find something. Nothing you do ever feels good enough, tasks take 10x longer than they need to, or you often don’t even get started because you feel overwhelmed.
This habit is also driven by the fear of being judged or criticized, as well as the fear of failure. Now you have an endless list of “What ifs.” You “need” certainty and predictability, which simply doesn’t exist. You need to know what’s going to happen, when and how — before it even happens!
This trait is often combined with control issues, where you need to control everything and everyone in order to feel safe and secure. Even if you’re not doing it overtly — because you’re afraid people might think you’re controlling — you’re trying to predict and control covertly. Either way, it’s exhausting.
5. People pleasing
The final high-achieving trait we see often is when you’re constantly saying “yes,” but you wish you could say “no.” You don’t have clarity on your boundaries. Even if you did, you’re constantly violating them and your standards to avoid upsetting people, as well as your fear of being judged or criticized again. You struggle to say “no” without massive guilt and without ruminating over previous experiences.
These bad habits lead high-achievers to obsess over the minutia. You constantly feel the need to prove yourself or justify your position. You regularly get stuck in your head, ruminating and worrying, trying to make everything perfect.
When you have a high tolerance for pain and stress — which you do because that’s part of every business owner’s DNA — you can achieve a lot in your career … BECAUSE of these traits. But they can only get you so far.
After a certain threshold, the workload, stress and overwhelm become too much, and you max out. What got you here won’t get you there. It’s time to be as successful personally as you are professionally.
You’ll never break through your glass ceiling if you stay addicted to these habits and the old identity that drives them.
We all have blind spots that prevent us from seeing the forest for the trees. And two big influences on how you view your world are:
1. Your relationship with yourself
Stop making self-worth conditional. You wouldn’t accept your child based on passing an exam or tidying up their room, so why do we make our own self-worth conditional on looking a certain way, earning $X amount or achieving something big?
Most high-achievers react when they hear this and think, “If I do that, I’ll lower my standards, become complacent or drop the ball,” which is a false assumption.
The foundation of self-acceptance means you can chase the right things for the right reasons. You can still be ambitious, but this time, it’s about results — not about feeling good enough or proving yourself.
2. Your relationship with the future
Life is uncertain! We never know what’s going to happen next. But we humans have a built-in need for certainty — and there lies the problem.
We want to know what, when and how “it’s” going to happen, which is futile and exhausting. Forward planning is important, but not overplanning. When people have poor relationships with uncertainty, they tend to have control issues, completion addiction and chronic worry.
So, stop trying to control the uncontrollable. Understand (and accept) that the answer to every question about the future is still, “I don’t know.”
By putting these two influential foundations in place, the five bad habits of high-achieving entrepreneurs naturally dissolve — by themselves!
You’ll no longer be in a fight against yourself, and your natural strengths become enhanced. Your previously harmful habits have now created space for healthy, high-achieving habits to take their place.
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
As a business owner and parent, I understand the struggle of balancing the benefits of technology with its potential negative impact on mental health. In this digital age, finding the right balance between screen time and other activities is crucial for the well-being of both children and adults. Join me on this journey as we explore how to prioritize mental health while navigating the digital landscape.
The balancing act
When it comes to digital devices, finding the sweet spot between too much and too little is vital for a healthy relationship with technology. Screen time can be beneficial for children’s mental development, allowing them to learn new skills, connect with others and discover new interests. However, too much screen time can have negative consequences, such as sleep disruption, decreased physical activity, and a higher risk of depression and anxiety.
Striking the right balance between screen time and other activities can help children reap the benefits of technology without harming their mental well-being. Encourage your children to partake in outdoor play, creative endeavors and social interactions as a counterbalance to their digital diets. You may be pleasantly surprised to discover that their new off-screen hobbies bring about laughter, a surge of creativity and unbridled joy.
A good night’s sleep is essential for children’s mental health, but bedtime tantrums are real, especially when a digital device is lying around. The blue light from screens can deceive their brains into thinking it’s daytime, making it harder for them to drift off to dreamland. To avoid tossing and turning and the dreaded cranky mornings, establish a screen-free bedtime routine with calming activities such as reading, puzzles or meditation. And who knows? You might just score some much-needed peace and quiet…maybe.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, children between the ages of 6 and 13 need between 9 and 11 hours of sleep per night. Lack of sleep can affect children’s cognitive abilities, behavior, and emotional well-being. Therefore, it’s important to establish healthy sleep habits that include a screen-free bedtime routine.
The social scene: Fostering connections in the digital age
Technology is a double-edged sword – while it allows our kids to connect with friends and family near and far, it can also inadvertently lead to feelings of loneliness and isolation. A study published in the Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology found that people who spend more time on social media experience higher levels of anxiety and depression.
To combat the negative effects of social media, encourage your children to maintain in-person connections and engage in group activities to boost their mental well-being. By finding a balance between online and offline social interactions, you’ll help them forge strong relationships and cultivate a sense of belonging. You can also set boundaries around screen time, such as limiting the use of devices during meal times or family outings.
Screen time 2.0: Mindfulness in the digital world
Not all screen time is equal. While aimlessly scrolling social media or binge-watching YouTube videos might not be a mental health booster, engaging in educational, creative or interactive content can yield positive results. Prod your kids to use their screen time wisely by exploring educational apps, acquiring new skills or joining virtual clubs and organizations. Mindfulness is the secret sauce that makes a world of difference.
Mindfulness is the practice of being present and aware of one’s thoughts and feelings. It can help children and adults develop emotional regulation, reduce stress and anxiety and improve focus and attention. Encouraging children to practice mindfulness while using digital devices can help them develop a positive relationship with technology.
In this digital era, the importance of quality time with your children cannot be overstated. By setting aside regular screen-free family time, you’ll strengthen your bond and support their mental health. Whether it’s a family game night, a shared meal or a weekend escapade, these moments of connection are invaluable in creating a nurturing and supportive environment for your offspring.
Research has shown that quality family time can lead to better mental health outcomes for children, including improved social skills, self-esteem, and resilience. It can also help reduce the negative effects of screen time and strengthen the parent-child relationship.
As parents, it’s our responsibility to model healthy screen habits and establish guidelines for our children’s digital use. This includes setting limits on screen time, monitoring their online activities, and promoting the use of technology for educational and creative purposes.
It’s also important to have open and honest conversations with our children about the potential negative effects of screen time on mental health and the importance of finding balance in all aspects of life. By working together as a family, we can create a positive relationship with technology while prioritizing mental health and well-being.
Navigating the digital landscape while prioritizing mental health for children and adults can be thrilling and challenging. By embracing the quirks and complexities of life in a tech-saturated world while remaining vigilant about promoting healthy screen habits for all ages, we can raise resilient beings who can thrive both online and offline. As parents and individuals in this new tech epoch, we’re doing our best. So let’s cut ourselves some slack and continue on this journey with a focus on creating a positive relationship with technology. By prioritizing mental health and well-being, we can ensure a bright and healthy future for ourselves and our children (and more sleep?…maybe, maybe not).
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
As entrepreneurs, most of us have traveled across time zones and do so frequently for both work and leisure. And do we complain? So despite knowing that it will happen, why do many of us complain every year when the clocks spring forward by one hour for Daylight Saving Time (DST)?
I encourage you to take a different approach this year. First, the most important thing you can do is to change your attitude towards the clocks springing forward. Here’s how: Mentally prepare yourself in advance, and tell yourself and those around you that DST is nothing to complain about because we face it every year. We’re better off preparing for it and finding the silver linings and benefits of the time change.
For example, more daylight in the evening allows for after-dinner walks. Such a walk fosters family time, lowers your blood glucose level, and it’s likely a deterrent from excess evening snacking or drinking. Is that a win or a win?
I recall weekday mornings from past DST days when everyone in my house was slow to move, and nobody except for the clocks was springing forward. Friends called me to talk about their double doses of caffeine and how they yelled more at their kids to rush them out the door for school.
Research shows increased car accidents and injuries at work after DST because our already sleep-deprived country is less alert. So, while we will still feel the time change because of our circadian rhythm, the 24-hour cycle that’s governed by our body’s internal clock, below are some tips that should help make DST more manageable and help you better prepare not to fall back when the clock springs forward.
1. Gradually prepare yourself with an earlier bedtime
You may not feel tired at night but try to schedule an earlier bedtime before DST. By moderately making these changes before the time change, you’ll begin daylight saving time having almost adapted to the time change.
From exercise to meals to your bedtime routine, move everything forward by 15 minutes each day. Particularly in the evening, be disciplined about washing your face, brushing your teeth, going off screens or whatever sleep routines you have earlier than normal.
2. Don’t snooze, rather wake up 15 minutes earlier
I’ve never used the snooze button. I feel it’s torture and not efficient nor motivating for the morning routine you’ve set out to do, so I mentally trained myself never to snooze. Now for you snoozers, you can call me crazy but give yourself some wiggle room during the week of DST for the morning time. Most of us adjusting to the time change will be slow-moving, and rushing will lead to a stressful morning, so use the extra time to prevent this rushed and chaotic feeling.
The same goes for getting kids ready for school. Time is valuable, and the extra time will make the morning less hectic. Just please do not “snooze,” as this will keep your circadian rhythm from adjusting to the time change.
Get your sunshine early, within an hour of waking if you can, even if it’s stepping outdoors for a 5-minute gratitude practice, walking the dog or looking towards the light of the day while taking deep breaths. Light is the central driver of our circadian rhythm, and this morning sunlight alone will help your body’s internal clock best acclimate to the new timing of light and dark.
I’m not a biohacker, but I do keep on top of the latest research and science in health and wellness, and I encourage you to check out this guide from Neuroscience Professor at Stanford, Dr. Andrew Huberman. Even on a cloudy day, natural light provides more brightness that helps to align the circadian rhythm than artificial indoor lighting.
I personally look forward to and need my morning workouts as they help get my body, brain and soul moving and kickstart my day. But if exercising first thing in the morning isn’t what you enjoy, plan to get outside or move every day this week, even if just a brisk mid-morning or lunchtime walk (or even a ‘sweatwork’ walk meeting), which will energize all parties involved and help everyone ease into a better night of sleep.
Proper nutrition is directly correlated to sleep. Eliminate added sugars, stay well hydrated with water and electrolytes and focus on eating good sources of protein, carbs and fat, such as fish high in omega 3s, nuts, vegetables and fruits. Eat dinner at least a few hours before bed, and limit spicy and heavy foods.
Whenever my schedule allows, I prefer to eat what I call “linner,” meaning that it’s a combo lunch/dinner, and I eat this meal between 3-4 p.m. If this isn’t conducive to your schedule or ability to prepare a healthy meal, try making lunch the bigger meal of your day. Be aware of caffeine in beverages, including soda which is also loaded with sugar.
It’s human and forgivable that most people will be doubling and even tripling up their coffee and green tea this week just to survive. But don’t overdo it. Too much caffeine will make you crash, so aim to stop drinking caffeine after 2 p.m. And particularly for this week, plan to ease up on alcohol intake as alcohol can interfere with a good night’s sleep.
If your boss is flexible, ask if you can get to the office a little later for a couple of days so you can take the time to happily ease into the time change and avoid sleep-deprived and frustrated commuters at rush hour.
If you lead a team or company, have a little compassion. Offer your team a slightly later start to the morning in exchange for meeting a specific deadline that week or having them agree to 15–30 minutes of fresh air early in the morning or the middle of the day. Happy employees = productive employees.
7. Power nap
More health and wellness professionals, experts and entrepreneurs are treating themselves to power naps for rejuvenation and mental wellness. The key for napping is 30 minutes or less; otherwise, you’ll feel like you got hit by a bus when you wake up! A nap should both calm your nervous system and energize you.
Early afternoon naps are best, as naps late in the day can make it difficult to sleep. Not necessary, but if you’re curious about prioritizing a deeper night’s sleep, look into sleep tools such as weighted blankets, sleep meditation apps and light therapy.
With these tips, you should be able to spring forward along with the clocks. As human beings, and especially as entrepreneurs, we are strong, and our minds and bodies can adjust. So when the clocks spring forward, shift your mindset to when the alarm goes off at 6 a.m. on Monday morning, and think that it’s 6 a.m. instead of saying, “I can’t believe it’s really 5 a.m.!” The better we prepare, the better we position ourselves for positive outcomes and longer, brighter days full of sunshine.
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
What if everything ran on autopilot? This includes chores, exercise, healthy eating and completing your work. They just happen on their own. The problem is that unless they invent robots, all your work won’t disappear overnight.
It is possible, however, to create a new habit that requires little effort to maintain, with a little bit of initial discipline.
What are habits?
Before going on further, let me quickly explain what habits are.
In short, habits are learned behaviors that become reflexive over time. In many cases, a specific context triggers the behavior. After eating breakfast, for instance, you may brush your teeth automatically.
There are three types of habits: healthy, unhealthy and neutral. For example, taking ten minutes a day to stretch or meditate when feeling stressed can be classified as a healthy habit. An example of an unhealthy habit would be smoking a cigarette whenever you’re stressed. Taking the same route to work or eating the same breakfast each morning are neutral habits.
A habit is a learned behavior, whereas an unconscious behavior, like breathing or blinking, does not count.
What’s the difference between habits and routines?
A habit is different from a routine because you’re aware of it. In other words, habits are repeated actions on autopilot, whereas routines are planned.
Unless you practice routines deliberately, they will eventually disappear. Habits, however, are formed unconsciously.
Intention and effort are necessary for gratitude practice, for example. It won’t run automatically. Exercise is no different. Exercising isn’t going to happen by itself. You will, however, grab a cigarette on autopilot if you have the habit.
To become a habit, a routine should be carried out without conscious thought. For example, say you begin your morning routine by drinking green juice. You can consider it a habit when you start making your juice daily without thinking about it.
How are habits formed?
The majority of habits begin as intentional, goal-directed actions. As an example, a parent may instruct a young child to wash their hands before eating. In the beginning, a child may only wash their hands to get praise from their parents. It is possible that they need a reminder every time they eat to do the task.
In time, the child will get used to the washing routine and no longer need reminders. Even if the parent doesn’t reward the behavior, the child will wash their hands before meals. Because the behavior is driven more by context than concrete rewards, it can be described as a habit.
It is possible to think of habit formation as the creation of a mental shortcut. For example, a child must take many steps to wash their hands before dinner. To wash their hands, they need to go to the sink, turn on the water, lather on soap and then dry them off. Once the habit forms, the brain begins to group these steps together as a single “chunk.” To put that another way, it interprets these steps as a single behavior.
The good thing about habits? They can save your mental energy. For you to focus on more complicated choices, you may save energy if you repeat certain behaviors automatically. The problem with reflexive behavior is that it is harder to notice and stop them. It can be hard to interrupt habits such as nail-biting at the moment since the brain identifies them as one action.
Now that you have more clarity on what habits are, how they’re formed and the difference between habits and routines, here are a few tips to help you develop good habits and keep them:
1. Choose an easy habit that you will not be able to resist
“The most important part of building a new habit is staying consistent,” says James Clear, author of Atomic Habits. “It doesn’t matter how well you perform on any individual day.” Consistency is the key.
Because of this, new habits should be so easy that you cannot resist them.
Would you like to build a habit of exercising? Today, you will exercise for one minute.
Do you want to get into the habit of writing? Make a goal of writing three sentences today.
Want to start eating healthy? This week, you should eat one healthy meal.
“It doesn’t matter if you start small because there will be plenty of time to pick up the intensity later,” Clear adds. “You don’t need to join a CrossFit gym, write a book or change your entire diet at the very beginning.”
“It’s easy to compare yourself to what others are doing or to feel the urge to optimize your performance and do more,” he says. “Don’t let those feelings pull you off course.”
Demonstrate your ability to stick with something small for 30 days. After you are consistently on track, you may want to increase the difficulty. Performance is irrelevant at the beginning.
When you decide to develop good habits in yourself, staying optimistic is one of the most essential elements. In addition to helping you overcome negative feelings, positive thinking enables you to deal with stress effectively.
In order to think positively, you do not ignore all the unpleasant things in life and carry on with your daily activities. Instead, you react positively to them all.
If you think mostly negatively about changing your habits, you will have a hard time adopting the new, good one. But, on the other hand, it is easier for your mind to accept something if you view it positively.
So, instead of focusing on the negative, be positive. Remember, with the right attitude, the sky’s the limit.
3. Reduce triggers and cravings
Find out which people, places and activities are connected with bad habits in your mind. After that, you should change how you behave toward them.
Those with shopping addictions should avoid shopping malls, for example. Also, when your friends take a smoke break, don’t go outside with them if you’re trying to quit.
There is also a link between chronic stress and poor behavior. As such, managing your stress levels will help you avoid triggers.
In the same way, cravings are driven by a desire to change your internal state of being. In other words, you can reduce cravings by identifying how you want to feel. Then, once that feeling is achieved, take an action that is healthier.
Instead of smoking when you want to relax, take a bath. Rather than drinking your third cup of coffee, eat a banana when you need energy.
4. Do it every day
Researchers from the University of Bristol investigated how people form habits in the real world, asking participants to take a walk before dinner or drink water at lunch. In the study, published in the European Journal of Social Psychology, it was found that it took 18 to 254 days for a task to become automatic. However, the median time was 66 days.
What is the lesson? Creating habits takes time. The more often we practice them, however, the quicker they become, so start with something little and simple.
For example, it’s more effective to do a small amount of exercise every day, rather than trying to go to the gym thrice a week to stick with an exercise habit. Then, as you become accustomed to daily exercise, you can begin exploring more intense forms.
5. Swish – a technique from NLP
Swish Patterns are used to break unwanted habits and limiting behaviors. In this method, you imagine a situation that is undesirable or triggers you, as well as a version of the situation that would result in a perfect outcome. After that, you swish the two images so that the desirable one occupies more mental space.
The first thing you need to do is visualize yourself doing a bad habit. After that, visualize yourself letting go of the bad habit and taking on a new one. Then end that sequence with a highly positive image of yourself.
Think of how you would feel if you picked up a cigarette, put it down and snapped your fingers. Last but not least, visualize yourself running and breathing freely. You should repeat the process a few times until the new habit becomes automatic.
Most of us overestimate our willpower when trying to build a new habit and set a course for the most efficient method to accomplish our goal. For example, suppose you want to become fit through regular exercise. In most cases, you’ll look for workouts that yield quick results, such as running on a treadmill.
However, research suggests that finding ways to make goal pursuit fun will help you persist longer and ultimately accomplish more.
For exercise, this might mean going to Yoga or Zumba classes with a friend, hiking or joining a team sport. For those trying to eat more fruits and vegetables, smoothies can combine multiple servings of fruits and vegetables in one tasty drink.
Overall, a positive experience is critical to habit formation. But it’s often overlooked since repetition is key to sticking with something you enjoy.
7. Consider failure while planning for success
Again, it takes time to build a new habit, so don’t expect success overnight. A good habit could require many failures before you become habitual.
As a result of your guilt after your failure, you may stop incorporating that good habit into your daily routine. A solid plan, though, will make it easy for you to get back on track quickly.
You should remember that slipping up is not a failure. It’s a normal part of the process. However, to develop good habits, it’s important to have a plan for dealing with failure. So, make sure you don’t start building a good habit without a plan.
First, as long as you act according to your own preferences, you have the freedom to do so.
The work you do will make you a better, more knowledgeable person.
It is essential to learn how to deal with negative emotions to believe these two things. Additionally, you’ll need a way to measure your progress. After all, progress is an important motivator. The simplest method is to write it down and stick it on your mirror. Writing in a journal or creating a more detailed spreadsheet might also be options.
9. Make sure you’re flexible
As soon as we put something on autopilot, we fall into pretty consistent routines, exercising, studying or taking our medication at the same time and place every day. However, research suggests you should deliberately introduce some variability into your routine when you’re just beginning to form habits.
There’s still no substitute for having a first-best plan. For instance, establish a mindfulness habit, perhaps meditating at 7:00 a.m. every day. Likewise, you should also consider mixing in a meditation session around and another at 6:00 p.m.
As you recall, it’s essential to repeat a behavior frequently to build a habit. However, the less brittle your routine becomes, the less likely you will follow through. If you have a flexible habit, you can still accomplish what you need to, even when things go off track. For example, let’s say that a traffic jam prevented you from meditating in the morning; you can still practice mindfulness at noon.
The key to being flexible is to provide yourself with “emergency reserves.” You’ll have these cards on hand for those days when you can’t meditate, for instance. Think of them as your Get Out of Jail Free card in Monopoly.
A challenging goal, like meditating daily, for instance, can motivate you more than an easier one. But if you miss multiple targets, it can be demoralizing. If an emergency arises, having a few emergency reserves each week allows you to miss a day without losing sight of your goal.
10. Work on your environment
Environment plays a huge role in developing good habits. For example, let’s say you decide to eat a clean diet. However, when you open the fridge door, you see all the junk food inside. You’ll have a hard time resisting that, won’t you?
You will have difficulty getting rid of your bad habits if you do not change your environment. It is, therefore, better to alter your environment according to your goals.
Good habits are built through lifestyle choices. So, what is the best way to change your lifestyle? By improving your daily routine.
In other words, take the time to plan out your day and incorporate healthy practices where appropriate.
Eat vegetables and fruits as soon as you wake up, for instance. Then, you can take a restorative nap during your lunch break. In the evenings, go for a stroll. Just remember to select realistic and healthy practices when choosing them.
12. Get the social support you need
Sometimes, this step is overlooked despite being obvious. As you set goals, let your friends and family know about them since they can serve as cheerleaders and hold you accountable.
Evidence suggests that the behavior of those around us strongly influences our behavior. For example, are you interested in starting a regular running routine? It’s probably better to join a running club than ask a few friends who don’t jog to join you. After all, members of the running club already have the habits you’re looking for. As a result, you’ll learn what works and gain friends who will keep you on your toes when you fall behind.
If you want to pick up good habits, try hanging out with people who are a few steps ahead of you. However, don’t overextend yourself. The experience of training with marathoners can be disheartening if you only want to improve your 5K speed.
Overall, it has been shown that socializing with people who are already successful and being inspired by them is crucial for success. The added bonus is that it’s more fun to achieve your goals with the people you like.
13. Keep a journal
In general, journaling is considered a good habit. Why? As well as helping you learn from your mistakes and wins, it enables you to improve your ability to communicate.
You are likely to achieve many victories as well as some mistakes when you implement a good habit into your life. Keeping a journal in which you list all your wins and errors will allow you to easily see all the mistakes at a glance that were not in line with your habits development strategy.
Furthermore, it can help reduce these mistakes so you can remove obstacles to developing a positive habit and replace it with a negative one. In addition to identifying the obstacles, this method accelerates your habit-building progress.
14. Set calendar reminders
It can be hard to remember to maintain a habit at first. As discussed above, habituation takes time.
One solution would be using an online calendar, such as Google Calendar, iCal, or Microsoft Calendar. With these calendar tools, you can schedule the habits you want to develop. You can also set notifications to remind you when it’s time to start working on a task. And you can even make events that recur monthly, weekly or daily.
15. Practice self-compassion instead of self-judgment
The probability of you having a bad outcome is much higher if you think that you can’t do the good habit you want to incorporate into your life. The reason? Because it’s hard. When faced with a difficult task, motivating yourself with a can-do attitude is better than judging yourself.
Self-judgment creates a sense of guilt and shame because you take responsibility for your mistakes when you are working on them. In turn, you begin to feel guilty and ashamed. Negative consequences often accompany these feelings.
Because of this, it’s important to think about forming a good habit with self-compassion rather than self-judgment to give yourself some empathy and love, making it easier to do so.
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