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Imagine a life that looks exactly how you would picture your “perfect” life to be. Of course, perfection isn’t realistic, but I’m a believer in the idea that the closest we can ever come to perfection, is by unapologetically living the life that we want for ourselves, and by being who we are at our core, unapologetically of course.

This means that we fearlessly make ourselves a priority. We live our life doing the things that we have always wanted to do. We choose to love instead hate. We treat ourselves and others with respect and dignity, and most importantly we choose to live an honest life. Whether that’s a life that others agree with or not.

While all of this is easier said than done it’s not impossible. In fact, living that “perfect” life you have always envisioned for yourself is very much something that you are 100% capable of achieving. Does with require hard work and dedication? Of course. Is it worth it? 1000% yes.

Since it can be hard to know where to start, I’ve put together a list of 15 ways that will help you get started on the right foot. Everything listed below are things that you can start implementing into your life RIGHT NOW! It won’t require you to go out of your way and it won’t take a huge chunk of time out of your already busy day. All you have to do is make the commitment to do more of the things listed below.

Are you ready to start living your “perfect” life? If so, then continue reading to learn some of my favorite health and wellness tips that are sure to help you become a happier and healthier you in an instant!

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Health Tips

1. Adopt a healthy diet

This one is by far one of the biggest things that are going to help you see changes in your life. A lot of people don’t understand the relationship that food has to our well-being. If this is you please don’t feel embarrassed! I was this person up until about a year ago and honestly, I’m still struggling with fueling my body with foods that are good for my health, and not necessarily good for my cravings or emotions.

The foods that we fuel our bodies with are either going to help us when it comes to our health, or they are going to hinder us. Foods that we want to be sure that we are including in our diets are vegetables, fruits, protein, whole grains, and the likes of. While the idea of what a healthy diet is varies from person to person the bottom line is that you want to ensure that you are putting foods into your body that are going to promote a better health.

We want to feel good from the inside out, not just look good on the outside. The best way to achieve this feeling is to eat foods that are going to naturally make you feel this way. You may want to read my post about 6 types of foods that are good for your health and jump starting a healthier diet if you would like to learn more about where to start with making smaller (but healthier) changes in your diet.

2. Exercise daily

Exercise is not something that we all love to do but I promise you it has health benefits that are guaranteed to last you a lifetime! For the longest time I struggled with creating a consistent workout routine. This is because I would workout long enough to see results on the outside and the second that I did I just stopped. It’s almost as if the way that I looked and felt had tricked my mind into thinking that once it’s there, it’s there and it will never go away.

I was wrong! While it’s true that when we feel good on the inside it will reflect on the outside, it’s not true that it’s permanently there once it’s there. We have to constantly work at making this connection within ourselves and keeping it strong. This means that we have to continue doings the things that are giving us the results that we desire.

The best way to feel good and look good, and feel good because we know that we look good, and know that we look good because we feel good, is to develop a consistent daily workout routine. I’m a firm believer in the idea that this doesn’t mean you have to hit up the gym and participate in hardcore exercises whenever you do a workout. No, no, no. I like simple yet effective workout routines. You can learn more about the types of daily exercises that I personally recommend here.

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3. Remove sugar from your diet

While we love the taste, the truth is that sugar isn’t as good for our diet, let alone health, as we all would like to think it is. At least not a ton of it anyways. Sugar can cause us to see the reverse results that we desire when we are trying to live our healthiest lives, even when we are consistently working out. Sugar can cause you to gain weight, increase your risk of heart disease, put you at a higher risk of developing acne, increase your risk of diabetes, and can even drain you of energy.

None of this sounds like the right path to living your best life does it? Of course not. While I just listed a bunch of reasons why sugar is not good for our health, I’ll be honest, there are times when it’s not as harmful as we may think it is. Sugars that are better for our health are ones that aren’t added, so natural sugars. We can find these natural sugars in foods like our fruits.

However, be mindful that too much of a good thing can still be bad. While natural sugars are better for our health you can still overdo it with the sugar intake. The best way to prevent this from happening is to have a balanced diet and stick to whole foods while staying away from processed foods. Also eat in moderation.

4. Increase your water intake

I love water because it has so many health benefits for you! Not only does it help with a healthy skin complexion, keep acne off our beautiful faces, and promote weight loss, but it is also the number way to start feeling good from the inside out. When we feel good from the inside out everything in our lives will start to naturally fall in line. This may perhaps be one of the simplest things on this list that you can put into effect immediately.

My personal recommendation is to try to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. If you can’t achieve 8, go for 6! Baby steps eventually add up.

5. Participate in meal planning

This is something that I’m still working on but meal planning is a great way to get control over your diet. The main goal of meal planning is to strategically plan out what meals and snacks you will be eating for an entire week. This includes your breakfast, lunch, dinner, and any snacks you may have in-between. Once you have made a list of what you will be eating then you go grocery shopping for all the foods on the list.

While I have heard that this can start to add up since you’re technically shopping every week, I have also heard that meal planning can help you save a ton of money in the long run. At the end of the day this is something that you have to experiment with and find a rhythm that works best for you. If you’re interested in giving the meal planning process a try you can download my free meal planning worksheet.

This worksheet comes with a meal planning sheet to write down your 3 meals of the day as well as snacks for an entire week, and it comes with a grocery list for you to write down your foods on. The best part is it makes sure you are getting your necessary meats, fruits, and veggies!

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Wellness Tips

6. Get plenty of rest

Our sleep is something that a lot of us tend to take for granted. While it is recommended that we get around 6-8 hours of sleep let’s be honest, sometimes that doesn’t always happen. That’s why I’m a huge advocate for taking a nap when it is needed. I nap all the time and usually during any time of day when I can find the time to nap. Getting plenty of rest encourages our minds and body to recharge when and as needed. With all the things that we put ourselves through throughout the day we need that downtime to relax and recharge.

However, if napping isn’t something that you can get into, try going to bed earlier than you usually do, which may in some cases require you to wake up earlier than you usually do, so that you can get anywhere from 6-8 hours of sleep. Or if you need to, even with the recommended hours of sleep being achieved, nap. Be good to your mind and body so that it can be good to you in return.

7. Meditate often

I love mediation because it is a self-care practice that has so many health and well-being benefits. The idea of mediation is to slow down and be present in the moment. Notice everything that is happening and appreciate the beauty that this world is made up. Mediation is also a great way to go inside of yourself and check-in with your thoughts and emotions. The best part about mediation is the fact that you can literally practice it anywhere during any time of day. I may just be mediating as I write this post right now 😉.

8. Do yoga once a week

Yoga isn’t everyone’s cup of tea I do understand this, but I think everyone should give it a try at least once. I’ll admit when I first got into doing yoga it took me a really long time to appreciate the health benefits it has to offer. Fun fact, I use to fall asleep immediately after a yoga session, which isn’t what yoga is suppose to do to you. It wasn’t until years later when I learned that I fell asleep after every yoga session, was because I was releasing so much stress and tension from my body, that the relaxation actually made me feel relaxed for once in my life. So, my body took it as a sign to finally rest.

The main point here is that yoga can be tiring in the beginning but your mind, body, and soul will thank you for it in the long run. With each session you become stronger and stronger and it will produce health benefits that will last a lifetime so long as you keep up with the practice.

While yoga is meant to be relaxing there are plenty of other reasons why I recommend this practice for a happier and healthier you. Some health benefits of engaging in yoga include lower stress levels, lower blood pressure, and an improved heart function. Naturally the more you do yoga the more you feel start to feel better about yourself and your life from the inside out. While it can be time consuming there’s no denying that it’s good for your overall well-being.

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9. Go for long walks

This is something that I personally love to do all the time. Walking is already something that we do on a daily basis. We have to walk to get places and get things that we need to be able to function and live our lives throughout the day. So why not extend our daily walking routine by going on brisk walks throughout the day (or whenever we have the time to). This doesn’t have to be anything super intensive. This can be something as simple as going for a 30-minute walk around the park or around your block.

10. Adopt the habit of looking good for yourself

You may have heard the phrase “when you look good you feel good” (outside of when I mentioned it earlier) and there is a lot of truth to this. I’m a firm believer in the idea that we need to look good for ourselves. This means that however and whatever makes us feel like we are achieving our best selves on the outside, is what we need to do more of on a daily basis. When we look at our refection in the mirror and we like what we see, this is going to reflect the way that we feel about ourselves on the inside.

This in turn is going to naturally change the way we present ourselves on the outside, which is going to encourage more positive changes and growth to take place on the inside. Enough of this will create a consistent cycle of feeling good so that we look good, and looking good so that we feel good. It’s a sure-fire way to increase your confidence and start living a happier and healthier life.

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Other Tips

11. Focus on the present

One thing that I have come to learn about happiness is that it’s a lot more achievable when we don’t hold onto the past. We have to shift our focus from things that have already happened, or have yet to happen, to things that are currently happening in the present. This can be challenging because sometimes the present can be overwhelming. However, it doesn’t have to be. One way I like to organize my thoughts and feelings and goals that I plan to achieve is by journaling. This helps me focus on the present by being able to envision the future that I would like for myself, and understanding the things that I am able to accomplish NOW in order to get there.

12. Be positive and consistent

As easy as it can be to focus on the negative things in life, it’s no way to live your life. Negativity takes away so much of our energy that we could be putting into things that are more valuable and meaningful to us. This is why I encourage that you participate in weekly yoga and daily mediation. These practices can be a great way to invite positivity into your life. However, you have to do more than just invite the positivity, you have to be consistent with the practices that you are participating in order to get it. This will help you shift your mindset from a negative one to a more positive one to help you be happier and live a more fulfilling life.

13. Don’t compare yourself to others

We all know that comparison is the thief of joy and yet for some odd reason we still participate in it from time to time. I know for some this can be a hard habit to beat but honestly it doesn’t have to. Learn to trust yourself and trust that you are enough just the way you are. In doing so you will not only boost your confidence and self-esteem, but you will also start to live a happier life because you won’t be so busy comparing every little detail about yourself and your life, to the likes and lives of others.

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14. Surround yourself with positive energy

Negativity out, positivity in. Trust me when I say that there is no better feeling in the world than knowing that everyone who is a part of your life is there for all the right reasons. I was once told that life can be lonely especially if you’re on a journey that no one else seems to be wanting to travel along with you. This is true and I’m here to tell you that it doesn’t have to be. Surround yourself with like-minded people. This will ensure that those who make up your social circle are people who will support you unconditionally and bring nothing but positivity to your life.

15. Be a dreamer

It’s as simple as that. I think a lot of the time the reason why we find ourselves unhappy and reaching for things that aren’t within our reach is because we have allowed ourselves to stop dreaming. Life gets in the way, things can become stressful, and as a result of it all we just let that little dreamer in us fade away. Well don’t! I truly believe that we are at our happiest when we have things to strive for that are our own goals to achieve, for ourselves, and nothing more. Happy little dreamer vs. an unhappy use to be little dreamer. Which one sounds better to you?

Here’s a recap of some health and wellness tips that will help you become a happier and healthier you!

What do you think? Do you have any tips for becoming a happier and healthier you?

-Xo

Kimora