1. Gratitude
Practicing intentional gratitude each day through prayer and journaling has been the single most transformational habit that I have ever added to my life. Without question, this has been the number one health habit for my mind and soul. Daily intentional gratitude has improved my mood, reduced stress and anxiety, improved my ability to handle adversity, and transformed my relationships. It has even created physiological benefits by alleviating tension in my neck and improving my sleep quality and duration.
The Bible tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:18: “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” Simply put, God’s will for you and for me is to be thankful all of the time. I know that sounds somewhat unrealistic, but with consistent practice we can move closer and closer to that type of mind and heart posture. Throughout the Bible there are countless passages of Scripture that not only encourage us to give thanks but command it. Focusing on what we are thankful for changes our perspective, allows us to persevere through difficult circumstances, and gives us a profound sense of peace. This is not only backed by the Bible, but by modern day science as well. A randomized control trial of 410 participants showed that gratitude journaling increased happiness and satisfaction while reducing feelings of depression.
My daily gratitude routine almost always includes the following two practices. First, before even getting out of bed, I pray a prayer of gratitude thanking God for a new day and other things I am thankful for. Second, before I go to bed at night, I relive my day in my mind and write what I’m thankful for in a gratitude journal. This practice has helped relieve stress and gets my mind to focus on all the blessings I’ve experienced throughout my day. When I slow down and engage in this practice, I am recognizing so many incredible blessings that so many of us take for granted each day – things like running water, the ability to see and hear, and having a loving family. Practicing gratitude is a habit and learned skill that can change your default mindset from one that is stressed and unsatisfied to one that is fully content and at peace. I have personally seen this transformation happen in my own life, and I know you will experience it in your life too! Beginning and ending each day with gratitude will improve the health of your mind, soul and even your body.
2. Spend Time Outdoors
The rise of the internet has contributed to us spending far too much time inside. This has greatly limited our exposure to sunlight and time outside in nature. Direct sunlight exposure can improve our mood, decrease anxiety, optimize our circadian rhythms and help us produce optimal vitamin D levels. This randomized control trial of a group of Indian men showed that 20 minutes of exposure to sunlight on the forearms and face between 11am – 3pm increased Vitamin D levels while also improving cholesterol markers in the blood. Sunlight is a nutrient that most of us are deficient in, but with a quick 20 minutes per day, we can see great improvements.
The quality of the air we breathe also matters greatly. The US Environmental Protection Agency has reported that levels of indoor air pollutants are often 2 to 5 times greater than levels outdoors, and sometimes levels can be 100 times as bad. With the average American spending 90% of their time indoors, we need to be diligent about getting outside more.
Anecdotally, I’ve noticed something amazing with each of my 3 kids. Without fail, if they were cranky or crying, taking them outside in the backyard or for a walk outdoors would calm them down. It has worked every single time. There is something powerful to this. Being outside in fresh air and natural sunlight while enjoying God’s beautiful creation has a calming effect on us. In the age of technology, our presence in nature forces us to slow down and be present. It grants us a therapeutic calmness and keeps us connected to things that give us life – the earth, fresh air and sunlight.
3. Detox from Technology
Technology is amazing in so many ways. We all enjoy the benefits of FaceTime and Zoom, searching the internet, social media and delivery services like Amazon. These, and many other extraordinary technologies like them, give us the ability to access endless information instantaneously. But all these benefits can come at a cost if we are staring at screens too often or for too long. Some of the negative effects of this include strained or blurred vision, anxiety, a more sedentary lifestyle, decreased proficiency in real life communication, a lack of real human connection and many others. Before I understood the negative side effects of technology, I routinely had dry eyes, strained and blurred vision and stiff necks that affected my ability to perform on the field every game. Our posture also can easily become impaired from hunching over on our devices which can lead to a bunch of other musculoskeletal issues.
Furthermore, over-consumption of blue light from screens, especially at night, has been shown to negatively impact sleep quality and duration. Harvard Medical School confirms this and adds that prolonged poor sleep can contribute to diabetes, cancer and heart disease. I have personally noticed that when I’m off my phone at least one hour before bed, I wake up fewer times during the night and feel more refreshed in the morning. Being intentional about reducing time on our devices will refresh our minds, improve our physical health and transform our sleep.
4. Laugh Often
When we laugh, our brains produce and release beneficial hormones and chemicals into our bloodstream. In recent years, many people in the medical community have recognized the therapeutic effects of laughter. Laughter can decrease stress hormones like cortisol and epinephrine along with increasing “feel good” hormones such as dopamine and serotonin. According to this article, “laughter therapy” is a new and emerging field of therapy that is scientifically proven to improve aspects of mental health. Next time you are feeling stressed out, try watching or listening to your favorite comedian or play a funny game like charades or Mad Gab with family or friends. You will be amazed at how laughing can ease the tension in your mind and body.
5. Go To Bed Early
My wife Amanda used to tell me that she slept way better when she went to bed early. As a stubborn night owl, I refused to believe her and would laugh every time she mentioned it. Eventually, my skepticism faded and I tried going to bed early for a few consecutive nights. Each morning I woke up feeling more rested and I saw that my sleep and recovery scores on my Whoop were better. What I noticed was that almost all of my deep sleep was happening before 2am.
According to this article by ‘Sleep Foundation’ (a team of sleep doctors, experts and researchers), we get the most deep sleep early in the night and less of it as the night goes on. Deep sleep is the 3rd stage of non REM sleep when our brain waves are the slowest and we are sleeping most deeply. During this stage of sleep our bodies release growth hormone, repair damaged tissues and create memories. Going to bed early gives us the best opportunity to get the most deep sleep, which our bodies and minds will thank us for.
6. Cook and Eat With Family and Friends
When you cook and eat with family and friends, you will ensure yourself of some very important things. First, you will be fully in charge of what food goes into your body. Cooking at home allows you to choose each and every ingredient – from the meat and vegetables all the way down to the spices and oil the food is cooked in. This is so important because most restaurants and fast food places do not offer high quality, nutritionally dense options. Most restaurant food is sourced from low quality farms and factories, is laden with pesticides and preservatives, and is cooked using extremely inflammatory oils. When we cook our own meals, we get to decide on the healthiest ingredients and also make them taste amazing.
An additional powerful benefit of cooking and eating with family and friends is being able to bond and connect. In our family, we try to include our kids in meal prepping and cooking whenever we can. It teaches them responsibility and allows them to feel a sense of accomplishment about the food they are eating. And when we all sit down around the table together, we are able to connect on a deeper level. We pray together and share about the good and bad parts of our days. In these moments, we are building strong family values, forming generational traditions and creating memories that will last a lifetime.