Alyson Breisch

Southern Conference Minister

for Health and Wellness

Over time, our habits become ingrained, automatic, and routine. You can start to make new health-promoting habits to incorporate into your daily life.

1. Create morning rituals. A few regular habits can start your day off in the right direction. On awakening, wash your face with cold water. The cold stimulates circulation, tightens your skin, boosts your alertness by giving your brain a gentle wake-up without caffeine. Get some fresh air within the first hour you’re awake in the morning. This could mean going for a stroll or just opening up the door and getting fresh air on your face

2. Read, read, read. Reading books is a great way to gain knowledge and stimulate creativity. Reading can relax your body by lowering your heart rate and easing the tension in your muscles. Immersion reading also improves focus and has a calming effect similar to meditation. Reading before bedtime can help you sleep better. Even reading a page of a book each night before bed can reap the calming benefits of reading. 

3. Invest in self-care. Taking some time off to unwind can do wonders for your mood, mental health, and self-esteem. Do at least one thing every day that makes you feel good. Listen to music, learn a new skill, take a long bubble bath, or prepare a nice meal. A recent study suggests that having a hobby is good for people's overall health and mood. Hobbies and crafts involve creativity, sensory engagement, self-expression, relaxation, and cognitive stimulation.

4. Be social. have some kind of social engagement every day: make a phone call, send an email, or chat with a neighbor. Another option is to create your own social group — a small, intimate group that you interact with regularly, like meeting for coffee or conversing over a Zoom call. Casual conversations are also helpful; for example, chat with a store employee or interact with someone waiting in a line at the post office or grocery store.

5. Spend time unplugged from your social media, TV, and phone. Take time to cut back on social media to reduce stress and mental clutter. Research shows that the more time you spend on a social media site, the more likely you are to develop depression. Schedule set times to check your social media and make replies rather than responding every time you hear a beep or ring. Switch off your phone and laptop for a few hours every day to improve your mood and reconnect with the world around you. Make no-phone zones in the home for specific times like meal times and bedtime. Turn off the TV; fill your evenings with something else – family game night, an evening walk, hobby time. Remember it’s good to avoid the blue light of TVs, computers, and phones for an hour before your sleep time.

6. Appreciate more. “In everything give thanks.”1 Thessalonians 5:18. Practicing gratitude is a gateway to create positivity, reduce stress and improve your physical health. Start or end your day with a note in a gratitude journal. Write down one thing you’re grateful for every day.

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