Genius Life Hacks To Make You Feel Good – Part I

The key to living better and healthier for longer could be simpler than you think. Follow our tips, diet swaps and social media upgrades that’ll make a genuine difference to the quality of your life.

1. CLEAR YOUR MIND

?Everything begins with a thought, and those thoughts determine our actions,? says Jen Feighery, women’s fitness and wellness expert. ?Therefore, reading a positive affirmation first thing in the morning frees the mind of negativity and completely transforms how you go about your day.? mindherbody.com

2. BE ?CURIOUS

Think tank the New Economics Foundation published a research paper a couple of years ago on five ways to wellbeing. One component of living a healthier, more mindful life is to be engaged with your environment. Go for a walk in your local park, feed the ducks, swim in the sea ?

3. KEEP YOUR MIND ACTIVE

Whether reading a book, writing a short story, solving a puzzle or listening to a podcast, try these simple solutions to help improve memory function and maintain a healthy mind.

4.?HOME SCHOOL YOURSELF

Subscribe to a yoga or Pilates channel on YouTube. That way, you can sneak in your daily dose when it suits, rather than compromising your schedule for a class. The Blogilates channel is a good option, and you can choose which parts of your body to focus on.

5. REPROGRAMME YOUR ATTITUDE

Bear in mind that it’s?not how the world sees?you, it’s how you see?the world that matters.?Looking outward?instead of inward all the?time makes for a less’self-conscious, more?optimistic state of mind.

6. SWITCH OFF

Life can be stressful, so it’s important to indulge in a little me-time. Relax, regenerate and recuperate in a much-needed bath soak of sweet cardamom, zesty grapefruit and Madagascan pepper oil.

7. ADOPT A POOCH

When you own a dog, life seems instantly brighter. If owning isn’t an option, think about dog sharing. The Borrow My Doggy website allows users to search for a dog they can ?borrow? to spend quality time with based on distance and availability, borrowmydoggy.com.

8.?DECIDE WHAT YOU?TRULY WANT

?Often, we set goals depending on other people’s idea of health/fitness success,? says Liz Costigan Fleury of Positive Fitness Project?(positivefitnessproject.com). ?Set mindful goals, specific to your life and your commitments. Ask yourself whether you can realistically commit to this right now, and then do what is right for you.?

9. INVEST IN AN ACTIVITY TRACKER

Most IMAGE staffers sport an activity tracker to keep them motivated. ?A steps tracker like the Fitbit is the one piece of personal fitness equipment that I encourage clients to invest in, as they really do engage with it,? says Gillian Hynes, fitness expert and founder of the Body Project (bodyproject.ie). ?We should be covering 10,000 steps per day. However, most of us are doing considerably less than that. Having a target to hit each day is really motivating.?

10.?GET APPY

Download braintraining app Elevate. It offers daily cognitive training challenges that exercise your mind and make you smarter, elevateapp.com.

This article appeared in the July edition of IMAGE Magazine, on shelves now.?