20 Tips to Seriously Improve Your Life

We all want to live better lives, that goes without saying. We want to be healthier and we want to be happier. We want to be successful too (and success, of course, can mean very different things to different people). In the spirit of helping you to improve your life, and your fitness, here’s 20 suggestions for you to consider.

You probably won’t like the idea of some of them, and that’s understandable. We’re all individuals and we should embrace our individuality, so I’m offering these things as suggestions only, and if you only find a few of them useful, that’s fine.

It’s never a great idea to make too many changes at one time anyway, so if you find a few things that you think might be useful to you, try to gradually introduce them into your daily routine and see how it goes.

1 – Get more sleep and wake refreshed

woman sleeping Most of us don’t get the right amount of sleep these days. Not too long ago humans had a simple way of knowing when it was time to sleep and time to wake up — daylight faded and after a while the sun came up again! That suited us for countless millennia, and then we worked out how to make fire and had firelight and candles to bring light to the darkness.

Much more recently we’ve discovered that electric lights and the television can be on day and night, and computers too, and we’ve just about given up on being confined to just the daylight hours.

Unfortunately, despite our readiness to ditch many thousands of years of programming, our bodies and brains are still locked into the patterns we’ve forged long ago. Burning the candle at both ends has resulted in most people getting much less sleep than was usual even twenty years ago, and we’re no healthier for it.

candle at both ends It’s likely the average today is closer to six or seven hours, whereas about 100-150 years ago the average night’s sleep was probably about nine hours. This is not a great development for our general health.

Sleep isn’t just the brain closing down for the day. In fact it’s nothing of the sort. The conscious mind closes down, but the work of the brain goes on. We’re still not sure exactly what the brain does during sleep, but whatever it is it’s necessary for our health.

The brain probably takes time to review and process what’s happened during the daylight hours and this is important work; if we skimp on sleep we pretty soon realise we’ve made a mistake.

So it’s worth making sure you get plenty of sleep, probably about seven or eight hours, although it’s an individual thing. And it’s worth having some sort of routine for bedtime. It would probably be a good thing to not eat for the last hour or two before you go to bed, and it’s certainly a good idea to keep the bedroom for sleep rather than television and computers; that kind of thing is almost designed to tamper with your sleep pattern.

Here’s a few tips to help you get a good night’s sleep:

keep the window open (it doesn’t need to be wide open, but you need fresh air)
don’t bury yourself under a mound of heavy blankets
keep the bedroom tidy and remove anything that doesn’t belong there
if your sleep is disturbed, don’t struggle to get back to sleep – you can’t force it. It might be better to just get up for a while and go back to bed once you feel you can sleep
have a going-to-sleep routine – mentally give thanks for the day, and for the night to come, and settle yourself to sleep … look forward to a deep, undisturbed night’s sleep and determine that you will wake at a certain time (if you need to) and make a firm decision that you will wake refreshed and energised and eagerly looking forward to the day

2 – Have a sensible morning routine

A routine that helps you start the day properly. Make your first exercise of the day that of putting a smile on your face! Give thanks that you actually made it to waking up time — many who went to sleep at about the same time as you didn’t make it through the night, so you should be grateful.

man Do some gentle stretching and get your joints working properly. I’m not saying you need to do a morning workout, but at least ease your body properly awake. In particular, don’t rush to do any extreme forward bending – the intervertabral disks are hydrophilic (they ‘love’ water) and tend to become bloated as they absorb it throughout the night.

If you want to bend forward, leave it for about half an hour or so and let gravity do its job; that excess water will be squeezed out of your disks by then and bending will be a lot easier.

Be grateful for the day to come. Be aware how fortunate you really are. It may be an old fashioned way of looking at things, but here goes … count your blessings! You’re alive, you have (hopefully) a whole day ahead of you, you can breathe, you can think, you can move, you can achieve things, you can enjoy life, etc, etc.

A simple change of attitude like this (if indeed it is a change for you) can give you a whole new perspective on the day.

3 – Be grateful … for everything

This flows on from the previous point. Feel a genuine sense of gratitude for everything and everybody in your life. To use a modern phrase, it’s all good. Whatever is granting you this new day, whether you see it as a deity or nature or something else entirely, you should be grateful to it for all that it gives you.

If you had a close friend and you did a lot for that person and gave him or her everything you could think of to help them live a better life, and you never once heard a word of thanks from that person … well, you wouldn’t feel very impressed, I’m willing to bet. It’s only natural. You’d expect a thank-you at least. And if you were on the receiving end, I’m sure you’d be quick to show your gratitude.

So why would you not be grateful to the creator for what he/she/it does for you? This isn’t about religion. It’s not even about spirituality. It’s just basic decency and good manners. Be grateful, genuinely. And keep that feeling of gratitude alive within you all day long. You are receiving all day long, in hundreds of different ways, so maintain a deep sense of gratitude.

4 – Have a well-balanced diet

Just be sensible about it. You don’t need to be extreme, or to latch onto every new fad diet that pops up. Just follow some common sense guidelines and don’t overeat. Make your diet a regular thing that you can stick to for the foreseeable future.

Here are some suggestions for achieving a healthy diet:

don’t skip meals, even breakfast
eat plenty of protein
as a general rule, avoid artificial or processed foods
eat plenty of greens
eat mindfully (your food is valuable to you so treat it with respect)
if you feel like a snack, make it a healthy one
don’t buy stuff you will feel guilty eating
eat real meat, not processed
eat fatty fish
take a daily (or occasional) probiotic
drink plenty of water
avoid soft drinks
avoid sugar
read food labels!
take a daily multivitamin/multimineral to take account of what’s missing from your diet

5 – Drink more water

Most of us are, to some extent, dehydrated a lot of the time. We don’t eat enough fresh food (which is high in terms of water content), and we don’t drink enough water. Get sparkling spring water (which is naturally high in minerals), or settle for what comes out of the tap. Add a tiny amount of flavouring if you like. And decant it into smaller bottles and keep them on your desk, in the kitchen, by the bed, in your bag, wherever you like.

Water is absolutely essential for good health. About 60% of an adult human’s bodyweight is composed of water, and it’s necessary for a whole host of bodily processes. Here are just a few of them:

it helps lubricate your joints
it cushions your brain and spinal cord
it flushes body waste out in urine
it helps you digest your food
it helps you dispose of the waste that’s left
it helps regulate body temperature
it forms saliva
it plays a vital part in countless chemical reactions
it helps your body cells to grow, to reproduce and to survive
It helps you build muscle tissue
it helps your muscles to contract
it helps you think clearly and make decisions (the brain is over 70% water)

Sip it often and regularly. Drink water before a meal and you’ll probably eat less and have a healthier digestion. Drink plenty of water before and during training, if you take part in exercise.

6 – Learn to cook

learn to cook Take some responsibility for what you eat. The more you are involved in food sourcing and preparation, the more you’ll appreciate the wisdom of eating a healthy diet. And if you’re involved in choosing and bringing the food in, you’re more likely to make healthy choices (you only have to resist buying unhealthy snacks once, in the shop, not twenty times at home).

If you cook the meals you eat you can make sure they contain healthful ingredients and are just to your taste. Less chance therefore that you’ll want to fill up on worthless snacks later.

7 – Improve your digestion

People spend a fortune on antacid medications, when the root cause is usually poor digestion. They suffer heartburn and reach for something to ease it, when the real answer is to eat a more palatable diet, and not over-indulge. A probiotic drink can recharge your ‘healthy’ bacteria and help improve digestion.

8 – Deep breathing

deep breathing We’ve mentioned a healthy diet, and increased water intake, both essentials, but even more essential is to get plenty of fresh air into your lungs. You could last weeks without food if necessary, and probably a few days without water. Air, on the other hand, is so absolutely essential that even a few minutes without it and you’re hovering on the brink of death.

Is it so hard to devote a minute or two to doing some deep breathing? It’s a very simple exercise, and one that is guaranteed to make you feel energised and more alive. Just the very act of deep breathing makes you feel good! Unfortunately, because we breathe constantly we tend to take it for granted. Even more so since we do it automatically.

Why not make a decision to do a bit of conscious deep breathing every single day. Put a post-it note somewhere you can see it, with just the word BREATHE! on it … you’ll soon be in the habit of taking a minute or two to recharge your vitality with a few deep breaths.

9 – Meditate

Don’t panic, I’m not suggesting you spend half an hour in silent meditation every morning, but just a couple of minutes is something else entirely. You could do that, couldn’t you? Just sit still and get really comfortable … take a few deep breaths … now count yourself down from five to one and when you hear yourself saying “One”, imagine you’re entering a private sanctum of perfect peace.

Give thanks for everything. Know that you are safe and protected. Feel the Universe surrounding you and within you, filling every cell of your body and the spaces between. Regardless of what the day may bring, for these few minutes, just be completely at peace.

If errant thoughts stray into your consciousness don’t struggle with them and berate yourself for not being strong enough to think of nothing. The mind is always active … just gently usher those stray thoughts out of your mental focus and continue to concentrate.

Breathe gently, and follow the breath as is comes in through your nostrils and enters your body. Visualise it bringing with it lifeforce and healing energy. This is all you need to do. Don’t think meditation is complicated. It can be as simple as you want it to be.

10 – Read more

You’re busy, I know. You’ve got a job to do, I get that. You have responsibilities. Still, if there was something of great importance that you needed to take care of you would find the time, or make the time. Reading is something of great importance.

read more books Read what is important to you, and make the time to do it. Maybe it’s something that could help improve your education or help you get a better job. Maybe it’s something that might help you understand things better. Maybe it’s pure escapism, and there’s certainly a place for that.

I have no idea what it might be, because it’s something that’s important to you, not to me.

Few people make the time to read anymore. The ones that do are generally more successful. Mmm … I wonder why that could be?

Oh, quick question … what’s the difference between someone who can’t read and someone who doesn’t read?¹ I’ll leave you to think about that one 🙂

11 – Write more

writing in a journal You’re not a writer, I know … that’s what everyone says. But you are. You learned to write as a child, and it’s one of the most valuable skills you have.

I’m not suggesting you start writing novels. I’m not even suggesting you write anything specific, at least not for public consumption. I’m thinking more along the lines of a journal. Just write something every day. Like what? I don’t know. That’s none of my business. It’s your journal, not mine.

Maybe what you’ll write will be just a few words or a few sentences. Maybe what you write will spark a really interesting train of thought. Maybe it will help you come to terms with something that happened in your life. Maybe it will result in a valuable idea that might never have otherwise surfaced. Maybe it will be the first step on a journey of a thousand miles. Who knows?

12 – Do some exercise

As with some other things on this list, it needn’t be anything extravagant. Maybe a few press ups or some simple bodyweight exercises. Perhaps a little t’ai chi. If you’re into fitness, you’ll probably already be doing something, and if you’re not then maybe it’s time you bit the bullet and started something regular, no matter how brief.

Again, I stress, this doesn’t necessarily have to be something exhausting or time consuming. But we are physical creatures. Our bodies are designed by nature to be active, not to sit motionless for hours in front of a screen. Get out in the fresh air, do some walking, jog a bit if you fancy it, do a bit of skipping, go for a swim once in a while.

At least do a few minutes of some simple exercise every day … you reckon that’s doable? Never know, you might even get to like it!

13 – Get stronger and leaner

Carrying excess fat, specially round your middle, is a recipe for disaster. It makes your heart work overtime and increases the chance of heart problems. Take steps to shed a few pounds. Cut back on the things in your diet that might be causing unwanted weight gain and do some brief but intense workouts to boost your metabolism.

14 – If you drink alcohol, make sure it’s in moderation

less alcohol The dangers of alcohol have been known and widely broadcast for decades, or even centuries. If you’re still over-indulging in it you really need to think about the dangers you’re toying with.

There’s nothing wrong with having a drink once in a while, in fact it’s probably going to do you more good than harm. But once it becomes habitual and you start drinking more than the occasional one or two drinks, that’s when the trouble looms. If you can’t control it yourself, seek help and advice, otherwise you could be heading towards becoming yet another statistic.

15 – Don’t use tobacco

don't smoke Again, this has been shown to be dangerous over many decades. If you have a smoking habit, consider how dangerous and expensive it is, then resolve to quit. The more you look into smoking, the less you find to recommend it.

It’s a pointless, dirty, potentially harmful and definitely wasteful pastime. If you really need something to occupy yourself with, there’s an endless list of things to replace it with, and virtually all of them safer and less damaging.

16 – Get up and move about more

This ties in with exercise, mentioned above. But this isn’t the same thing; what I’m talking about here is simply getting up and doing stuff rather than sitting on the couch for hours at a time. Look for simple ways to be more active. Use the stairs instead of the escalator or the lift. Go for a walk after a meal. Walk to the shops instead of driving. Play games with the kids. Just don’t sit there like a bookend, waiting to get old and fat, there’s just no point in it!

17 – Have a routine health checkup

health check up I don’t like the idea of focusing on illness, but it’s worth letting a health professional give you a full examination once in a while. Unless you know better, there’s no way you can be aware if you have medical problems that are invisible. And while you’re at it, get a dental check done as well. Again, unless you know better, you need a professional to check these things for you, even if only once every year or two.

18 – Set yourself goals, and go for them

What’s the main difference between a rut and a grave?² I’ll let you consider than one as well (although it’s pretty obvious really).

I don’t care what you’ve achieved so far, there’s more ahead if you only look for it. And if you haven’t achieved much then it’s time you set your sights on some new achievements. Think of the things you’ve always said you’d like to do … and pick one or two and get on with it, get out there and make it happen.

bigger goals If you look at some of the greatest examples of people in terms of achievements, they never stopped trying to do new things and trying to do things better.

Edison, with his more than 2,000 patents, Picasso with his estimated 50,000 artworks, Michelangelo still at work until a week or so before he died aged 88, these were exceptional by any standards, granted. But they could have stopped at any stage and sat back and vegetated. What kept them going? The desire for achievement, for creativity, for a richer life.

You’re basically the same. You have desires and limitless potential. What’s stopping you getting a sketch book and studying drawing? What’s stopping you learning the play an instrument? What’s stopping you starting a sideline business, just for the fun of it? Set sail for new horizons and see if you can make it. What have you got to lose?

Stuck for ideas? Check out these links:

19 – Embrace new experiences

Like the previous point, you are capable of so much more than you think. So much more! It’s like the old joke about the man speaking to his doctor after he has just had his arm put in plaster following an accident. He says to the doctor, “Are you sure I’ll be able to play the violin once this heals, doctor?”, and when the doctor assures him he’ll be able to, he says, “Wow, that’s great, I could never play it before! I can’t wait!”

There are hundreds of new experiences out there, just waiting for you to discover them. Nowadays, since the film, many more people are creating their own bucket lists.

If you’re having trouble creating yours, check these links for ideas:

20 – Be more generous

Be generous You shouldn’t be focused just on yourself and your own goals and achievements. Hopefully, the more you develop your skills and talents, and the more you make sensible use of your time, you’ll be making more money and creating real wealth. Make sure you spread it around a little!

There’s a lot of satisfaction to be gained from helping where you can, and if you have the money to really make a difference in someone’s life then that’s something to be considered.

Remember, everything you have has been given to you. You were created and given life, you didn’t have to ask for that. You wake up every morning and you have a whole brand new day ahead of you to explore and make the most of. It is literally all given to you. If you have the chance to help someone else it’s your privilege and your honour to do so.

Answers:

1 Not much at all 🙁 In fact, practically nothing.

2 The depth.