1. Get Enough Sleep
Waking and going to bed at the same time everyday is one of the fundamental pillars of good sleep hygiene. This allows your circadian rhythm (biological clock) to stay consistent and will therefore improve the quality and quantity of sleep. The general guidelines are that a healthy adult should have between 7-9 hours per night. If sleeping throughout the whole night is troublesome you can try taking naps throughout the day to allow sufficient sleep throughout the day (monophasic vs polyphasic sleep), being mindful not to nap too close to bed time as this will affect the time it takes for you to go to sleep at night.
2. Move Early
Being productive early when you wake up sets up good habits for the rest of the day. There is good evidence that completing simple tasks such as making your bed or preparing your food for the day translates into other activities and work throughout the day. Get outside and get some sunlight exposure early in the day, this will also help initiate your circadian rhythm.
3. Make Time for Exercise
Exercise has been proven to lower the risk of disease and early death and help prevent the onset of poor secondary health outcomes such as weight gain, hypertension and type 2 diabetes. Something is always better than nothing! Modes of exercise may involve strength training, cardiovascular fitness, High intensity interval training and mobility work.
Cardiovascular training examples
HIIT examples (Good for time saving!)
4. Spend Less Time using Technology
Apart from the fundamental uses such as your computer at work or making business related phone calls try to limit the time you spend using your ph
one and social media. Most smart phones these days have screen time calculations where you can view your average screen time using different applications. This can be a good way to view how much more productive you can be without the use of certain apps, especially social media! Make sure you switch off when you get home and use that time with family and friends to do things you enjoy doing. This can involve cooking your family meal together or playing games etc.
5. Stay Hydrated and Eat Well
Being dehydrated can result in sleepiness, lack of energy and irritability and has been shown to decrease mental and physical performance. In order to stay hydrated it is recommended that you drink between 2-3L per day, especially when physical activity forms part of your day. Try to avoid highly processed foods in packets which can be high in sugars and adopt a more unprocessed approach. This involves eating largely a diet that can be grown or raised on a farm which would be high in protein moderate in fats and low in carbohydrates.
If you win these five key points you will win the day!
Ryan Barron
Physiotherapist
