Breathe! 7 ways to simplify your life today
I recently saw Dr. Nancy Snyderman on the Today Show speaking about simplifying your life. Her thoughts on this topic are in alignment with my focus. Below is a transcript from the Today Show site: www.msnbc.msn.com
Dr. Nancy Snyderman on how to improve your health and well-being
Simple life can make you healthier, happier.
Jan. 28: Inspired by her recent assignment in devastated Haiti, NBC’s chief medical editor Dr. Nancy Snyderman explains the power of simplicity to TODAY’s Matt Lauer.
From giving back to taking a moment to appreciate each day, Dr. Nancy Snyderman reveals seven simple steps to live a healthier and spiritually more satisfying life.
1. Give back. If you don't volunteer your time, you've got to figure out a way to do it. Whether it's helping out at your kid's school, a nonprofit or abroad, you have to do something. Wherever you go, it's a great thing to do. Another good option is to give cash if you can't give your time.2. Get rid of stuffShed stuff, clothes, etc., that you don't want or don't need. You'll get a good feeling not only from donating it, but also living in a newly decluttered space.
3. Get moving. People really need to get back to moving around the way man was originally intended to: on foot. Plan a weekend without your car and figure out what can you get done without an automobile.
4. Simplify your diet. We've heard about how there are higher rates of diabetes in some communities that have fast food on every corner and that fresh fruit and vegetables can be sometimes be expensive (a dollar for an apple in some areas and 15 cents in others, depending on where you live). Those are valid arguments, but a can of beans is cheap anywhere you go. Beans are full of protein, have very little fat, and are eaten all over the world. In fact, we probably under-eat beans in this country.
5. Drink water. You don't need flavored water, just regular water. It's the best thing for you. And in most parts of the country, you can drink it from the tap. And if you don't want to drink from the tap, get a water purifier.
6. Breathe. Most of us don't breathe normally. And when we're tense, we hold our breath. We also breathe too fast, which can make you feel like you're having an anxiety attack. If you stay in the moment, breathing, you metabolize things differently and you put less strain on your heart and your brain, plus you sleep better. I recommend inhaling and exhaling through your nose. But it doesn't really matter how you do it — just find your breath.
7. Take a moment to appreciate each day. Find one thing — either visual, auditory or olfactory — to focus on and find the gift in. Every day, try to register something that gives you a pause. I truly believe this goes to the core and makes you feel that you're part of something bigger. It makes you connect with the idea that we share the earth with millions of others and we don't live isolated lives.
