SET A BEDTIME ALARM
We all know we need to get enough
sleep each night, but the evening’s
activities have a way of pushing bed-
time later and later. Bland suggests
setting an alarm for when you want
to start your bedtime routine so that
it’s non-negotiable. Work back about
nine hours from when you have to
wake up so that you’ll have 30 min-
utes to an hour to engage in a daily
downtime routine of calming activi-
ties, such as drinking a cup of caf-
feine-free tea, taking a bath or doing
a guided meditation from an app like
Headspace. “It’s your sleep hygiene
time,” says Bland. “You should be
turning your body down, not ramp-
ing it up.” bhGREEN YOUR WATER
Staying hydrated is vital to keeping
your body systems working
smoothly. Lemon water may already
be a favourite, but if you need a new
way to liven up your H2O, Donsky
suggests adding refreshing mint
chlorophyll (available at your local
health food store), which gives
plants their green colour and con-
tains antioxidants and nutrients
like vitamins A, C, E and K. “It’s
great for detoxifying the body and
promoting digestive health, and it’s
a natural deodorizer,” says Donsky.FOCUS FOR TWO HOURS
Set aside a couple of hours a week to
turn off your phone and email noti-
fications and work on a personal
goal. Whether you spend Sunday
afternoons doing meal prep to adopt
healthier eating habits or take some
time to read a few chapters in a book
that will help you with a career
objective, certified coach and regis-
tered nurse Callie Bland says that
an important aspect of well-being is
to focus on one project at a time and
be fully present – this ability to
focus enhances performance and
productivity. “In this day and age,
we’re constantly being distracted by
devices, and that holds us back from
achieving our goals because we’re
like ping-pong balls bouncing from
one thing to the next,” she says. Put-
ting all your attention toward a sin-
gle task is a skill that your brain
needs to redevelop.ISTOCK
TAKE TIME TO
SELF-REFLECT
“Self-ref lection is really about ask-
ing questions in a non-judgmental
way to learn and move forward,”
explains Bland. Unfortunately, for
many of us, when we think back to
the things we’ve done, we end up
merely ruminating, going over the
same things again and again. But
Bland says that the capacity to self-
ref lect improves with practice and
is a skill that needs to be developed.
Set aside a few minutes at the end
of each day to ask yourself these
questions:- What was I grateful for today?
- What triggered or frustrated me?
- How was I feeling?
- Did I satisfy the needs and values
I wanted to? - What would I do differently going
forward?
When we learn to be self-ref lec-
tive, we develop compassion for
ourselves. “It shifts us away from
being robots and into whole human
beings who are able to connect
with ourselves,” says Bland.
MAKE TIME TO CONNECT
Health researchers are predicting
that the next major epidemic could
be loneliness. Studies have found
that social isolation is associated
with poor sleep, elevated levels of
the stress hormone cortisol and
increased rates of mortality. “Con-
necting with others is important for
well-being and helps build resil-
ience to overcome obstacles,” says
Bland. Schedule social interactions
that will help you connect with peo-
ple in real ways – and Facebook
doesn’t count. Plan a monthly din-
ner club with a few close friends or
schedule a weekly phone call with a
family member who lives out of
town. “Whatever it is, you need to
schedule it into your life,” says
Bland. “If it isn’t in your schedule,
it’s not a priority.”best health DECEMBER | JANUARY 2018 F5RE-EVALUATE YOUR
HABITS
We’re creatures of habit, but some of
those habits are unproductive and
even downright destructive. Won-
der if that three-glass-a-night wine
habit is bad for you? Bland says to
ask yourself how satisfied you are
with your well-being afterward. Are
you energized? Do you feel more
rela xed? Rate how you feel from one
to 10, and be honest. The way you
rate your daily activities may sur-
prise you. For some people, a week-
end Netf lix binge might be restor-
ative, while for others, waking up at
the crack of dawn for gym workouts
could be leaving them feeling
drained all day long. You might just
find it’s time to make a change that’s
healthier for you.