Is your health worth 5 minutes of your time?
We all have excuses for why we can’t do things and lack of time may be the biggest one, next to lack of money. It’s not; however, about enough time, but about prioritizing your time.
Your health is like a bank account with compounding interest. What you invest in your health on a daily basis compounds and grows over time.
When you take even 5 minutes per day to invest in your health with healthy habits, the results compound over time and support your wellbeing.
At the same time, if you never invest in your health and maintain high levels of stress, these habits also compound over time and deteriorate your ability to live well.
Here are some questions for you: If your health and wellness erode will you still be able to do the things you love with the people you love? Are your passions and the important people in your life worth 5 minutes of your time?
Here are 3 healthy habits you can do in 5 minute or less:
1. Gentle seated twist. Twists stimulate digestion, promote relaxation and help with detoxification. They can be done sitting on the ground OR sitting in a chair. It takes less than 5 minutes to breathe deeply in a seated twist. Easy to fit into your day for a calming reset.
How to: Sit well. Inhale press down through your sitz bones into the ground (or chair) as you also extend through the crown of your head. Exhale twist, leading from the navel, to the right. Place your left hand on your right knee and take your right hand behind you for support. Take 3 deep and easy breaths here. Inhale to come back to center and repeat on the other side.
2. Chew your food. Remember that digestion starts in your mouth. The enzyme amylase is present in your saliva and is responsible for breaking down carbohydrates. Take 5 extra minutes to fully chew your food – every mouthful – before you swallow. This simple habit will go a long toward better digestion and assimilation of your food. You’re body will be much more effective at absorbing nutrients and eliminating waste.
3. Turn off your screens before bedtime. This habit will actually help you create time for healthy habits like a 5 minute meditation or relaxation or reading before bed. The blue light from screens sends the message to your pineal gland that it’s daytime. If the brain thinks that it’s daylight it delays the release of melatonin, the hormone that signals to the body that it’s time to sleep.
The less time you spend on screens in the evening, the easier it will be to fall asleep and enjoy quality sleep.
Take 5-15 minutes every day to invest in your health and it will compound over time. You’ll find that you’ll want to spend more time on healthy habits and the more you do the more benefits you’ll experience.
5 minutes a day can save you thousands of dollars in health care later in life.
And more importantly, can give you hours of healthy and joyful time doing the things you love with the people you love.
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Do you want to make healthier choices, but can’t find the time to incorporate them into your life? I can help. Check out my health coaching options and finish 2019 and/or start 2020 off strong!
Email me with your questions and health goals.