Some Health Rules

Generally, I don't go for all that new year resolution nonsense. I don't know many people who do. But there's no denying that when January rolls around I am always overcome with a need to clean house. It probably has something to do with all the Christmas decorations that have been up since November.

I'm sure you've noticed that once you've cleared out some drawers, maybe a closet, and you have a garbage full of junk to show for it, you feel pretty damn good about yourself. Along with that, comes the desire to make everything else a bit better; improve the things that are weighing you down. Like getting enough sleep and not eating a whole tub of pecan crunch ice cream in one sitting.

I got a few tips from this article on Well+Good--presenting excerpts from some Dr. Lipman's new book--and they're working out for me so far.

1. No screen time one hour before bed. This one is tough for me. I always have something playing in the background. Dead silence makes me nervous when I'm trying to fall asleep.


2. Do what you love, love what you do. Now I'm not talking about a job. Let's face it, applying that mantra to how you earn a living may sound wise and inspirational, but it's just not sustainable. In most cases. It simply means dedicate a portion of your day, even if it's 10 minutes, to doing something you love: drawing, writing, eating ice cream. Whatever you want.

3. De-clutter your home. As mentioned earlier, this is probably the most get-up-and-go thing I do. As silly as it may sound, it's usually the catalyst to changing bad habits. For me anyway.

4. Take care of your tootsies. Feet: I hate them. But this Dr. Lipman wasn't kidding when he said "they're the command center of the body". I got me one of those spiky balls to roll under your feet and it's lovely. That shooting pain that I would get in my feet after walking in heels or stepping on something the wrong way is just gone.

Those are the four I've tried and it's working out for me. Some, I will never try. Break up with bread? Never. We were on a break once. That's when I found out that bread makes me a better person.

If you think these sound good, check out the article for more tips. And if those sound good, I suggest giving the book a read. There's lots of pretty pictures...

It's called The New Health Rules: Simple Changes to Achieve Whole-Body Wellness. Probably should've mentioned that earlier.