We've all been going through a lot in this world. Wellness has been a pretty hot topic for awhile now, so it's no wonder that tons of people are openly sharing ideas for how to feel better. Recovery from difficulty and illness has been on our minds on a global scale, with parents in particular seeking new levels of ease, health, and learning for our families.
I actually hired a life coach recently. Figured I could use some help getting my life back in order after lots of intense upheaval. I've learned SO much from her. The question we're all asking about how to feel better really comes down to three main things:
- Movement, particularly in nature
- Relationships, with ourselves and with others
- What we consume, from nutritional intake to social media and television
Sounds easy enough, right? Let's dive in!
Movement as Self Care
Yeah, yeah, exercise. We've all heard the spiels from our doctors about exercise decreasing blood pressure and cholesterol and all that jazz. But when I started having panic attacks and experiencing serious depression, my doctor doubled down on the importance of exercise for my BRAIN.
How to Feel Better, Component 1: Exercise Every Day
Exercise increases endorphins, improves sleep and lowers cholesterol. It can also cause nerve cells to grow in the hippocampus – where mood is regulated – improving mental health and battling mental illness. That's right, exercise has been known to result in total relief of mood disorders. Cool, huh!?
Exercising in nature offers a double whammy of benefits, as nature has been proven in multiple studies to increase relaxation, reduce stress, lower heart rate, boost cortisol levels and ease muscle tension. As much as I love the gym, I try to exercise outdoors every chance I get – particularly if it's sunny. Vitamin D from the sun naturally regulates immune system function, meaning you're less likely to get sick and more likely to stick with your exercise routine.
The Impact of Relationships
Like many parents, I became extremely isolated after my kids came along. That isolation increased after we started homeschooling and then dove into the general craziness of the last few years. It always made sense to me that lonely people would be a little cranky, but it turns out that relationships play a fundamental, biological role in how we feel.
How to Feel Better, Component 2: Connect with People, and with Yourself
We all know that seeing a loved one is a quick way to boost your mood. Turns out, socially-connected people actually live longer than lonely peers – with dramatically better health scores across the board.Feelings of love for a friend or family member releases dopamine and oxytocin in the brain, two critical chemicals that help us feel more peaceful and happy. This is why well-connected people have more positive emotions and better life satisfaction overall.
Studies at the Scientific American lab have also determined that our relationship with ourself – specifically, feeling like we are being authentically ourselves – leads to improved self esteem and overall well-being. The relationship with ourselves is the most complicated of all, because society often pressures us to abandon our deepest longings and desires in exchange for approval from others. That's a slippery slope, and I urge you to look closely at your relationships to determine if the people around you encourage you to be your true self.
Individual therapy, group therapy, and mindfulness practices such as meditation have helped me dramatically improve my own inner relationship. Those practices have also caused me to become kinder to myself and my body, improving sleep and developing better mental clarity overall. Ultimately, that has resulted in better external relationships as well!
How to Feel Better in a Week with one Step
Okay, exercise and relationships sound great – but can prove very challenging if you live a busy life or are already in a state of un-wellness. Getting the ball rolling slowly (for example, doing minimally impactful exercises 20 minutes a day) can help, but if you're wondering how to feel better FAST? The answer lies in your consumption.
Component 3: Consume Good Things, not Bad Things
I'll just rip the bandaid off here and tell you that discontinuing negative consumption was the most difficult – and most impactful – part of feeling better for me. Same is true for most others I've spoken with.
Stop scrolling social media, stop consuming mindless television, stop eating junk food, and stop poisoning your body and mind with drugs or alcohol.
FULL STOP.
Replace those behaviors with good consumption. This is where it gets fun! You get to enjoy beneficial food, positive psychology, more water, and brain-building activities that infuse joy into your life. When you start using your time, energy and resources to surround yourself with GOOD things, your life simply looks better.
One of the ways I help friends kick off their wellness journeys is with a simple series of packets from my sponsor, Mikra. Mikra's mission as a company is to maximize the healthy years of your life. One of the ways they do that is with an incredible product called CELLF. It's an intensive superblend formula designed to boost energy and mental focus on a cellular level.
Essentially, this is an easy way to achieve many of the benefits of exercise and relationships – very quickly! Over 145 human studies have shown that it has numerous benefits including contributing to optimal neurofunction, boosting energy production and metabolism, protecting heart tissues from stress, reducing inflammatory markers and muscle fatigue – and more.
It comes in a handy little packet comprised of 100% natural ingredients and no added sugar or excess fillers. It has a consistency and appearance kind of like almond butter (but with a bitter aftertaste, so I like to wash mine down with water or a spoonful of honey). This unique delivery system ensures that the CELLF gets through your gut unscathed, delivering nutrients into your cells to ensure bioavailability. Basically, unlike many supplements, your stomach acid won't eat away all the benefits.
You can read all about
CELLF's scientific attributes and exactly how it works here
If you're ready to feel good, CELLF is the perfect way to turn things around, improve your mood, and start feeling your best. It'll help you fight stress hormones, giving you the kick you need on the journey to feeling your best. With that traction, you can do the continual work on your body, your relationships, and your health. Continue supporting your cells, and enjoy a youthful life for as long as possible!