I made a decision that I wished to begin a brand new month-to-month sequence with you all. These will share a number of the highlights, discoveries, and small issues I’ve been experimenting with these days. Generally these are new instruments or merchandise I’m testing, typically they’re small habits which can be making a distinction. Generally it’s simply little issues which can be making my life extra joyful.
These are issues I’m personally utilizing and discovering helpful proper now. Nevertheless, I hope they spark concepts so that you can experiment with in your personal life.
This August, my listing features a useful monitoring app, night gentle instruments, and a brand new drink that’s develop into part of my day by day routine. Plus how I’m releasing stress in my physique and thoughts with some actually useful instruments throughout a tricky season.
Right here’s what I’m loving proper now!
1. dminder: Daylight, Vitamin D, & Circadian Help
Vitamin D has been some of the studied vitamins within the final decade, but many people aren’t getting sufficient. It’s technically a hormone and performs a task in immune well being, bone power, hormone stability, and even temper. Research present low vitamin D ranges imply increased an infection threat, fatigue, and sure persistent diseases.
The very best supply of vitamin D for many of us remains to be the solar. Personally I’ve discovered that vitamin D dietary supplements do nothing to enhance my examined vitamin D ranges. Understanding how a lot solar is satisfactory (with out overdoing it and burning) could be difficult. That’s the place I like utilizing the dminder app. You set in your location, pores and skin tone, time of 12 months, and the way a lot pores and skin is uncovered. Then it helps estimate how a lot vitamin D you’re making from daylight.
I’ve discovered it to be a useful instrument for dialing in on secure solar publicity. Latest analysis factors in the direction of sunburn as a threat issue for pores and skin most cancers, not wholesome gentle publicity. Protected, gradual publicity not solely helps vitamin D synthesis but additionally helps regulate circadian rhythm, serotonin, and melatonin.
These are a few of my non-negotiables in my day by day routine:
- Morning daylight to set my circadian rhythms and assist me really feel awake and sleep higher
- Noon daylight to maximise vitamin D and different advantages with out burning
- Night daylight to inform my physique it’s time to wind down and at no cost crimson gentle
The dminder app makes it simple to trace that stability with out overthinking it.
2. White Salt Lamp
I’ve talked rather a lot earlier than about how gentle is simply as impactful as meals or dietary supplements on the subject of well being. Our our bodies are wired to answer pure gentle cues, and fashionable synthetic lighting usually disrupts that rhythm. Particularly the brilliant blue gentle from screens, flickering LEDs, and overhead bulbs after sundown.
We’ve all the time had Himalayan salt lamps in our home, however these days I picked up a good looking white salt lamp. It provides off a smooth, heat glow and is extra impartial with out the orange tone. It helps me wind down at night time whereas I’m studying and enjoyable.
When our eyes see blue gentle at night time (like most lightbulbs and screens) it suppresses our melatonin manufacturing. This makes it tougher to go to sleep and keep asleep. Heat, low-level gentle (like firelight or a salt lamp) doesn’t have this impact. I’ve been pairing this lamp with blue-light-blocking glasses in my bed room within the night.
It’s a easy behavior, however one which’ introduced me lots of pleasure and helps sign to my mind it’s time to wind down. That is the white salt lamp that I’ve.
3. Slacka for Clear Power
Espresso will all the time have a particular place in my coronary heart, however I’m all the time on the lookout for wholesome alternate options. An excessive amount of caffeine could cause jitters and nervousness for a lot of (myself included). My buddy David created a brand new useful well being drink and it’s develop into a favourite. It’s like ingesting a wholesome soda that provides me a day power increase in a gentler manner with out the jitters.
As a substitute of caffeine, Slacka makes use of paraxanthine, a pure caffeine metabolite. Whenever you drink espresso, your physique breaks caffeine down into paraxanthine, which is definitely what supplies lots of the focus and power advantages. By skipping the center step, Slacka provides you the clear, regular increase with out a number of the downsides individuals expertise from espresso. Like racing coronary heart, sleep disruption, or that “wired however drained” feeling.
I really like that it additionally has electrolytes for mobile hydration and 5-HTP to assist stabilize temper. It additionally has pure compounds that help the physique’s personal GLP manufacturing. This interprets to decreased cravings and higher blood sugar stability
For me, it looks like a smoother, extra centered model of caffeine. Plus it doesn’t appear to have an effect on my sleep once I drink it within the afternoon. Paraxanthine is a more recent development, however I wouldn’t be stunned if it turns into the following huge factor in useful well being.
You may try Slacka and take a look at it for your self right here.
4. Facial Fascia Launch
It looks like increasingly more individuals are speaking about fascia these days. In case you’ve ever had tight shoulders or knots in your again, you’ve skilled tight fascia first hand. Our physique’s connective tissue can maintain stress, sort of like a nasty reminiscence. I’ve not too long ago discovered fascia within the face can do the identical factor.
There are totally different methods obtainable however I’ve discovered a program that focuses on facial fascia launch. It’s been surprisingly transformative and I actually really feel like Savannah is aware of her stuff. Utilizing light instruments and methods, I’ve been capable of launch stress I didn’t even understand I used to be holding in my face.
Right here’s what I’ve observed thus far:
- A lot much less stress between my eyebrows (these “11” strains)
- A delicate elevate in my face general
- Decreased jaw tightness
- Higher sinus drainage
Fascia is sort of a internet that surrounds and helps our muscle tissue, nerves, and organs. When it will get tight or “caught,” it restricts motion and blood circulate. Releasing it improves circulation, lymphatic circulate, and even nerve communication. Within the face, that interprets into each rest and visual modifications.
Better of all, it feels so good. Doing this at night time with my salt lamp on has develop into certainly one of my favourite calming rituals. You may try this system I’ve been utilizing and fascia instruments right here.
5. Speedy Emotional Rewiring: A Thoughts Reset
Ever want you could possibly simply hit the rewind button on life? Whereas time journey nonetheless isn’t potential, Speedy Emotional Rewiring will be the subsequent neatest thing.
On a deeper and extra private notice, the previous few months have been a number of the hardest of my life. One instrument that’s actually supported me throughout this season is one thing known as Speedy Emotional Rewiring.
Not like conventional remedy, this course of is extra of a neurological reset. It makes use of guided methods to assist shift the mind out of outdated, looping patterns that hold us caught. Many individuals describe it as feeling like the load of months of speak remedy condensed right into a single session. Personally I didn’t discover a lot enchancment with conventional speak remedy.
What I’ve appreciated most is that it’s easy and doesn’t require lots of psychological power. Throughout my hardest days, I didn’t have bandwidth for journaling or prolonged practices, however I may do that. Even one session left me feeling lighter and fewer reactive.
Proper now, there are a restricted variety of free 30-minute periods obtainable (together with a easy five-day at-home program). You may test this system out for your self right here.
Closing Ideas on August Favorites
This month’s favorites could seem to be an eclectic combine however I’ve observed a typical thread. These easy, constant shifts can ripple into huge modifications over time. Every of those additions to my routine has helped me really feel extra supported and introduced extra pleasure into my day by day rhythms. I’m discovering increasingly more that it’s not the large, flashy modifications that take advantage of distinction however the easy ones.
What are a few of your favourite issues proper now? What instruments or rituals are making life really feel extra joyful for you? Go away a remark and let me know!
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