The New Year is here!
Are you back into the thick of it after the holiday season? Starting off the new year we often set goals and aspirations of exercising and eating healthy, committing ourselves to make big changes only to find we let ourselves down.
How about committing yourself to small changes? Avoid getting caught up in what you want to be different, but instead focus on how you want to be different. How do you want to feel? What things do you want to experience? We share some journal prompts in our monthly newsletter (Sign up here!). Check them out to help you feel intentionally motivated as we start off this new year.
Journaling is one small thing that you can add to your daily routine that is backed by science. It made the list of 8 brand new studies and research about simple changes you can make that have huge benefits in your life.
This research introduced me to a couple of new concepts that I have already started implementing and the best part? For as little as 3 seconds a day you can make a difference!
…..wait….what?..... 3 seconds!?!
Did you know that listening to the sound of song birds singing for only 3 seconds can boost your mood for up to 8 hours? I instantly thought well, that’s a no brainer. Can it be that easy? Apparently it can.
I am now on the hunt for how to add birds singing as the new sound for my alarm every morning and it's one more reason to look forward to spring. The sound of the birds are one of my favourite things
about living out in the country and it one of many things you can experience when you escape for a day or weekend with us.
Listening for the birds is also a way to be mindful which is the subject of another new research study. Research shows that mindfulness can reduce your anxiety by 30%.
There are many ways to add mindfulness into your day. It can be as simple as taking one minute to pause and take some deep breaths. Try noticing what's around you, like the birds singing for example, what else can you notice? What do you see, what do you smell, what do you hear, how does the material of your shirt feel on your skin...take a minute while you are eating and pay attention as you chew your food; really experience what you are tasting, how it feels on your tongue, the texture….is it salty or sweet? Spicy? Hot or cold?
The other classic area we usually set resolutions for every new year is exercise and guess what? Research is showing that you can combine mindfulness with building muscle mass in, you guessed it, as little as 3 seconds.
It's called eccentric movement. What is that? It is basically focusing more on the resistance in your movements.
The example that Mel Robbins gives in her podcast that presents all of this new research is sitting down in your chair slowly and hovering for a few seconds just above the chair before you sit down.
Researchers say that simply taking 3 seconds to sit down slowly every time you sit in a chair will build muscle mass. Sweet! And slowing down and focusing on the movement of sitting down in the chair is being mindful.
To find out more about these and the other studies that cover topics such as the benefits of guilty pleasures and the secret to studying for and doing better on tests, tune in to Mel Robbins Podcast episode: "Brand New Research: 8 Simple & Surprising Changes That Improve Your Life"
At White Trees we love to slow things down and take time to appreciate the small things. Help you with making the small changes.
Check out our website and add a visit our way to your list of things to do this year!
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