Wake up an hour earlier
Whether it's to meditate, enjoy a lazy breakfast in bed or get active. Research shows that exercise is more effective at improving your mood if you head to the gym in the morning rather than later in the day.
Love your body
Think your stomach could be flatter? Your thighs less wobbly? Using neutral words such as “round” or “soft” instead of “fat” or “flabby” to describe your shape will help you stop judging your body harshly and boost your sense of self-worth.
Buy a bikini
Finding the perfect swimsuit is a summer essential, and the trick is knowing what flatters your figure and wearing it with a big dose of confidence. Try on swim wear as you would lingerie — look for proper shape and support in the cups, with no bulging or gaping. Sit, squat and jump around in the dressing room to make sure it doesn’t ride up or slip off.
Ditch juice fasts
You might have heard they can help you slim down or cleanse your body of harmful toxins, but don’t buy into the hype. There’s simply no scientific evidence to prove that subsisting on juice helps expel waste products from your system. You’ll be denying your body essential nutrients from the foods that you’re not eating, like lean proteins, healthy fats, and whole-grains. And because you’re getting so few kilojoules, you may feel sluggish, dizzy, or irritable — not to mention hungry. You may lose a few kilos, but they’ll return once you start eating real food again.
Try a new sport
Forget the gym — you can sculpt muscle, burn kilojoules and have fun keeping fit outdoors this summer. Try these less conventional fat blasters:
▶ Play beach volleyball 2200kJ
▶ Swim in a dam or lake 1930kJ
▶ Learn fly fishing 1550kJ
▶ Play softball with your kids 1390kJ
▶ Break out the Hula Hoop 1240kJ
▶ Jump on a trampoline 966kJ
▶ Throw a Frisbee 830kJ
▶ Play mini-golf 830kJ
Switch your shampoo
Summer’s salt water, chlorine, extra sweat, and the sun’s UV rays can leave hair brittle and weak. Now’s the time to change to a more hydrating shampoo to keep hair moisturised and soft. To improve shine, rinse hair with the coldest water you can handle after washing.
Wear sunglasses
Choose shades that block both UVA and UVB rays. Research shows that certain foods - like citrus and leafy greens - may help to protect against skin cancer, so make sure you include plenty of these in your meals.
Go Mediterranean
Eat five to six smaller tapas-style meals to keep you feeling fuller and more energised throughout the day. Make sure you include omega-rich foods such as olives, olive oil and fatty fish in these meals as they’ll boost your mood. A US study found that people who included more healthy fats in their diet were less likely to report mild depression. The added bonus? Omega-3 fatty acids can spice up your sex life because they increase the production of dopamine, a brain chemical that enhances pleasure.
Make time for sex
Research has found that sex, not money, wins hands down where happiness is concerned. Want more incentive to steam up your sheets? Research shows that couples who have sex more often — once a week instead of once a month — get an enormous boost in life happiness. The reason? The aftermath of a hot-and-heavy-sex session gives you a rush as potent as any illicit narcotic.
Try a new approach
Many dating books on love and romance advise women to play hard to get, but that may not be the best way to snag “the one”. A US study found that men rated women as even better looking when they were told the women wanted to date them. A woman’s willingness to accept a man into her life affects how that man will perceive her. The bottom line? Let him know you’re into him — you could end up with a partner for life.
Reinvent yourself
Even if it’s just a small change. The happiest and most fulfilled women I know are those who are flexible and allow themselves to change or be reinvented. No, you don’t have to do a 180, but summer’s the perfect time to realise a new you (or a new side of you, at least). It could be as simple as getting a new haircut, or resolving to be the woman who walks into a party and makes a point of getting to know at least two new people.
Star gaze
There’s nothing quite like sitting around a campfire and gazing at the stars to put trivial stresses into perspective. Learning triggers a cascade of biochemicals that gives the brain a feel-good rush. To maximise this effect, expose yourself to something new. And if star-gazing isn’t for you, read that long article you skipped in the newspaper yesterday, or sign up for a new language class.
Make sleep a priority
Trying to accomplish anything without adequate rest can lead to burn out. Cut back on caffeine six hours before bed and do something relaxing like taking a bath or reading to ensure you drift off to sleep quickly. If that doesn’t sound like reason enough to skip staying out until the wee hours of the morning, remember that sleep deprivation has been linked to weight gain.
Be kind to others
Whether it’s helping a frazzled colleague, or buying a coffee for the person in the queue behind you on your morning caffeine run — research shows that doing small good deeds throughout the day will give you a happiness edge. This type of behaviour also has a bunch of other positive spin-offs: it makes you feel good about yourself and it strengthens social bonds, because when you’re generous to others, they appreciate you even more and show their gratitude by being generous to you in return.
Get creative
Have you abandoned your dream of becoming a photographer? Here’s new motivation to dig out that old camera and get snapping. People who engage in something artistic on a weekly basis enjoy a stronger sense of community, feel better emotionally and experience a higher quality of life than those who don’t. So whether it’s needle-work, painting, or playing the trumpet, it’s time to start indulging your creative side.
Relax
Set aside at least 15 minutes a day for no-distractions relaxation to counter work and lifestyle stress. Research shows that people with higher stress levels are more likely to put on weight than their less-anxious counterparts, even if their diet and exercise habits are similar. Chronic anxiety floods your body with the stress hormone cortisol, which triggers appetite (often for sweets and fatty foods) and causes your body to store more of the kilojoules you eat as fat, particularly around your tummy.
Turn envy into inspiration
Do you find yourself turning green when you see women who are in great shape or who seem to be able to juggle a thousand tasks with a smile? Jealousy is self-defeating and can make you seek solace in something potentially destructive, such as alcohol or junk food. Rather than envy her, find out how she did it and try her tips.
Watch your favourite romantic comedy
We already know that laughter’s the best medicine, but even anticipating a laugh can boost feel-good endorphins by as much as 30 percent. What’s more, its effects can last up to 24 hours. Buy your favourite chick flicks on DVD, so you’ll have a mood elevating strategy on stand-by.
Treat yourself kindly
A measure of good mental health is the ability to treat yourself kindly. People with this trait accept everyday disappointments as a natural part of life, rather than as a negative reflection on themselves. The next time you’re tempted to be hard on yourself, think of how you’d respond to a friend in the same boat.
Source: http://www.shapemag.co.za/your_health/your_body/article.php?article_id=261
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