The Joe Dickinson Team
Written by Zac Czikowsky
We often worry about outside influences that may impact our work, like traffic jams, a broken coffee maker, or poor weather. While these things can absolutely be annoying, often we don’t consider the internal factors that can seriously alter our moods.
Having a healthy, successful life starts from within. When we think about why we aren’t working to our potential, or when why we have trouble focussing, or why we’re always tired, we may not be considering three major influences on our lives: our sleep, our exercise, and our nutrition.
Sleep is the catalyst to a successful life. Bill Gates, one of the most successful men in the 20th century, tries to get at least 7 hours of sleep each night. Sleep is one of the most important aspects of your life for maintaining a healthy, functioning brain. According to numerous studies, sleep deprivation affects how the cells in your brain communicate with each other, and prevents the neurons in your brain from functioning correctly.
One aspect where sleep deprivation can be seen is in commercial trucking. One of the most common causes of big-rig driving accidents is that the drivers have not had adequate sleep. Sleep deprivation can affect the brain in the same way drinking too much alcohol can, and yet we have no way to test the sleep routines of drivers in the same way that we can target drunk drivers on the road.
Our advice? Make sure to get at least 7 hours of uninterrupted sleep each night, and you’ll see an improvement in your mood and brain function!
Often, you get out what you put in. This is true when working on a project, or working out in the gym. When you put in the work, you’ll find that your project will turn out great. When you put in the effort, you find that your ideal body will begin to develop.
The same montra is true for the food that you put into your body. If you are constantly eating fried food, processed meats, or fast food, you’ll find that you’re often tired, you’ll experience mood swings, and your mind won’t function as quickly and efficiently as before.
The best way to improve your life is to improve your diet. Trade those fried foods for organic fruits and vegetables from your local food stand. Substitute red meat for healthy protein like chicken, fish, and nuts. If you love to snack, replace those unhealthy potato crisps for healthier alternatives, my personal favorite snack is a bag of lightly salted almonds (emphasis on “lightly” salted, make sure to check the sodium content!).
If you need a place to start, we recommend a baby step. Take two days, such as Tuesday and Thursday, where you eat a salad for lunch and refuse to eat any fried food. These two days may need seem like a huge leap, but that’s the point. If you start small, you’ll begin to build a healthy habit that you can build on.
Humans were built for movement, which is why exercise is a huge part of healthy living. For people like me who don’t like to go to the gym, there are easy ways to get moving each week. If you’re close enough, try riding a bicycle to work twice a week. Make sure to walk to lunch each day. Do a few push-ups and sit-ups each morning until it becomes a new norm, as it will wake you up and also will build muscle.
You don’t need to become a professional body-builder to live a healthy life; you don’t even need to waste money on a gym membership! Simple steps can really make a difference when it comes to exercising, all you need to do is take that first step!
The secret to a healthier life isn’t really a secret, it simply starts internally. Make sure to get plenty of sleep, start eating healthier, and take steps to get more exercise, and you’ll find you have more energy, brain power, and a better mood overall!
