I made a decision that I wished to start out a brand new month-to-month collection with you all. These will share a number of the highlights, discoveries, and small issues I’ve been experimenting with currently. Typically these are new instruments or merchandise I’m testing, generally they’re small habits which might be making a distinction. Typically it’s simply little issues which might 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 record features a useful monitoring app, night gentle instruments, and a brand new drink that’s turn into part of my each day routine. Plus how I’m releasing pressure 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 one of the vital studied vitamins within the final decade, but many people aren’t getting sufficient. It’s technically a hormone and performs a job in immune well being, bone energy, hormone stability, and even temper. Research present low vitamin D ranges imply larger an infection danger, fatigue, and sure persistent sicknesses.
The perfect supply of vitamin D for many of us continues 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) will be tough. That’s the place I like utilizing the dminder app. You place in your location, pores and skin tone, time of yr, 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 protected solar publicity. Latest analysis factors in direction of sunburn as a danger issue for pores and skin most cancers, not wholesome gentle publicity. Secure, 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 each 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 in the case of well being. Our our bodies are wired to answer pure gentle cues, and fashionable synthetic lighting typically disrupts that rhythm. Particularly the intense blue gentle from screens, flickering LEDs, and overhead bulbs after sundown.
We’ve at all times had Himalayan salt lamps in our home, however currently I picked up a fantastic white salt lamp. It offers off a mushy, 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 a number 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 Vitality
Espresso will at all times have a particular place in my coronary heart, however I’m at all times searching for wholesome options. An excessive amount of caffeine could cause jitters and nervousness for a lot of (myself included). My buddy David created a brand new practical well being drink and it’s turn into a favourite. It’s like consuming a wholesome soda that provides me a day vitality enhance in a gentler means with out the jitters.
As an alternative of caffeine, Slacka makes use of paraxanthine, a pure caffeine metabolite. Once you drink espresso, your physique breaks caffeine down into paraxanthine, which is definitely what supplies lots of the focus and vitality advantages. By skipping the center step, Slacka offers you the clear, regular enhance with out a number of the downsides individuals expertise from espresso. Like racing coronary heart, sleep disruption, or that “wired however drained” feeling.
I like that it additionally has electrolytes for mobile hydration and 5-HTP to assist stabilize temper. It additionally has pure compounds that assist the physique’s personal GLP manufacturing. This interprets to decreased cravings and higher blood sugar stability
For me, it appears like a smoother, extra centered model of caffeine. Plus it doesn’t appear to have an effect on my sleep after I drink it within the afternoon. Paraxanthine is a more recent pattern, however I wouldn’t be shocked if it turns into the following massive factor in practical well being.
You’ll be able to try Slacka and take a look at it for your self right here.
4. Facial Fascia Launch
It looks like increasingly individuals are speaking about fascia currently. Should 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 pressure, sort of like a foul reminiscence. I’ve not too long ago discovered fascia within the face can do the identical factor.
There are completely different methods out there 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 mild instruments and methods, I’ve been capable of launch pressure I didn’t even understand I used to be holding in my face.
Right here’s what I’ve seen up to now:
- A lot much less pressure between my eyebrows (these “11” traces)
- A refined elevate in my face total
- Diminished jaw tightness
- Higher sinus drainage
Fascia is sort of a net 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 leisure and visual modifications.
Better of all, it feels so good. Doing this at night time with my salt lamp on has turn into one in every of my favourite calming rituals. You’ll be able to try this system I’ve been utilizing and fascia instruments right here.
5. Speedy Emotional Rewiring: A Thoughts Reset
Ever want you might simply hit the rewind button on life? Whereas time journey nonetheless isn’t potential, Speedy Emotional Rewiring would be the subsequent smartest thing.
On a deeper and extra private observe, 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 referred to as Speedy Emotional Rewiring.
In contrast to 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 a number of psychological vitality. 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 out there (together with a easy five-day at-home program). You’ll be able to verify this system out for your self right here.
Last Ideas on August Favorites
This month’s favorites might look like an eclectic combine however I’ve seen a standard thread. These easy, constant shifts can ripple into massive modifications over time. Every of those additions to my routine has helped me really feel extra supported and introduced extra pleasure into my each day rhythms. I’m discovering increasingly that it’s not the massive, 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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