How to up your vibe in 5 easy steps

It has been a hard year for everyone. The so-called “new normal” has seen millions of people struggling financially, with their mental health and with their physical health. It has also brought to light an awful lot of toxicity from the “old normal”.

One of these is the idea that “wellness” as a concept should be punishing. You may be wondering what we mean by this, but consider the idea that eating food you like is considered “sinful”, that forcing yourself to do endless cardio is virtuous and that every aspect of your life should be, in some way, quantified, qualified and counted.

This is not a fast-track to health.

It is yet another way in which the human brain tries to take control of its surroundings. Wellness should be holistic. It should be about feeling good, as much as health. It should never be about punishing yourself.

There seems to be a trend over who is suffering the most because people appear to believe that suffering is equal to hard work and therefore respect. But hey: You could be the ideal fat percentage and muscle density, but if you feel miserable and unfulfilled inside, what is the point?

Here are 5 ways you can achieve mental wellness, which you should be focusing on as well as your fitness and diet regime.

1. Stay hydrated
This is really important, guys. So many people, on their normal working days, forget to drink water regularly. Severe dehydration can cause the brain to contract slightly, which can cause headaches and nausea.

You should drink 11.5 cups of water over a 24 hour period. This will keep your skin clear, your brain working and your body moving. If you are someone who forgets, try setting alarms on your phone for hourly intervals.

2. Fix your circadian rhythms
Do you find yourself staying up until 4am gaming or watching videos every night, as a result of lockdown, only to groggily and guiltily stagger through the next day, not fully present or able to focus on your tasks?

Work out what is behind your desire to scroll and start working on earlier bedtimes. It is important you aim for 8 hours of sleep per night, because that is when your body repairs itself and grows.

3. Spend some time outside
This can be difficult if you live in a city, but being outdoors has got healing effects on your body and soul. Go to a park, take a stroll (even if it’s raining! You can bring an umbrella!) and spend some time people-watching. Just existing for a while, disconnected from your to-do list and electronics can be a really healing thing to do.

4. Move your body!
This is not restricted to workouts - there are other ways you can move your body that get blood and endorphins flowing, for those good feelings! Stick on your favorite song and dance around your home. Vacuum the stairs (and kill two birds with one stone). Walk your pets. Cycle to your destinations instead of driving.

All of this will help you to up your vibe, and get you buzzing. If you do want to workout, we have the perfect BCAA's and Protein Powders to help you get the most out of it.

5. Help others
It is true. Making another person smile will actually brighten your day too. With so much negativity in the world right now, the best thing you can do is put some positivity into it. Things you can do:

• Check on your friends: remind them that it’s okay not to be okay and that they are allowed to have feelings.
• Compliment someone genuinely about a quality you know they have been working on. If someone has been learning to dance, tell them how well they are doing. If someone has been getting into painting, tell them how much you love their work!
• Do housework without being asked. Now that will definitely brighten someone’s day.

And there you have it! 5 simple things you can do to make yourself feel good inside.