Small Changes in Health Habits Make a Big Difference Amid the whirlwind of fall activities and holiday celebrations, it can be easy to forget about healthy habits. You may be tempted to put your health on the back burner, thinking that you'll worry about it when January comes. Don't! While autumn may be a challenging time to make sweeping changes in your lifestyle, you can enact small changes that will increase your energy. If you find that you aren't feeling quite right, try making changes in one of these areas: Go for a Walk. If you could do something that would only take ten minutes here and there in your day--ten minutes that would increase your energy, help you focus, clear your head, and release the tension in your head and neck muscles--would you carve out those ten minutes? Research has proven that walking ten minutes three times a day makes a big health difference. Doesn't ten minutes seem less daunting and more doable than an hour or even forty-five minutes? Ten minutes is better than none. Start walking. Get More Sleep. Sleep is another area where small changes can make a huge difference. When you get busy, where do you find more time--from your sleep time? I had one client who continued carving out sleep time until she was getting up at 4:30 a.m. each morning to juggle her day. My first assignment for her was to force herself to stay in bed until 5:00 or 5:30 a.m., even if it meant giving up some workout time. She still marvels at what a difference this change has made in her patience and energy level. (So does her staff.) Figure out how to make more time for exercise. Go to bed earlier and wake up more refreshed. Drink More Water. Drinking water is a good example of a small choice that makes a big difference. My friend and neighbor, Raleigh, is six foot seven inches, two hundred fifty pounds. He loved a certain green soda. Whenever I saw him he was drinking one, even on the treadmill at the health club. I lovingly reminded him that he might want to consider cutting down on the green stuff, but alas, he enjoyed it too much. Raleigh felt lethargic and tired all the time, despite working out daily--and drinking twelve to fourteen cans every day for the boost! He knew better; however, he ignored his body's warning signs that something was amiss. The picture changed when Raleigh developed a kidney stone and experienced the worst pain of his life. He was told to reduce or take soft drinks out of his diet and drink lots of water every day. Several weeks out of the hospital he told me, "I can't believe what a difference it makes. My skin is clearer, I have more energy, and I'm sleeping better than I think I ever have, plus I don't have constant heartburn." Drinking water is one of those little things that make a big difference in your energy and health. Do it before you experience a kidney stone or other health challenge. A safe bet is to drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day. An easy way to keep track is to drink three 24-ounce bottles of water (or any of the other large containers of bottled water). Now, don't scream, but also keep in mind that for every dehydrated beverage you have like coffee or soft drinks, you need to replace it with one to two glasses of water. If that tip just sent you over to the "I quit" side, start small. Just try having the bottles or containers of water around and drink what you can. Anything more is better. Every so often, I see articles or book reviews saying Americans don't need to drink as much water as is typically recommended, and I groan. The number of people who over-consume water would be so few and far between, I'll venture to say, "Just drink more water!" Besides, it makes more sense to fill your stomach with water than unhealthy snacks and foods. excerpt from Progress Not Perfection: Your Journey Matters by Kate Larsen (Expert Publishing Inc.: 2007 ) ----- Great Resource I am excited to share with you an awesome online resource for testing your personal values and strengths, gratitude, happiness, job satisfaction and other important attributes of your life. And, you can do these with your children! These are powerful conversation starter exercises for you, your family and friends. Best of all, they are at a perfect price. Guess what that is? http://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/Default.aspx ----- Have you ordered your copy of Progress Not Perfection yet? If you enjoy the messages conveyed each month in this ezine, you’ll love the book. Go to http://www.katelarsen.com/products.html to order a copy for yourself and a friend. If you want me to sign it to you or someone else, put a note in your order and I’ll be happy to take care of it. Kate Larsen, PCC http://www.katelarsen.com http://www.wellcoaches.com/kate.larsen Phone: 952-943-1430 Author of Progress Not Perfection: Your Journey Matters Executive coach for The Ken Blanchard Companies Faculty, advisor, mentor and executive coach for Wellcoaches Corp.