About three years ago, I wrote a series of articles called Sleep Better Now that described how to get the best night's sleep possible. I just re-read these articles and almost every detail and habit I've explained is still being practiced by me to this day. Over three years, I have made some minor tweaks and improvements from trying new recommendations and based on what I've learned from my data. Those upgrades (new tools, tactics, and habits) are divulged here...
Read moreImplementing Small Habits to Create Big Change
I’ve learned and grown more in 2015 than in any year prior and am truly grateful for all the experiences I've had. In some ways, I feel like I've evolved as a person more in this year than all prior years combined. I spent a lot of time on myself - reflecting, meditating, reading, writing, dreaming, planning, and executing. The year went by incredibly fast, but at the same time, I feel like I put so much into it and was able to get even more out of it. This is, without a doubt, the direct result of the habits I created based on the goals I set at the beginning of the year.
Read moreUpgrade Your Health and Happiness with Gratitude
Skimming through your social media feeds during the holiday season, especially the week of Thanksgiving, you might think that every one of your peers is constantly brimming with joy and thankfulness due to their countless blessings. But, let’s be honest, this is only a once-annual occurrence for most people. Thanks to the obligatory status updates and bombardment of turkey day marketing, we’re all reminded that it’s time to express our gratitude.
Over-commercialism and Hallmark-ism aside, I think it’s great to have a national holiday in which we are encouraged to be thankful for what we have and those around us. The tradition of sharing this day with family over a large meal is one I truly enjoy (in particular, the socially acceptable binge eating), and I’m sure I’m not the only one that really looks forward to it. However, there is mounting evidence showing that expressing gratitude regularly has a profound impact on overall health and happiness. Perhaps giving thanks should be a daily ritual as opposed to a yearly tradition (minus the food coma).
Read moreHacking Your Hangover: A How-To Guide for Prevention and Recovery that Works
Brace yourselves... The holidays are coming. All those upcoming celebrations and gatherings - Halloween (the entire weekend for many people), Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, New Years, and more - bring with them many opportunities to consume copious amounts of alcohol with friends and family. It's true that drinking alcohol, especially on a regular basis, can sabotage your health, performance, and longevity goals. However, enjoying yourself on the infrequent special occasion won't completely derail your ambitions, especially when done right. Inevitably, after an evening of enjoying alcohol, hangovers ensue sapping us of our energy, health, cognitive performance, and holiday spirits. Follow my advice, and you will minimize your headache, hangover, and regrets while still having fun.
Read moreSleep Better Now (Part 4) - The Bedtime Ritual
Evenings and nights should be a time to relax, hang out with family or friends, indulge in a hobby or form of entertainment… Generally, just some time for yourself to unwind from the day. Just like my mornings, my nightly ritual takes up a set amount of time. This organized set of habits has enabled me to end my day strong, wind down completely, and fall asleep the moment my head hits the pillow...
Read moreSleep Better Now (Part 2) - Nutrition and Sleep
Over time, I implemented good daily habits that contribute to getting a great night’s sleep and waking up feeling fully recharged. These habits start from the moment I wake up and continue throughout every part of the day. In Part 1, I discuss in detail my morning routine, how it sets me up to have an amazing day, and why it is the foundation to sleeping well that night. To very quickly recap: I am gently woken up by a Sleep Cycle alarm, then I stretch, drink water, journal, meditate, drink more water, drink coffee, read my daily affirmations, exercise, get some sunlight, and shower. In this article, I focus on diet, supplements, and more to help you get an amazing night of sleep...
Read moreSleep Better Now (Part 1) - Starting Your Day for Better Sleep
Lack of quality sleep is worse than Kryptonite
Sleep, especially of the high-quality variety, is so important to overall health and well-being that it cannot be emphasized enough. In fact, I will go as far as to say that if you had to choose one thing in your life to improve - between diet, exercise, continual learning, etc. - I would say choose sleep. Getting a good night’s sleep is paramount to improving brain function, performance, looking good, longevity, and happiness.
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