Avoid checking social media and emails first thing in the morning, even before getting out of bed, to prevent a bombardment of dopamine-driven distractions and start the day in a much lighter way.
Commit to a consistent daily meditation practice, ideally in the morning, by anchoring it to an existing habit like brushing teeth or showering, to make it much easier to groove into a healthy habit.
View meditation as a form of mental fitness, similar to going to the gym, to strengthen your attention muscle rather than trying to clear your mind, which helps overcome common misconceptions.
Actively control your home environment by making sure negative cues that trigger unhealthy habits are not present, and conversely, by putting healthy cues into your environment to help establish desired habits.
Recognize that simple lifestyle changes, such as getting more sleep or meditating, are not silver bullets in isolation, but their benefits compound significantly when combined across different areas of your life.
During meditation, when thoughts inevitably arise, acknowledge them and gently move them away, returning your focus to a constant like your breath, to strengthen your attention muscle through repeated practice.
Dedicate a period, starting with one or two hours and building up to half a day or a full day, to be completely screen-free, leaving your phone at home to allow your mind to rest, daydream, and feel like you’ve had a holiday.
Consciously think of things you are grateful for, such as friends, sunshine, or a warm bed, especially when struggling to sleep, to calm your mind and improve your mood by breaking negative thought cycles.
If you struggle to unwind at night, listen to sleep stories that combine breathing exercises, soothing music, sound effects, and slow narratives, as they are specifically designed to help switch off a whirring brain and aid sleep.
Introduce children to meditation and mindfulness, even for just one minute at the start of the school day, to help them strengthen resilience, increase compassion, and improve sleep.
Consciously choose to walk down the street or in public spaces without looking at your phone to be more present, avoid accidents, and give your mind a chance to rest and observe.
To start improving your health, pick just one lifestyle change and commit to practicing it consistently for one week to observe how you feel and understand its impact on your well-being.
When using a meditation app on your smartphone, switch it to airplane mode to prevent external bombardments from messages or notifications, ensuring an undisturbed and focused practice.
Understand that forming new, life-changing habits is not easy and requires perseverance, but the effort is worthwhile as these habits will positively impact every different area of your life.
Explore the scientific backing and neuroscience behind meditation to overcome preconceptions that it is ‘woo woo’ or religious, realizing its real potential to rewire your brain.
Begin your meditation practice slowly, even with just a few seconds of conscious breathing, and gradually increase the duration over time, similar to training for a marathon.
Utilize the Daily Calm feature in the Calm app, which provides a unique 10-minute meditation every day around a different theme, making it easier and more engaging to maintain a meditation practice.