Prioritize the first 15-40 minutes of your day by waking early and starting with your phone on airplane mode. This routine can include 10-15 minutes of meditation, 2-10 minutes of light movement, and positive affirmations to cultivate calm and reduce reactivity throughout the day, leading to benefits like increased presence and calmness.
Actively schedule and prioritize time for self-care, as it will not happen otherwise due to the endless demands of modern life. Recognizing that your to-do list is never truly done, intentionally block out time for activities that nourish you.
Prioritize meaningful connection in your most important relationships by putting your phone away when with friends, partners, or children. Even 10-15 minutes of focused interaction without phone distraction can foster deeper presence and connection.
Utilize your lunch break to switch off from technology by putting your phone away and taking a 5-10 minute walk without it. This allows your brain to disengage, generate ideas, and solve problems more effectively, reducing micro stress doses.
Actively seek out and engage with nature, as it is expansive and forces you to look outwards, contrasting with technology’s inward gaze. This engagement is a powerful antidote to stress and helps guard digital borders.
To lower cortisol levels, look at fractals found in nature (like lakes, trees, or raindrops) or even pictures of nature. Human beings are hardwired to respond well to nature, and this simple act can activate parts of the brain that regulate emotions.
Reconnect with old hobbies or passions that used to bring you joy, even if they seem small. This can be truly transformative, reducing stress and creating positive knock-on benefits in other areas of your life, such as work and family.
Prioritize and nurture real-life friendships by seeing friends in person, as this is not a luxury but an absolute biological necessity for your health. Deep, meaningful human connection helps combat loneliness and reduces stress.
Actively seek and prioritize human touch, as it is a biological necessity that can lower stress levels. Touch fibers on the skin feed the emotional brain, and human touch alone has been shown to reduce stress.
Avoid exposure to blue light from technology for 90 minutes before going to sleep. This practice is a key principle for improving sleep quality and overall health.
Consider taking a nutrient-dense whole foods supplement, such as Athletic Greens, each morning as an insurance policy if you find it difficult to meet all your nutritional needs from food alone. This provides vitamins, minerals, prebiotics, and digestive enzymes.