I made a decision that I needed to begin a brand new month-to-month sequence with you all. These will share among the highlights, discoveries, and small issues I’ve been experimenting with these days. Typically these are new instruments or merchandise I’m testing, typically they’re small habits which are making a distinction. Typically it’s simply little issues which are making my life extra joyful.
These are issues I’m personally utilizing and discovering useful proper now. Nevertheless, I hope they spark concepts so that you can experiment with in your personal life.
This August, my record features a useful monitoring app, night gentle instruments, and a brand new drink that’s grow to be part of my every day routine. Plus how I’m releasing stress in my physique and thoughts with some actually useful instruments throughout a tricky season.
Right here’s what I’m loving proper now!
1. dminder: Daylight, Vitamin D & Circadian Help
Vitamin D has been one of the crucial studied vitamins within the final decade, but many people aren’t getting sufficient. It’s technically a hormone and performs a task in immune well being, bone energy, hormone stability, and even temper. Research present low vitamin D ranges imply increased an infection danger, fatigue, and sure power sicknesses.
The most effective supply of vitamin D for many of us remains to be the solar. Personally I’ve discovered that vitamin D dietary supplements do nothing to enhance my examined vitamin D ranges. Realizing how a lot solar is enough (with out overdoing it and burning) could be tough. That’s the place I like utilizing the dminder app. You set in your location, pores and skin tone, time of yr, and the way a lot pores and skin is uncovered. Then it helps estimate how a lot vitamin D you’re making from daylight.
I’ve discovered it to be a useful instrument for dialing in on secure solar publicity. Latest analysis factors in the direction of sunburn as a danger issue for pores and skin most cancers, not wholesome gentle publicity. Protected, gradual publicity not solely helps vitamin D synthesis but additionally helps regulate circadian rhythm, serotonin, and melatonin.
These are a few of my non-negotiables in my every day routine:
- Morning daylight to set my circadian rhythms and assist me really feel awake and sleep higher
- Noon daylight to maximise vitamin D and different advantages with out burning
- Night daylight to inform my physique it’s time to wind down and without spending a dime purple gentle
The dminder app makes it simple to trace that stability with out overthinking it.
2. White Salt Lamp
I’ve talked lots earlier than about how gentle is simply as impactful as meals or dietary supplements on the subject of well being. Our our bodies are wired to reply to pure gentle cues, and fashionable synthetic lighting typically disrupts that rhythm. Particularly the intense blue gentle from screens, flickering LEDs, and overhead bulbs after sundown.
We’ve all the time had Himalayan salt lamps in our home, however these days I picked up a gorgeous white salt lamp. It provides off a gentle, heat glow and is extra impartial with out the orange tone. It helps me wind down at evening whereas I’m studying and enjoyable.
When our eyes see blue gentle at evening (like most lightbulbs and screens) it suppresses our melatonin manufacturing. This makes it tougher to go to sleep and keep asleep. Heat, low-level gentle (like firelight or a salt lamp) doesn’t have this impact. I’ve been pairing this lamp with blue-light-blocking glasses in my bed room within the night.
It’s a easy behavior, however one which’ introduced me a number of pleasure and helps sign to my mind it’s time to wind down. That is the white salt lamp that I’ve.
3. Slacka For Clear Power
Espresso will all the time have a particular place in my coronary heart, however I’m all the time in search of wholesome alternate options. An excessive amount of caffeine could cause jitters and anxiousness for a lot of (myself included). My pal David created a brand new useful well being drink and it’s grow to be a favourite. It’s like ingesting a wholesome soda that offers me a day vitality enhance in a gentler means with out the jitters.
As an alternative of caffeine, Slacka makes use of paraxanthine, a pure caffeine metabolite. While you drink espresso, your physique breaks caffeine down into paraxanthine, which is definitely what gives most of the focus and vitality advantages. By skipping the center step, Slacka provides you the clear, regular enhance with out among the downsides folks expertise from espresso. Like racing coronary heart, sleep disruption, or that “wired however drained” feeling.
I really like that it additionally has electrolytes for mobile hydration and 5-HTP to assist stabilize temper. It additionally has pure compounds that help the physique’s personal GLP manufacturing. This interprets to lowered cravings and higher blood sugar stability
For me, it looks like a smoother, extra targeted model of caffeine. Plus it doesn’t appear to have an effect on my sleep once I drink it within the afternoon. Paraxanthine is a more moderen pattern, however I wouldn’t be stunned if it turns into the subsequent huge factor in useful well being.
You may take a look at Slacka and take a look at it for your self right here.
4. Facial Fascia Launch
It looks as if an increasing number of persons are speaking about fascia these days. For those who’ve ever had tight shoulders or knots in your again, you’ve skilled tight fascia first hand. Our physique’s connective tissue can maintain stress, form of like a nasty reminiscence. I’ve not too long ago realized fascia within the face can do the identical factor.
There are totally different methods out there however I’ve discovered a program that focuses on facial fascia launch. It’s been surprisingly transformative and I actually really feel like Savannah is aware of her stuff. Utilizing mild instruments and methods, I’ve been in a position to launch stress I didn’t even notice I used to be holding in my face.
Right here’s what I’ve seen thus far:
- A lot much less stress between my eyebrows (these “11” strains)
- A refined carry in my face total
- Diminished jaw tightness
- Higher sinus drainage
Fascia is sort of a net that surrounds and helps our muscular tissues, nerves, and organs. When it will get tight or “caught,” it restricts motion and blood move. Releasing it improves circulation, lymphatic move, and even nerve communication. Within the face, that interprets into each leisure and visual modifications.
Better of all, it feels so good. Doing this at evening with my salt lamp on has grow to be one in every of my favourite calming rituals. You may take a look at this system I’ve been utilizing and fascia instruments right here.
5. Speedy Emotional Rewiring: A Thoughts Reset
Ever want you may simply hit the rewind button on life? Whereas time journey nonetheless isn’t attainable, Speedy Emotional Rewiring stands out as the subsequent smartest thing.
On a deeper and extra private observe, the previous few months have been among the hardest of my life. One instrument that’s actually supported me throughout this season is one thing referred to as Speedy Emotional Rewiring.
Not like conventional remedy, this course of is extra of a neurological reset. It makes use of guided methods to assist shift the mind out of previous, looping patterns that hold us caught. Many individuals describe it as feeling like the burden of months of discuss remedy condensed right into a single session. Personally I didn’t discover a lot enchancment with conventional discuss remedy.
What I’ve appreciated most is that it’s easy and doesn’t require a number of psychological vitality. Throughout my hardest days, I didn’t have bandwidth for journaling or prolonged practices, however I might do that. Even one session left me feeling lighter and fewer reactive.
Proper now, there are a restricted variety of free 30-minute classes out there (together with a easy five-day at-home program). You may examine this system out for your self right here.
Ultimate Ideas on August Favorites
This month’s favorites could look like an eclectic combine however I’ve seen a typical thread. These easy, constant shifts can ripple into huge modifications over time. Every of those additions to my routine has helped me really feel extra supported and introduced extra pleasure into my every day rhythms. I’m discovering an increasing number of that it’s not the massive, flashy modifications that take advantage of distinction however the easy ones.
What are a few of your favourite issues proper now? What instruments or rituals are making life really feel extra joyful for you? Go away a remark and let me know!