I made a decision that I wished to begin a brand new month-to-month collection with you all. These will share among the highlights, discoveries, and small issues I’ve been experimenting with recently. Generally these are new instruments or merchandise I’m testing, generally they’re small habits which might be making a distinction. Generally it’s simply little issues which might be making my life extra joyful.
These are issues I’m personally utilizing and discovering helpful proper now. Nevertheless, I hope they spark concepts so that you can experiment with in your individual life.
This August, my listing features a useful monitoring app, night mild instruments, and a brand new drink that’s grow to be part of my day by day routine. Plus how I’m releasing pressure in my physique and thoughts with some actually useful instruments throughout a troublesome season.
Right here’s what I’m loving proper now!
1. dminder: Daylight, Vitamin D, & Circadian Assist
Vitamin D has been one of the vital studied vitamins within the final decade, but many people aren’t getting sufficient. It’s technically a hormone and performs a job in immune well being, bone energy, hormone stability, and even temper. Research present low vitamin D ranges imply larger an infection danger, fatigue, and sure power diseases.
The perfect supply of vitamin D for many of us continues to be the solar. Personally I’ve discovered that vitamin D dietary supplements do nothing to enhance my examined vitamin D ranges. Figuring out how a lot solar is ample (with out overdoing it and burning) might be tough. That’s the place I like utilizing the dminder app. You place 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 direction of sunburn as a danger issue for pores and skin most cancers, not wholesome mild 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 day by 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 free of charge crimson mild
The dminder app makes it simple to trace that stability with out overthinking it.
2. White Salt Lamp
I’ve talked so much earlier than about how mild is simply as impactful as meals or dietary supplements on the subject of well being. Our our bodies are wired to reply to pure mild cues, and trendy synthetic lighting typically disrupts that rhythm. Particularly the brilliant blue mild from screens, flickering LEDs, and overhead bulbs after sundown.
We’ve at all times had Himalayan salt lamps in our home, however recently I picked up a gorgeous white salt lamp. It provides off a mushy, heat glow and is extra impartial with out the orange tone. It helps me wind down at night time whereas I’m studying and enjoyable.
When our eyes see blue mild at night time (like most lightbulbs and screens) it suppresses our melatonin manufacturing. This makes it tougher to go to sleep and keep asleep. Heat, low-level mild (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 quite a lot 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 Vitality
Espresso will at all times have a particular place in my coronary heart, however I’m at all times searching for wholesome alternate options. An excessive amount of caffeine may cause jitters and nervousness for a lot of (myself included). My good friend David created a brand new purposeful well being drink and it’s grow to be a favourite. It’s like consuming a wholesome soda that provides me a day vitality enhance in a gentler means with out the jitters.
As a substitute 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 supplies lots of the focus and vitality advantages. By skipping the center step, Slacka provides you the clear, regular enhance with out among the downsides individuals expertise from espresso. Like racing coronary heart, sleep disruption, or that “wired however drained” feeling.
I like that it additionally has electrolytes for mobile hydration and 5-HTP to assist stabilize temper. It additionally has pure compounds that assist the physique’s personal GLP manufacturing. This interprets to diminished cravings and higher blood sugar stability
For me, it looks like a smoother, extra centered 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 recent development, however I wouldn’t be stunned if it turns into the subsequent massive factor in purposeful 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 individuals are speaking about fascia recently. If you happen to’ve ever had tight shoulders or knots in your again, you’ve skilled tight fascia first hand. Our physique’s connective tissue can maintain pressure, sort of like a nasty reminiscence. I’ve not too long ago discovered 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 strategies, I’ve been in a position to launch pressure I didn’t even notice I used to be holding in my face.
Right here’s what I’ve seen up to now:
- A lot much less pressure between my eyebrows (these “11” traces)
- A refined elevate in my face total
- Lowered jaw tightness
- Higher sinus drainage
Fascia is sort of a internet that surrounds and helps our muscle mass, nerves, and organs. When it will get tight or “caught,” it restricts motion and blood stream. Releasing it improves circulation, lymphatic stream, and even nerve communication. Within the face, that interprets into each rest and visual adjustments.
Better of all, it feels so good. Doing this at night time with my salt lamp on has grow to be one in all 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 would simply hit the rewind button on life? Whereas time journey nonetheless isn’t attainable, Speedy Emotional Rewiring could be the subsequent neatest thing.
On a deeper and extra private word, 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 known as Speedy Emotional Rewiring.
In contrast to conventional remedy, this course of is extra of a neurological reset. It makes use of guided strategies to assist shift the mind out of previous, looping patterns that preserve us caught. Many individuals describe it as feeling like the load 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 quite a lot 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 periods out there (together with a easy five-day at-home program). You may test this system out for your self right here.
Last Ideas on August Favorites
This month’s favorites might seem to be an eclectic combine however I’ve seen a typical thread. These easy, constant shifts can ripple into massive adjustments over time. Every of those additions to my routine has helped me really feel extra supported and introduced extra pleasure into my day by day rhythms. I’m discovering an increasing number of that it’s not the large, flashy adjustments 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? Depart a remark and let me know!
