Life Tools: 101 Ways to Be Well

Make self-care your #1 priority.
Learn about wellness rather than learning about your disease.
Drink green tea (instead of coffee).
Drink lots of filtered pH balanced mineral water (instead of soda or sweetened juices)… 8-10 glasses per day.
Learn to love unsweetened fruit juices. We get plenty of natural sugar; we don't need an excess of refined white sugar. Excess sugar is said to rob us of our essential nutrients. It removes calcium and other minerals, depletes our stores of protein, and consumes important nutrients like vitamin B1. (Taken from Natural Immunity by Norobu Muramoto) It is also suggested in this book that eliminating sugar from the diet can prevent osteoporosis.
Play with the cat or dog. If you live alone and don't have a pet to love and care for, consider adopting one. Studies have shown that the immune system actually strengthens when we are in the caring/loving mode.
Play with the kids. This usually brings your mind into the present moment… the healthiest place to be.
Take a good quality multi-vitamin - one recommended for you from a health practitioner or nutritionist.
Take super milk thistle for a healthy liver any time you are exposed to food or environmental toxins.
Do yoga stretches or every morning.
Be outdoors for at least a half-hour every day. If you can't be, make up for it on the weekends.
Adopt the belief that the universe IS friendly.
Choose happiness over anger. Choose the attitude first and the feelings will result. We always have the freedom to choose our attitude.
Listen to your body. When it says rest - rest. When it says it is fatigued - take a break. When your digestive system acts up - up your standards of nutrition and diet. When your muscles cramp or joints ache - drink more water… make it a habit. Your body knows! … listen deeply.
Hang out with positive people.
Let go of relationships that drag you down or deplete your energy.
Always speak you truth, being respectful of others.
Know what your needs are and get them met.
Make amends quickly if you get out of integrity.
Do random acts of kindness.
Know that the body is always doing it's best to heal and appreciate it for it's efforts. If it's still not well, then it's asking you for more help. More help may mean "doing" less, or, taking more responsibility for your healing, or, loving yourself more.
Wear good quality sunglasses to protect your eyes. On the contrary, indirect light into the eyes is supposedly beneficial.
Dance.
Smile… and smiles will come back to you.
Choose beliefs that serve you.
Make all chores fun events.
Let others know when you are grateful for their gesture.
Make work a party - Enjoy work. If you don't, fix it or change jobs.
Wake up to an alarm that begins your day in a positive way. If your alarm jolts you out of bed, or makes you curse, it's time to make a change. For every emotion we feel there is a biochemical response in the body. Don't begin your day with bad body chemistry. Wake up smiling!
Before getting out of bed, thank God for the day.
Relax in a place that nurtures your spirit a few minutes after each meal.
Sing.
Before you eat, be thankful for you food and the nourishment it will provide you. Making this ritual a habit will help center you before you dive into your food. Our state of being while we eat has an effect on the digestion and processing of what we take in. Attitude. Again important.
Eat slowly; chew your food completely. It is said chewing 30-40 times per bite of food is best. The digestive process begins in the mouth.
Eliminate all junk mail the moment you get it. This will allow you more time to relax or play! 5 minutes a day = 26 hours a year!
Look in the mirror and say, "I am worthy of Being Well."
Mentally revisit your greatest and most fun vision and see yourself there.
Always have your next vacation scheduled. Having something to look forward to is healthy in many ways.
Do something that will result in laughter.
Close your day by writing in your "gratitude journal".
Wash your hands on a regular basis, especially when in public. Hands are the most common carrier of disease and germs.
Use only natural mouthwash, that is - if you use it at all. We absorb a great deal through the tissue in our mouth and under our tongue, therefor, using a mouthwash with alcohol, coloring and other chemicals is similar to ingesting it.
Do at least one loving thing for the person you are closest to.
If you are struggling with an illness or disease, talk to as many people as possible to find those who have had success with the same condition. Find them and learn from them. Ask for their support and guidance.
East mostly vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and vegetable proteins.
Eat organic.
Walk at least 30 minutes a day.
Take a long luxurious bath by candlelight.
Have massages regularly. If your concern is cancer, seek the advice of a health practitioner or doctor before having massage. It may NOT be advisable. It may not be the right time to stimulate circulation and move lymph around your body.
Learn how to make decisions effectively so that you can make conscious choices at all times, responding to life in the present moment rather than reacting, avoiding or denying. When we aren't able to respond appropriately to situations the moment they arise, unresolved stuff begins piling up… and up… and up. The result - stress, leaving you susceptible to illness.
Be focused on your wellness because you love yourself, rather than because you fear sickness or dying. If you are operating from fear… it will effect your healing efforts negatively, as love of self will effect your healing efforts positively.
Make sure all emotional stuff is addressed through traditional therapy; NET (Neuro-Emotional Therapy), EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), The Option® Process, or any procedure that brings you back to center. If you haven't heard the term "being centered," it refers to a state of being where we are most stable, balanced and in harmony; it's not when our emotions are in control, but when our authentic self is in charge.
Seek the guidance of a good nutritionist and/or naturopathic doctor.
Use only natural and pH balanced products on your skin and hair.
Use a filtered pH balanced showerhead for your showers and baths. Your skin absorbs a lot of water while bathing or showering. Be sure the water it's absorbing is helping you be well.
Put raw organic sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and sesame seeds on your salads. Seeds provide a powerhouse of nutritional value, everything from B vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids, to calcium. Sesame seeds provide a "natural" source of calcium. There are theories that non-food source calcium supplements don't work and can actually promote heart disease.
Grind flaxseed in a coffee grinder and put some on your cereal each morning. Flaxseeds are rich in omega-3 essential fatty acids, potassium, magnesium, and fiber. They are also immune system boosters.
Use rice milk or soymilk instead of regular milk.
Use only natural cosmetic products.
Use only natural, aluminum-free underarm deodorants such as those containing tea tree oil or natural mineral salts. These products neutralize the odor by providing an environment in which bacteria cannot thrive. Do not use antiperspirants. Perspiration is an important function of the body and one way our body eliminates toxins.
Use essential oils instead of perfumes. Essential oils can have beneficial effects. There is a whole area of study around this subject alone!
Be sure your home is free of molds, mildew, or other environmental toxins. A whole house air filtration system is ideal, but there are many other steps you can take to improve your environment from toxins.
Use natural cleaning products around the house to reduce toxins in the air, on surfaces, and in the groundwater. There are many products that are effective at killing bacteria and make for easy cleaning.
Hang out with others who role model extreme self-care.
Have faith. If you don't know what having faith feels like, seek out and spend time with others who do have faith. Talk to them about it. Having faith is a spiritual experience, not necessarily religious.
Simplify your life. Learn to realize that less is more.
Join a gym and determine a routine that is perfect for you.
Be sure your bedroom is the place to sleep… not read or watch TV. Watching TV or reading in bed can, over time, contribute to sleep disorders. Condition your mind-body that bed is the place to sleep.
If you eat meat at home, cook only natural, free-range, hormone free, non-genetically engineered, organically fed meat. …What a mouthful.
Become meat free. There are world class tri-atheletes that are vegetarian, so there's no argument that you need meat for strength or stamina. And, in addition to health benefits, you will be helping both animals and the environment… saving rain forests, wolves, rivers, and much more.
Read up-to-date books about healing and wellness, and don't forget to read those fun and inspiring stories too! Fantasies… novels…Whatever makes you feel good - read it!
Attend workshops, seminars, or lectures, especially on cutting edge studies and approaches to healing and wellness.
Save money so that you always have a reserve in case you need it. Having a reserve is a preventative measure against stress.
Build a reserve of caring people in your life so there is always someone you can turn to when you need support, encouragement, endorsement or simply a listening ear.
Build a reserve of time so that you are never rushed.
Reduce stress by listening to gentle nurturing music.
Keep you home clean and germ free, especially the kitchen and bathroom.
Be sure to use a separate cutting board (dishwasher safe ideal) for meat and/or fish and wash it thoroughly using a disinfectant after each use.
Have a hobby you love and do it regularly.
Go out and skip like a child. It will bring back that childlike feeling and probably make you smile - or maybe even laugh. Even better… do it with your partner or a friend and laugh together.
Join a community that you feel nurtures your spirit. Being connected with others in a positive way has been documented to aid in healing.
Ask others to pray for you. There have been studies that when large groups of people pray for an individual to become healed, the odds for wellness are increased.
Unless you are thin, eat less. Most Americans overeat, putting undo stress on the body.
Do a juice fast one day a week. Talk to a health practitioner about what kind of fast would best serve you. Fasting helps the body eliminate toxins and refresh itself.
Use Olive oil as your primary oil for salads and cooking.
Refrigerate your oils. Oils go bad rather quickly when not refrigerated. Don't be alarmed if they change consistency or get cloudy. That's normal when chilled.
Breathe deeply and fully all the time. Oxygen is necessary for every cell in our body, and there is less oxygen in our air than there used to be. Therefor, we need to be extra sure to breathe deeply.
Replace peanut butter with almond butter. It's much better for you.
Keep an open mind. Being boxed into believing that only traditional medicine, or only a wholistic approach is appropriate could hinder your healing. Explore all possibilities and make a decision that feels uniquely right for you. It may combine several approaches.
Regard illness as a gift. Illness is such a powerful stimulus to change. When people recover and are able to look back upon their challenging experience, it is often regarded as the greatest opportunity they ever had for personal growth and evolution - truly a gift!
Become a model of acceptance. Being in acceptance is a powerful place, it is not a place of submission or subservience. It is a place of acknowledging the absolute truth. It is from this place that we can move forward from most powerfully.
Sing lullabies to your baby… or to yourself. This may seem like it doesn't belong on this list, but this kind of behavior results in good feelings and good feelings are healthy! …No doubt about it.
"Realize that every year, fully 98 percent of the total number of atoms in your body are replaced." This has been confirmed by radioactive isotope studies at the Oak Ridge Laboratories in California. Deepak Chopra, M.D. Let this strengthen your belief that you have the potential to replace unhealthy atoms with healthy atoms, thus building a strong and healthier physical body.
Remove words like "should, could, ought to, have to, and can't" from your vocabulary. Replace them with "I want to, I am, I will, I can, or I choose…" Practice speaking your truth at all time. "I should," simply means "I don't want, but…" This is not a healthy habit.
Remove swear words from your vocabulary and replace them with fun words… that still allow you to acknowledge and release the "feeling" of anger or frustration in the moment and shift it to a place closer to humor.
Be caffeine free.
Be alcohol and drug free.
Make requests rather than complain.
Eliminate adrenaline and other unhealthy rushes from life.
"Let go of everything you know is not good for you." Thomas Leonard, Coach and author of The Personal Foundation™ Program.
Work with a Personal Life Coach or Wellness Coach.

Copyright © 1999 Beth Meininger, PCC. All Rights Reserved.