Your body is made to move, not to rest
"I can hardly sit long enough to read this, let alone get up and exercise." If this sounds like you, I've got good news: you do not have to join a gym to be exercising. Simply going for a walk is a great start! Don't let yourself be discouraged by what others do or say they do (most of them exaggerate anyways just to impress you!). If you can commit to 100 meters a day, by all means, go for it. If you can commit to 200 meters only twice a week, fine. You've got to start somewhere. If you slowly increase your walks by another 100 meters every week, you'll soon be walking a kilometer without even realizing it. And I can guarantee that you'd be missing the exercise if you ever stopped moving again.
I am pretty sure you already knew this - you just needed me to remind you, right?!
What you eat today determines
how you'll feel tomorrow
Do you really expect to have energy, be healthy and in a good mood when you eat junk food all day? Think about it. Highly processed foods and empty calories are very unlikely to produce anything good in your body and mind. If your food is "dead" it will most likely not result in increased vitality. I am not telling you to not eat burgers, french fries or ice cream. Occasionally. If you eliminate foods altogether, you will only crave them more.
Moderation is the key!
Think happy thoughts
Your mind is a major contributor to a healthy lifestyle. Try to focus on the good things instead of everything that went wrong in your life. This is positive thinking in the most basic form possible and has nothing to do with "hunky-dory, all rosy prospects" thinking. Develop a gratitude attitude. Be grateful for all the good things in your life.
Start making a list of all the good things that happen to you throughout the day and you will notice the difference immediately!
And most importantly: laugh! Laugh lots.
True to the motto: turning my frown upside down is really bad for my depression!
Be mindful
Ideally, you meditate on a daily basis. If you are like me and have difficulties meditating, try to be mindful instead. This is like a mini-meditation. If you can go outside, close your eyes for a minute and feel the wind in your face, that is all it takes. Be in the moment and feel.
This will not only reduce cortisol levels in your body, but also help you think happy and peaceful thoughts.
A peaceful mind is slow to anger.