In the midst of the daily hustle and bustle we tend to forget the most important thing: Life itself.
Most of them focus on getting more money, a better house, going to the best cities and so on… but why don’t we start with the fundamental question of “How to live better?”
If the starting point is to search for this answer, it will be easier to achieve all our objectives. It is useless to set ourselves big goals if our body and mind are not going to be up to the challenges.
The doctor, professor and writer Stuart Farrimond, with the help of dozens of specialists from around the world, undertook the task of explaining to us what science says about the little things we do – and stop doing – on a day-to-day basis; which ultimately make up our quality of life.
The result was a Best Seller titled: The Science of Living, where it brings together 219 answers to the most common questions most of us have. And best of all, it does so by guiding us through a daily routine. This allows us to locate ourselves in time and change or adopt small habits that will allow us to learn how to live better.
So I want to share with you 12 science-backed tips that will teach you how to live better.
How to live better with these 12 tips backed by science
The following tips are divided into the different parts of the day.
Do’s and don’ts in the morning to learn how to live better.
1. Sleeping too much will make you more tired.
It seems logical to think that by sleeping 12 hours we rest more than by sleeping 6 hours. But maybe it has happened to you that after sleeping a lot, you get up and feel that you need to sleep more.
The explanation is simple. Some time before you wake up (depending on your sleeping habits), your body is already preparing everything, getting ready for action. One part of that enlistment is the segregation of cortisola hormone responsible for releasing energy and increasing blood sugar levels to activate muscles and the brain.
Let’s assume you usually sleep 8 hours. Your body will prepare everything so that when you wake up you do it in the best way, but if you sleep for 12 hours all the preparation will have been in vain, and when you get up, you will feel tired and want to continue sleeping.
2. If you press Snooze, you do a lot of damage to yourself.
When you are in a deep sleep and the alarm goes off, the body’s natural response is to release adrenalin in case you have to run away or prepare for something serious. It is possible that you wake up and instead of getting up, you press the “snooze” or “snooze” button.
The problem is that you usually snooze the alarm for another 5-10 minutes, but that’s too little time for you to fully fall asleep and really rest. Additionally, when the alarm sounds again you will have that jump again. adrenalin.
If you have this bad habit, it will affect your mood and in the worst case, if you have been doing it for a long time, it can start to clog your blood vessels and increase the risk of heart problems.
3. Do not drink coffee as soon as you get up.
If this is your case, you are part of the vast majority. It seems that the activation that coffee gives us is almost miraculous, however a very high price is paid: It increases the chances of having anxiety and nervousness.
This is because the caffeine blocks the receptors adenosinewhich is responsible for relaxing us, but the problem is that right when we get up, the levels of cortisol They are through the roof, and as a result, balance is lost and everything is served to keep your nerves on edge.
If you cannot live without coffee, the recommendation is that you drink it at least 2 hours after getting up, since the levels of cortisol will have diminished and those of adenosine they will have risen
If you want to feel more awake, it is recommended that you do stretching, light exercise and / or yoga; as they will raise your heart rate and increase blood flow to the areas of your brain that are “more asleep”.
4. Bathe with cold water in the morning or hot water at night.
In order to avoid drinking coffee as soon as you wake up, another thing you can do is take a cold shower. This momentarily increases the levels of cortisol Y adrenalinreplacing the action of caffeine.
However, if it is already night, the idea is that you bathe with hot water, since what you need is to sleep fully and hot water decreases the levels of cortisol by about a third.
5. Do not check emails or social networks in the morning.
It is very possible that the first thing you do when you start working is to check your email or your social networks, but it is a big mistake. The main reason is that you would under-utilize the brain potential that morning gives you.
The recommendation is that you start working on the most complicated tasks.
What to do and what not to do in the afternoon to learn how to live better.
6. Don’t eat lunch while you work.
It’s easy to think that we can “buy” some time by eating lunch while we work. If you see it clearly in hours, yes, you gain time. The point is that if you see it in productivity, you are making a serious mistake.
According to a study, the workers who take their lunch break just to eat, have better performance and satisfaction indicators. It is also important to emphasize that the rest you give your brain allows you to form memories, consolidate thoughts and relax to better deal with stressful situations.
7. Take a nap after lunch.
Western cultures are not used to taking naps after lunch; is seen as lazy. However, in some countries like China it is usual to take a nap after lunch. Additionally, mammals have 2 sleep cycles, why do we humans resist?
The best thing you can do – if the conditions allow it – is to take a nap for 10 to 20 minutes, since it is the ideal time to rest and recharge energy. If you take a nap too long and sleep for an hour, you will wake up feeling more tired; mainly because it is not enough time to complete a sleep cycle.
In case 20 minutes are not enough and you have time available, it is best to sleep 90 minutes. It is recommended to take a nap from 1pm to 3pm. If you take it after 4pm, it will affect your sleep at night.
8. Do not spend so much time sitting.
We spend a lot of time sitting. Working, going to work, studying, eating… anyway. Still, the body is designed to move and the longer we sit, the more we affect our health.
- To the 10 minutes: The chest is squeezed, preventing the lungs from fully inflating.
- if you are sitting 10 hours a day for several weeks, it begins to damage the heart muscle.
- After 1 day Sugar stays longer in the blood, increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes.
- After 2 weeks fats begin to accumulate in the arteries, increasing the risk of a heart attack
- After more time your bones will become thinner, your muscles will weaken, the tension in the spine can cause back pain and your metabolism will plummet; increasing the chances of gaining weight.
It is prudent to counteract all of these negative symptoms by trying to work at a higher desk that allows you to work standing up and/or by taking active walk breaks of at least 5 minutes.
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9. Do this to improve your memory.
Having a good memory makes things much easier; in fact it is a very important part of learning how to live better. In ModoEmprendedor we have an article explaining how memory works and how to improve it. If you want to know how, click here and then return to this article to continue learning.
10. Don’t stop socializing.
Did you know that people who don’t socialize have a 60% higher chance of developing prediabetes?
Socializing is a good exercise for the brain since social ties are created and reinforced, mirror neurons are activated and released dopamine Y oxytocin. All this allows us to reduce anxiety and stress levels. Additionally, Practicing affection and empathy helps us keep our emotions in balance.
What to do and what not to do at night to learn how to live better.
11. Do not use your cell phone before bed.
It used to be believed that the blue light from mobile devices emulates daylight, tricking the body into delaying the segregation of melatonin (sleep hormone). However, it is already known that being such a small screen, it does not cause a significant effect.
This does not mean that you should use your mobile or tablet just before bed, since being on social networks, looking for information or playing, stress hormones are generated that go against your intention to sleep.
If you want to fall asleep faster, the best thing to do is be in complete darkness, keep the room temperature low, and make it a habit to fall asleep at the same time every day.
12. Do these exercises to stop snoring.
Snoring occurs when air flows through relaxed tissues like the tongue, soft palate, and airways as we breathe. As the sagging tissues narrow the airways and vibrate, they give rise to that popular uncomfortable sound.
To reduce the “hoarseness” reduce alcohol intake, lose weight and do not sleep on your back. Additionally you can also try these exercises.
Conclusion.
These tips for learning how to live better work for most people. However, it is prudent to keep in mind that we are not all the same. The veracity of some tips will depend on variables such as the time you go to bed regularly.
For example, some people with “owls”, that is, they go to bed and get up late, that would delay the entire cycle and the best time to take a nap would not be from 1 pm to 3 pm. but ultimately science allows us to adjust our routine to get the most out of our time and energy and learn how to live better.
And remember, if you are really interested in creating your own business, you can read our book “How to create a company while working: Discover how to manage your time, manage your money and motivate yourself while creating a company and working for another” , where you will find all the information you need to found your own company, without having to leave your job.
