Holistic Living For Beginners
Are you already living a healthy lifestyle but you feel something missing? Why not take it to the next level and live more holistically? Why? Well, because it’s the best way of living a good life. Not only it will restore your connection to nature what Wi-FI cannot give you, but also it will benefits you mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. Still not convinced? And if I tell you that adopting a holistic lifestyle means stepping up, embracing the creator role and designing a more authentic life experience without sacrificing yourself? Because it means exactly that. So if you’re ready to improve your life get out from your comfort zone and get ready for the greatest journey of your life. But first, before we properly begin, I’ve got some important questions for you.
1. Do you want to live a more natural, positive, balanced and creative lifestyle but you don’t know how to start?
2. Do you truly believe in your potential but you’re still afraid of unlocking it?
3. Do you want to go outside your comfort zone and create a life from your dreams but something is still holding you back?
4. Are you ready for some small changes that make a big difference?
5. Are you ready to step up, embrace the creator role and shape your life experience with positivity, engagement, and courage?
If you answered “yes” for at least one of these questions your journey to the best version of yourself has just begun!
10 Simple And Powerful Ways To Live A More Holistic, Mindful And Balanced Lifestyle
1. Incorporate powerful superfoods into your diet and improve your immune system.
Food is the medicine and superfoods are a delicious one. These fresh, natural and nutrient-dense foods offer impressive health benefits from boosting your energy levels to improving your immune system. Some call superfoods a myth and claim that this term was invented for marketing purposes only but at the same time we all know that healthy nutrition plays an essential role in our overall health and wellbeing. There’s no doubt about that. But still, it doesn’t mean that you should adopt an extreme diet because we’re not talking here about restriction but about making conscious food choices. I’m myself not a big fan of “dieting” because I’ve got a serious sweet tooth and it would mean giving up my favorite meal of the day which, of course, is dessert. What I do instead is to make healthy versions of cakes, chocolate bars, candies, and even pastry. And you know what? I find these healthy desserts more delicious, extremely easy to make especially those raw ones and soul-satisfying. Because life is about sweet indulgence and guilty pleasures not about eating only leafy greens and pretending that they taste like chocolate. Life is about creating a healthy balance and finding the best version of yourself aka the happiest one and healthy nutrition will definitely help you to achieve this goal. So nourish your mind, body, and spirit with healthy food options, implement superfoods into your diet and if you have a sweet tooth indulge in healthy options and that’s it!
Top Superfoods LIST
Check my recipe for Superfood Raw Cacao Bites here
Steal MY motto: You can’t have your cake and eat it BUT you can satisfy your sweet tooth without feeling guilty afterward!
mindfulness
" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/holisticlifebykate.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/mindfulnessjoga-scaled.jpg?fit=300%2C200&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/holisticlifebykate.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/mindfulnessjoga-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1" srcset="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7">2. Engage in physical activity to increase serotonin and dopamine levels naturally.
Have you ever noticed how good even a little physical activity makes you feel? It’s because during exercise our body releases endorphins and increases dopamine and serotonin levels. This magic trio made up of your natural happy chemicals is all you need to activate your happiness mode. Furthermore, regular workouts boost your energy levels, reduces stress, increases self-esteem and keep you fit (not to be confused with “being skinny). Need I say more? So instead of looking for an excuse to skip your workout think how great you will feel afterward. But if you’re not into lifting weights or doing an extremely intensive interval workout at the gym don’t force yourself to do that. You can do a simple stretch, some yoga, go a walk or do any other physical activity instead. Many people think that they need a gym membership, lifting heavy weights or do a 90 minutes cardio every single day to stay healthy and fit but everyone is different. There are some days when hitting the gym is the last thing I want to do and it’s ok. I’m not beating myself up for that. Instead, I do some quick cardio at home or I just go for a walk. But I make sure I do some type of physical activity every day because it helps me to manage my anxiety and improve my mood without anti-anxiety drugs and mood stabilizers that I used to take in the past. And you know what it feels great! So, instead of looking for an excuse not to exercise, get your butt from the couch and activate your natural happy chemicals!
practice mindfulness
" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/holisticlifebykate.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/mindfulnessmeditation-scaled.jpg?fit=300%2C200&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/holisticlifebykate.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/mindfulnessmeditation-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1" srcset="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7">3. Practice mindfulness and embrace the authenticity of the present moment.
Constantly dissociated from the present moment but living in a denial we try to keep up this incredibly exaggerated speed of life, a completely inhumane one. That’s why when we have a chance to just stop for a second and look at our life from another perspective we feel confused and completely burned out. Our addiction to faster living contributes to the state of being overworked, overtired, overwhelmed and constantly stressed out. And what’s the point? Seriously, what is the real point of living this way? It’s an unlived life. It’s an irreversibly lost opportunity which we won’t get again. I used to live this way, doing, planning or scheduling a million things to do until I reached a point of extreme burnout. I found myself in a state of complete mental, physical and emotional exhaustion. I just couldn’t live that way anymore because I was only ruining my mental and physical health. It was a time when I got into practicing mindfulness. At first, it seemed so strange almost unnatural. I’ve got this idea that mindfulness is some kind of sacred knowledge only available to Buddhist monks. And here I was, a simple girl that never did a guided meditation or breathing exercise in her life because who has time for that, right? Oh my gosh, how foolish I was. I really thought that reducing my sleeping hours to the minimum and working 7 days in a week would keep me sane and healthy. And as you can probably imagine it didn’t turn out that way. So in order to save myself, I started to practice mindfulness which gave me a whole new perspective. I gained the ability to understand my feelings, emotions, and thoughts. In other words, I started to live in a more conscious way. I gave myself permission to feel and experience the authenticity of life. But I’m not going to lie, it’s not always so easy. Because when you start to pay more attention everything looks different, more authentic or even raw. You not only start noting the beauty of life but also all the toxicity around you but in my opinion, it’s always better to be aware that living in the dark.
don’t take yourself so seriously
" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/holisticlifebykate.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/sun-scaled.jpg?fit=300%2C200&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/holisticlifebykate.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/sun-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1" srcset="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7">4. Get your natural Vitamin D & Boost your happiness hormones
Sun, Serotonin, and Happiness - Do I need to say any more?
I don’t think there is a better and easier way to relax than just lying with closed eyes and feel the warmth of the sun on your face. You can just turn your brain off, forget about the hectic life, fully connect with nature and just indulge in the sweetness of doing nothing… But there are many more benefits of sunlight that have been actually scientifically proven. For example, moderate sun exposure combat Depression and Seasonal affective disorder, increases vitamin D levels, improves brain function and decreases the risk of various diseases like depression, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and even protects us from autoimmune diseases, which, as we already know are associated with low Vitamin D levels. So I guess there’s nothing left to do now but get out in the sunshine, get some natural vitamin D and boost natural happiness hormone.
5. Try some natural, powerful health remedies
Have you ever tried natural remedies instead of immediately reaching for pills every time you have problems falling asleep, a slight headache or a digestive issue? I have and it worked. But don’t get me wrong. I’m not encouraging you to go against conventional medicine, throw all the prescribed meds in the trash and start using herbs and spices for every single health issue because that would be very irresponsible and could cause more harm than good. What I am trying to say is that we tend to forget about complementary an alternative medicine based on natural remedies and a holistic approach to health which just a few decades ago was well-known, widely used and surely not demonized. While today we reach for meds so easily without even considering potential side-effects. I myself used to take a painkiller even for an almost imperceptible pain because I just wanted to feel comfortable. Furthermore, I used to take different meds for pain, allergies, inflammation, depression, anxiety, sleeping problems, digestive issues, and the list goes on. Sounds a bit scary, right? It’s incredible how easily we reach for different pills without even considering the pros and cons. We search for “quick fix” without looking at our health holistically and that’s why we’re not getting better. It’s like putting a Band-Aid on an infected wound. You don’t see the infection but it’s still there and it won’t magically disappear only because you want it. You know how they say: “Just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean it’s not there”. Having said that I want to encourage you to make your own research, learn about different options like animal therapy, herbal treatment, acupuncture, naturopathy, Chinese or Oriental medicine and of course different diets. Your body is your temple and you should treat it that way!
6. Keep journaling
Writing has always been my passion but before I started my mindfulness journey I never used it as a tool for self-improvement. I mean, not consciously. I just start writing every single time I felt angry, upset, ashamed, rejected, hurt, sad or anxious. Oddly, I’ve never kept writing when I felt happy… I’m not sure why… But when I started to practice mindfulness I’ve finally understood why writing has been always such a powerful tool for reducing stress, anxiety and every other unpleasant feeling or emotion that I had to deal with. It’s because journaling helps you to get clarity of your thoughts, feelings, and emotions that before being poured out on paper are perfectly chaotic. But in case you’re not convinced whether you should start journaling here are other important benefits of this mindfulness practice:
- Improves focus and productivity
- Boost your memory
- Improve your decision-making process
- Helps you to gain self-confidence and boost self-esteem
- Boost your creativity and imagination
- Helps you to create mind, body and spirit balance
- And HEALS!
mindfulness
" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/holisticlifebykate.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/yoann-boyer-157641-unsplash-scaled.jpg?fit=300%2C200&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/holisticlifebykate.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/yoann-boyer-157641-unsplash-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1" srcset="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7">7. Learn to trust your intuition
Your intuition whispers and if you ignore this whisper sooner or later it will start screaming. Why? Well, because intuition or as I like to call it a “gut feeling” it’s nothing other than our internal guidance system, a precognitive knowledge which is being activated every time when we have to make a decision. Sometimes we’re not even aware of this decision-making process because this precognitive quality comes first before we get access to our critical and logical thinking. That’s why if your instinct tells you to run, you should run without thinking twice. And we all know what will happen if we go against this first “gut feeling”, right?
Well, it’s not a secret that fighting against the instinct of self-preservation which by the way is the strongest in all of us, won’t do any good. Always listen to your gut especially when you don’t like what it is telling you. Trust your intuition and always honor this first “gut feeling”. Because with complete acceptance and honoring intuition something incredibly valuable will surely come. Whether is your new relationship, a new job, moving to another city or going on a trip you always know what feels and doesn’t feel right. Regardless of the circumstances, if it feels like a no, it’s a no. Of course, when it comes to life decisions the best thing to do is to combine your gut instinct with critical and logical thinking because it will enable you to weigh up all the pros and cons. Because what’s better than knowing all the options and letting your conscience decide, right?
8. Practice gratitude
Have you ever thought that the things you take for granted are the things others are praying for? Doesn’t it make you sad or embarrassed? The truth is that we fail completely to be thankful for the many blessings we have. And then we regret having been ungrateful when it’s usually too late. Just think about how many times in life you have said it to yourself that you should have appreciated more all the thing you had, every precious moment that you spent with your loved ones and every minute of your life. It sucks. I hate this feeling. I hate being disappointed in myself. Don’t make this mistake again. Learn to appreciate the things that deserve your gratitude the most. Don’t just assume that if you have something, know somebody or experience a certain feeling it will last forever. Because nothing lasts forever. Life is like an ever-shifting Kaleidoscope. You never know what will happen next, that’s why we need to be grateful for every single second we have. Because, if we have only one life, and our journey is only temporary we need to live our life to the fullest and be grateful for every second of our life on this Earth.
Life is a gift and every second of our existence is precious. We never know what comes next so the time to be grateful for everything, for those who we love and who love us, for everything we have and experience, for every single moment we can just take a deep breath and just be. Remember that it’s not happiness that makes us grateful but it is gratitude that brings us happiness.
natural remedies
" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/holisticlifebykate.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/laying-on-the-beach-scaled.jpg?fit=300%2C200&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/holisticlifebykate.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/laying-on-the-beach-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1" srcset="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7">9. Manage your stress and calm your anxious mind naturally
Are you feeling extremely tired, distressed and anxious? Are you suffering from chronic fatigue, brain fog, and emotional exhaustion? Are you constantly sleep-deprived and seriously overworked? Have you ever considered that maybe it’s all caused by the lack of balance in your hectic life? You’re body, mind, and spirit are probably exhausted because you don’t allow yourself to relax, de-stress and recharge your batteries. I used to live that way until I reached a point of extreme burnout. I found myself in a state of complete mental, physical and emotional exhaustion. We live in a stressful world and a daily life can make us feel extremely tired, distressed and just physically, mentally and emotionally drained. And you know what? It doesn’t take much to balance your hectic life. All you have to do is to schedule a time to relax just like you do with any other activity. Make time for rest and recharging your batteries a part of your daily routine. The world won’t stop but you should for a while otherwise chronic fatigue, sleep deprivation and a huge amount of stress will completely ruin your health. Let’s avoid that! Just find the right time during your day and:
✔️Do some breathing exercises or guided meditation
✔️Listen to relaxing music
✔️Do a digital detox and disconnect from social media for a while
✔️Invite your best friends for Netflix binge-watching
✔️Make yourself a relaxing, super scented bath with giant foam
✔️Try some herbal teas for anxiety and relaxation (best are chamomile, peppermint, lemon balm or green tea)
✔️Try aromatherapy to relax and reduce stress (my favorite essential oil diffuser blend for stress relief is definitely Lavender, Frankincense, & Orange)
natural beauty products
" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/holisticlifebykate.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/beauty-products-scaled.jpg?fit=300%2C200&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/holisticlifebykate.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/beauty-products-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1" srcset="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7">10. Use natural cosmetics
We tend to forget that our skin absorbs all the ingredients from cosmetics we use on a daily basis. Which means that if you use makeup or skin care products are packed with unhealthy, toxic or even harmful ingredients it will affect your health in a negative way. I don’t want to scare you but when I started to read the labels of my favorite cosmetics I’ve almost had an heart attack. I’m not kidding. I used to buy cosmetic products because I liked the flavor or the packaging completely forgetting about the most important thing - the ingredients!! Oh, my gosh how foolish I was. Now, I am a proud mindful cosmetic products user. Yes, I’ve invented that but it perfectly describes my behavior as a consumer.
Fortunately, natural cosmetic products are increasingly popular and you can find really good natural products at a really good price. Besides, a human being really doesn’t need 50 different beauty products to feel and look good. Of course, I am not saying that you should use only soap and toothpaste but a minimalist beauty and bath routine is really good for mental and physical health. And have you ever tried to make natural beauty products at home? It’s super easy, inexpensive and fun! You should try it!!
How to live a holistic lifestyle
" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/holisticlifebykate.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/WHY-1.png?fit=200%2C300&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/holisticlifebykate.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/WHY-1.png?fit=683%2C1024&ssl=1" data-lazy-sizes="(max-width: 735px) 100vw, 735px" srcset="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7">Stay Positive
Be Mindful
And Live A More Holistic Lifestyle
xx Kate
22 thoughts on “10 Simple Ways To Live A More Holistic Lifestyle And Why It’s Worth Trying!”
A fantastic round-up of ways to live more naturally, peacefully & holistically, with easy-to-implement suggestions that make the journey feel far more manageable, not to mention appealing! xx
Thank you, Caz!! I wanted to share my experience, thoughts, and ideas on a holistic approach to life because I find it incredibly beneficial in many different ways, especially for people who are dealing with anxiety on a daily basis. Being an anxious and chaotic person myself, I really needed a type of lifestyle that could help me to balance my hectic life and calm my anxious mind without sacrificing my routine or morphing into a different person so I did my research and I decided to give it a try. And even if I am at the beginning of my journey I can already tell that a holistic lifestyle is the best, healthiest and most positive I’ve ever tried 😁 but we will see how it goes… Take care Caz and have a wonderful day!!
Than you for the post, this is really good advice for boosting your mental and physical health, although I am curious to see what the research says about superfoods (I know some people are sceptical).
Hi Marina! Thank you for your positive feedback! Talking about superfoods as far as I’ve noticed researchers cannot agree whether superfoods are especially beneficial to health and wellbeing or not. But even if there is still no official or legal definition of a “superfood”, foods that are called this way are indeed nutritionally dense and loaded with vitamins, minerals antioxidants, etc. That’s why I’ve incorporated some of them into my diet. However, I’ve been eating some “superfoods” from my early childhood not because they are superfoods but because I just love their taste. Personally, I think that it’s all about balance and spending lots of money on superfoods are not balanced at all. Besides eating only healthy, unprocessed and organic foods are just impossible for most of the people for many different reasons. The best option, in my opinion, is to make mindful choices, be more attentive and listen to signals that our body sends us. Take care and have a wonderful day!!!
Thank you for replying!
My pleasure! Take care and have a wonderful day!😉
I have tried out cacao nibs and well, the taste grows on you pretty soon. Great post!
Hi Mahevash! Thank you for your feedback! Take care and have a wonderful day! 😉
Wow! Simply amazing. Everything that we need in our daily life, oftentimes we think we already know what to do but this is a great reminder for all of us to keep our life naturally healthy.
Beautifully said DaZ!! I couldn’t agree more! Take care and have a great weekend! 😃
Thank you… have a great weekend too!😍
Thank you, Daz!😘
Great tips!
Thank you Benn!! Have a great day!😉
I’m better with some of these than with others, probably like almost everyone. My 2019 goal is to start doing yoga and mindfulness, but right now I’m working way too much. I’m hoping the second half of the year… I’ll be making a major life change that will give me more time.
That’s a great goal, I love that! My advice would be to start small. Don’t stress yourself too much. Maybe try some 5-minute guided meditation or just focus on deep breathing as soon as you wake up? I bet you notice immediately how pleasant and relaxing “experiencing the present moment” really is! Besides, I’m sure you are already practicing mindfulness without even knowing that! We use all 5 of our senses when we eat without even realizing that. The same thing with, taking photos. Looking at your Instagram feed you know exactly what “mindful walking” really is! As for yoga, I love ‘Yoga With Adriene’ youtube channel it helped me to start a home yoga practice. I’m still a beginner but I find it a really fun, enjoyable and relaxing experience! I hope this will help you! 😁😘
Thank you, Kate. I’ll check out Yoga With Adriene today
Yes!! I’m happy to hear this! I’m sure you’ll have a lot of fun because Adriene is great! 😉
It stood out to me when you explained that natural remedies can help with things like headaches and digestive issues. I was thinking about getting some painkillers from the store because I’ve been having headaches in the morning for the last week or so. Maybe I’ll look for a functional medicine doctor to meet with instead now that you’ve taught me what holistic healthcare can do!
Hi Rebecca!! Thank you for your positive feedback. I am a strong advocate of functional medicine because it creates a personalized whole-health strategy to address and solve a health problem. I have nothing against conventional medicine I just don’t think that one pill suits all patients… In my personal opinion, a combination of conventional and alternative medicine is the most effective. I wish you all the best. Have a wonderful weekend and take care!! 🙂🙂
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Thank you for your positive feedback! Have a wonderful week!