The Butterfly Effect

Modern life has reduced waiting time considerably: we order food online instead of waiting in a supermarket lines; we use internet banking rather than go to the bank, take a number and wait for our turn to see the bank teller, and where I live, you can check on the hospital app when your appointment number with your doctor is and leave your home accordingly!

However, waiting is inevitable- for a train or a taxi, for your number to be called at a hospital, when you pick up your children from their school or a class, when you wait for a website or a game to load…

Don’t automatically turn to your phone to check your emails, scroll down your social media feed or mindlessly watch videos. Here are 30 things you can do that will lead to better health:

1. Check in with your body
2. Take deep breaths
3. Pause your rapid, incessant thought patterns
4. Send a message or call someone you love or appreciate No agenda, just a chat.
5. Check your posture Are your shoulders hunched? Is your neck drooping? Are you standing with your stomach protruding forward? Do you put more weight on one side of your body?
6. Relax your body Relax your face and get rid of that frown. Move your shoulders up and down and feel them settle naturally on the top of your chest. Wiggle your toes. Feel your body relax from top to bottom, going down from one body part to another.
7. Massage yourself If surroundings allow it, give yourself a much-needed massage. Use your fists to beat? your calves and thighs, knead your shoulders and forearms, press the pressure points on your hands, use your knuckles to rub your backbone and your back or use your fingertips to gently massage your neck.
8. Stretch Those pre-workout stretches you do? they are great to do anytime. Your favorite yoga stretches? Go for them! Stretch those achy muscles and see the difference in your mobility from just a few minutes of stretching
9. Do your kegels Maybe you are too shy to massage or stretch in public. You can exercise your vaginal or anal muscles without anyone knowing. Great for your reproductive health and your sex life.
10. Walk around If walking around won’t jeopardize your turn, move your legs and reach your target step count on your fitness watch.
11. Drink a glass of water Waiting is as good a time as any to hydrate. Get that H20 into your cells so they can function well and get rid of toxins more easily.
12. Make a shopping list What do you need to make those homemade healthy meals that you’ve been promising yourself? Rolled oats for your overnight oats, coconut aminos as a healthier substitute to soy sauce, chickpeas to make hummus from scratch- make a list and your healthy meals are more likely to be a reality.
13. Shop online Take #12 a step further and order healthy meals or healthy food ingredients online.
14. Check your calendar
15. Journal
16. Close your eyes
17. Smell something nice Did you know that smells
18. Make an appointment for a better health This doesn’t necessarily have to be a health check-up, though those are great too. Schedule a manicure or pedicure for that fell-good vibe, find a cleaner to deep clean your home, find a health or nutrition coach to guide you in your weight loss journey, fix a hair salon appointment.
19. Read your saved posts This is a good time to go over your saved pins, Facebook or Instagram posts and articles you bookmarked in your browser or saved on your notes app. Bonus points if they are related to your physical, nutritional, mental or spiritual health.
20. Clean out your purse What has that got to do with health, you ask? A lot! Clutter free and organized environments help us think more clearly and lead to better decision making. Removing those dirty tissues or dated receipts will help you find your things more easily and help you feel accomplished for that serotonin boost.
21. Bookmark exercise videos Look for at-home workout videos for those days you can’t go outdoors or to the gym. Preview them and add them to a YouTube playlist so you have it handy when you unroll your mat for exercise. If you are a runner, you can look for the right BPM for your usual or target pace.
22. Visualize I first learnt about the power of visualization in _____ ‘s book The Miracle Morning. Since then, I have seen it mentioned in TED talks, motivational speeches, books and articles. If you are not familiar with or used to this profound practice, simply close your eyes and visualize yourself feel more relaxed in a situation that you are feeling anxious about. If you have any goals- short term or long-term, visualize that you have accomplished them How does it feel? How did you get there? How is your life better after accomplishing that goal? Everything action we take, no matter how swift, is first conceptualized in our brains.
23. Practice gratitude
24. Listen to a health related podcast or audiobook
25. Go through the pictures on your phone Delete those screenshots or repeat pictures you don’t need. Relive good memories. A win-win either ways.
26. Take in your surroundings Attention to detail is a desirable skill, often valued in jobs, and it’s a skill that can be developed. Observe the little things around you. No judgement, just acceptance of reality.
27. Take a catnap If you are one of the lucky few who can “nap” for several seconds or a few minutes at a time and feel refreshed then by all means do that.
28. Do face yoga Don’t try this in a crowded train. Or maybe you should?! Give someone something to smile about or watch the look of horror on a kids’ face.