The benefits of leading a healthy lifestyle are well documented, but did you know that certain healthy habits can also have a drastic affect on your love life? Here are five of my favorite healthy habits to start today.
Say “no” more often.
It seems like we are all slaves to our jam packed schedules these days, but repeat after me: It’s ok to decline a dinner invite, and it’s ok to tell your girlfriends to enjoy wine night with you. It’s ok to say no! It might seem counterproductive, but sometimes, a girl just needs a night off to stay home and do whatever her little heart desires, which if you’re me means taking a desperately needed yoga class followed by slapping on a face mask and binge watching Scandal with no further commitments in sight. Your time is precious, be selective with it, don’t burn yourself out at both ends. We often find ourselves saying yes to every invite that comes our way, afraid we’ll miss out on something amazing, but there will always be another wine night or date invitation. By stepping back and only accepting the invitations that you truly don’t want to miss, you’ll recharge and won’t view your schedule as an overwhelming enemy any longer. You’ll find yourself actually looking forward to your evenings out and being able to enjoy every moment even more.
Sweat daily.
There is something about moving your body on the daily that instills a sense of confidence like nothing else can. Make it a habit to sweat once a day, whether you hit up a Soul Cycle class or simply dance around your house for twenty minutes. Exercise releases endorphins, which in laymans terms basically make you feel super happy and confident, two qualities that are highly attractive to the opposite sex.
Positive Affirmations
Have you ever noticed that when you wake up in a bad mood and declare that “today is going to be a bad day” that you spill your morning coffee on your shirt, mess up at work and don’t hear from the guy you’ve been dating? Like clockwork, right? So if negative affirmations seem to work, aren’t positive ones worth a shot? Find a cheerful mantra to repeat in your head as you get ready for the day (some of my favorites are “I am amazing” or “I have everything I need” ) and make a mental list of all the things you’re grateful for in your life. It might feel silly at first, but you’ll be surprised at how quickly positive affirmations can turn turn not only your day, but your love life around. Soon, the energy you project to the world will change from negative to positive, and you’ll begin reaping what you sow. Plus, for the person you’re dating to really believe you’re amazing, you’ve got to believe it first.
Disconnect
Most of us are connected to our family, friends and love interests at all times thanks to social media. While there are plenty of benefits to the round the clock twitter streams, Instagram photos and Facebook updates constantly being shoved in our faces, it’s important to completely disconnect from time to time. Turning off all of the noise can give you an opportunity to zone in on the most important voice of them all-yours! Social media connects us, but in some ways, it deepens the distance between us. Instead of leaving him a flirty Facebook comment, pick up the phone and call the guy you’re seeing and tell him you can’t wait to see him on Friday. Place more value on face to face interactions than anything that happens on social media. Trust me, the oh so crucial updates about what hilarious thing your friend’s baby just said, or the not at all original food and sunset pics on Instagram will still be there tomorrow.
Surround Yourself With Like-Minded People
If you want to start dating someone great, first consider the people you hang out with the most. It’s important to establish friendships with others who build you up rather than bring you down, and are always willing to offer honest, kind advice and support. Dating can be tricky and you might often feel like you’re in it alone. Having friends and family who you can call will make it easier for you to stick it out after a few bad dates. Not to mention that your friends might have some attractive single friends of their own…and since it’s highly likely you share some interests, a love connection could be right around the corner.
