​Sometimes the best way to get out of bad habits is to create a new habit that is more rewarding to our body, mind and spirit.

Below are some free, easy simple ways aid your body in it’s natural ability to heal itself. Start with 1 or 2 and pay attention to how your body feels.
 

1.  Get enough sleep: Do not use computers, phones, tv after 10:30 pm-This is just one article to explain how they disrupt your sleep. Sleep is important you’re your body to recover and heal itself. Here are two articles with more information on sleep. 
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http://www.thesleepjudge.com/different-ways-technology-affects-sleep-quality/

http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/features/power-down-better-sleep
 
2.  Reduce sugar, dairy, caffeine and alcohol and processed food intake: These foods all take energy for your body to process which takes away from it’s reserves to heal itself. 
3.  Take 15 minutes or more of time outside in nature:  listen, look, smell, and feel your surroundings- Trees, birds, plants, rocks, etc all live in the present moment, by taking the time to sit with nature, we are able to resonate with the present moment and find clarity and peace outside the chaos of our minds and society.
 
 
4.  Move for at least a half hour a day:  What ever you decide to do whether light stretching, walking, running, dancing, tai chi, yoga, swaying back and forth in place will help the blood flow in your body of which in turn helps your body to heal it’s self.
 
5.  Daily practice: whether it is meditation, mindful dish washing, painting, yoga, crafting etc.-  your body needs to get out of it’s logical mind of which uses up energy that it needs to use to heal itself. Below is just one article about this:
http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/25/health/brain-crafting-benefits/
 
6.  Drink 64 ounces or more of water a day. depending on your body weight. Most people are dehydrated, and your body cannot heal itself when it is dehydrated. Chronic dehydration leads to inflammation, depression, fatigue, heart burn, and many more disorders. Soda, coffee, juice, sugary drinks and even tea are all diuretics meaning they take water away from your body so if you feel the need to drink something other than water, you will need to add extra water above those 64 ounces . Below is just one article that explains a little more about chronic dehydration.
http://foodmatters.tv/articles-1/are-you-chronically-dehydrated

“Gratitude is good nutrition for your soul. If you don’t take it in daily you will start to get sick, tired and dissatisfied.” Becky La Plante, L.Ac.

When The Secret by Rhonda Bryne first came out, I was young and hungry for the information. I acted as if I had everything I wanted; made vision boards, thought about the things I wanted and tried to be positive. I followed the steps, but I never truly believed that I could get what I wanted. I did get results, but the underlying beliefs of lack would always resurface and I was back to square one. Eventually I stopped trying and got frustrated with the process. I see now that I was lacking gratitude in this whole process. By being grateful for what I had, the feeling of lack could not exist because I had to consciously look for things to be grateful for.  

Fast forward to the past 2 years. I am now finally established in CT, and I can finally say I feel satisfaction, happiness love, and joy.  This was not the case 4 months ago. Moving across the country, taking new state exams, starting a new business while struggling to pay bills, make new friends, and continue my education and healing work left me too serious, lonely and alien in this foreign state, fearful of my financial survival, and hyper aware of my grief.  I was so wrapped up in trying to survive that I forgot to see the beauty around me.

I reached out for help and I was lucky enough to be introduced to the workbook called The Magic.  Because I was so fed up with being unhappy, I committed to the 28 days of exercises focused on being grateful for what I have now, had in the past, and will have in the future. I gave my self permission to just day dream about what I would ideally be being and doing if I had everything I needed. Miraculously, I instantly started to feel more relaxed, less tense, happier, and more satisfied. Things finally started to go my way. I was able to pay my bills on time, found love and found peace again. Things didn’t look exactly as I daydreamed them to be, but they sure felt the way I daydreamed I would be feeling.

I must admit, that there were definitely days that I still felt crappy and unfulfilled but thankfully I was committed to gratitude even if it started out at first with simple things such as my cats, my car, my bed, a roof over my head, etc. The more things that I thought of, the better I felt, and the quicker I got out of my doom and gloom.

After I finished the program, things were going well, and while enjoying the harvest of my hard gratitude work, I gradually started to forget to do my gratitude practice every day. I still had more tools and better gratitude habits then before, but I quickly learned that gratitude was like good nutrition and vitamins. If I didn’t take it in, I would start to feel tired and dissatisfied. This is why I am creating this support group.  I am sure it would have been even easier for me to stay on track during and after the program if I had other friends and people also taking gratitude as medicine to share my results and failures.  To support and to be supported is a great gift that can carry us far beyond what we could do alone.

I am 100 % sure that gratitude transformed my life and my health and after being in healing world since I was 16 years old, I am sure it is one of the quickest, easiest, and least expensive tools to take charge of our own peace, happiness, and joy.