101 Ways to Have a Happy, Healthy Heart
- News
February Is Heart Health Month
Looking for ways to have a happier and healthier heart, "fill your cup", and reduce stress? Here are 101 ideas.
Keep Calm
We all know stress is not a friend to your health in general, especially to your heart health. High blood pressure, heart attacks, and strokes are all negative effects of stress. Our first 25 tips are ideas you can try to achieve a calmer you. There are so many ways to relax; find ways that work best for you.
1. Sip a glass of water.
2. Take time for a slow breakfast.
3. Turn off the bright lights.
4. Try blue mood lighting.
5. Put on some classical music.
6. Listen to nature sounds.
7. Try meditation.
8. Try yoga.
9. Take a hot bath.
10. Sit in the sunshine.
11. Make a cup of herbal tea.
12. Try aromatherapy.
13. Listen to a calming audiobook.
14. Do some breathing exercises.
15. Doodle a picture.
16. Look for shapes in the clouds.
17. If the routine of daily watering sounds relaxing, buy a little plant to care for.
18. Set aside some time before you go to sleep to get ready for bed. This might be stopping all activities, putting your phone in the next room to charge, and crawling into bed 30-60 minutes or so before you want to be asleep. Give your mind and body time to quiet down.
19. Wash or splash your face with refreshing cold water.
20. Take a day or week off social media.
21. Take a break from your phone.
22. Been working on a task for a long time? Take a break.
23. Simply be mindful when you are feeling stressed. Recognize how you feel and why.
24. Talk to a trusted friend or family member about how you feel.
Love Yourself
How do you do self-care? Here are some ideas to give yourself some TLC. The next 25 ideas are for a happy heart. See which ones bring you joy.
26. Listen to your favorite song on repeat.
27. Have a sweet treat.
28. Give yourself a literal pat on the back. You may feel silly but give it a try.
29. Try a new hobby. (Remember, it’s okay to not be good at it.)
30. Pick a topic you love and learn 10 facts you didn’t know about it.
31. Let yourself sleep in a little bit.
32. Take an afternoon nap with your phone on silent.
33. Buy fresh flowers for your home now and then.
34. Dedicate a whole day to doing things you love.
35. Visit a park you’ve never been to before.
36. Let yourself say “no”.
37. Take a dance break.
38. Do 15 minutes of your favorite cardio.
39. Before you go to bed, leave yourself a note of encouragement to read in the morning.
40. Give yourself a manicure or pedicure.
41. Read a chapter of your favorite book.
42. Watch your favorite comedy. Laughter is very heart healthy.
43. Do you like routine? Pick a simple thing you love and try to do it every day at a certain time. But only if it doesn’t become a chore!
44. Go to your favorite restaurant.
45. Drink more water. Sometimes treating yourself to a purchase of a pretty water-bottle helps get your daily ounces in.
46. Add your birthday to your calendar.
47. Smile and give yourself a thumbs up in the mirror.
48. Love to get dressed up but don’t have an occasion? Go to the store wearing a cute outfit. Nobody knows you didn’t just come from an event!
49. Leave sticky notes with words of affirmation around the house.
50. Did you do something good for your health? Tell someone about it. It’s okay to brag a little.
Love Others
Doing things with or for others makes your heart happy, too. Here are the next 25 ideas:
51. Give a compliment.
52. Give a hug.
53. Tell a joke.
54. Call a friend or family member.
55. Give a small just-because gift.
56. Buy coffee for the person behind you.
57. Say something nice about someone in front of others.
59. Donate clothes or canned goods.
60. Give a small donation to a cause you care about.
61. Cook a meal for a friend.
62. Bake a batch of someone’s favorite cookies to share.
63. Make a playlist of your favorite songs for a friend.
64 Schedule a day to do another person’s favorite activity with them.
65. Do chores, like grocery shopping, with a friend.
66. Write a letter telling someone how much you care for them.
67. Remind a friend or family member of a favorite memory together.
68. Share a video or picture that made you smile.
69. Tell someone good morning and good night on the same day.
70. Go on a group hike.
71. Drop off a care-package for a friend.
72. Organize a zoom coffee/tea “date”.
73. Host a 15-minute zoom dance party.
74. Give someone a high-five.
75. Challenge someone to a friendly competition of who can do the most items in this article.
Eat (and Drink) Right
The key to eating healthier is finding foods you ENJOY eating. Here are 25 foods/drinks that are known for being heart-healthy, along with some healthier substitutes.
76. Eat more beans.
77. Add more green veggies to your diet.
78. Go nuts with nuts. (If you don’t have an allergy!)
79. Give tofu a try.
80. Add berries to your oatmeal.
81. Choose complex carbs like whole wheat.
82. Be trendy with avocados.
83. Give mocktails a-go. (They are so in right now!)
84. Mmm, dark chocolate.
85. Toe-may-toes, Toe-mah-toes.
86. Don’t be afraid to ward off vampires. Eat that garlic.
87. Too much caffeine? Try swapping your coffee for tea for a bit. Here’s the order of caffeine levels from most to least: coffee, black tea, green tea, white tea.
88. Apple slices dipped in peanut butter.
89. Carrots dipped in hummus.
90. Eat fish for omega 3’s.
91. Don’t like fish? Try another omega-rich food like edamame.
92 .Choose foods high in antioxidants. One you may not know…pumpkin!
93. Try using more spices and a little less salt to add flavor.
94. Same thing, but with fresh herbs.
95. Yogurt isn’t just good for your bones.
96. Fresh cherries, dried cherries, or cherry juice.
97. Having a sandwich? Try adding a dark green like arugula. (It adds a pleasant spice, too!)
98. Barley is another high-fiber grain. Add it to a vegetable soup.
99. Using high-sugar, non-dairy creamer in your coffee? Try using milk or a milk substitute instead. (Tip, these are also delicious in heart-healthy green tea.)
100. Baking a potato? All spuds, from Yukon to sweet potato, have potassium and fiber.
One More
101. Try Boundless Health!
Word to the Wise
When making decisions about your health and diet, remember that it is always best to discuss with your doctor. Looking for a new doctor for you or the family?
Dr. Cindy Ripsin, our Boundless Health primary care doctor, is accepting new patients. Give us a call at 1-800-409-2729 or email info@iamboundless.org to learn more or get started.
