behavioural changes that will transform your life · mindfulness habit. The examples below are the...

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ACTUALLY MEDITATE Before you jump to the next point as you already meditate - I know that we can talk a good game - but too often there is little action.

Let’s be truthful, this is just you and I talking, on how many occasions per week do you really take the time for dedicated mindfulness practice?

My experience is that whilst lots of people try meditation and understand the basics when you drill down into the daily routine you discover that its very sporadic or does not happen at all.

Let’s get this out in the open - having knowledge of mindfulness or having meditated a few times does not mean you are meditating. It is the daily practice that offers all those wonderful benefits I am sure you have read about.

So the best way to make this happen on a daily basis is to use one of the amazing meditation apps and start streaking.

You can use both of the apps below for free and then upgrade as your practice grows.

Headspace https://www.headspace.com/

Calmhttps://www.calm.com/

Each day you use the app you start to build a streak. Start by aiming for a 1-week streak and build this out towards a whole month. It is during this process that you will start to solidify this essential and empowering positive behaviour. A really neat way to stay accountable is to post your streak into a group or share with it friends.

Actually meditate

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BEST BOOKS:Philosophy for life: and other dangerous situations - Jules EvansMeditations - Marcus AureliusThe shortness of life - SenecaEnchiridion - Epictetus

POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGYPositive psychology is the scientific study of the strengths and virtues that enable individuals, communities and organisations to thrive.

Here are two extremely powerful scientifically backed ideas from positive psychology:Gratitude diary: List three things to be grateful for each day. Gratitude is the powerhouse of positive emotions. There is mounting psychological evidence that grateful individuals are more joyful, optimistic, energetic, attentive and the list goes on.

Random acts of kindness: Look out for opportunities to perform one random act of kindness each day - no questions asked. The science suggests that kindness can increase energy, happiness, pleasure and lifespan. Whilst it can decrease blood pressure, anxiety and depression. Finally - it’s contagious!

KEEP A JOURNALThere is a ton of science to suggest that writing down our thoughts is beneficial for our mental well-being. Research suggests that it does not matter so much what we write but that we write something. Here’s an idea: Start a daily journal. I created one in Evernote 4 years ago and it’s now a prized possession to look back on and reminisce.

NOT MAD ON MINDFULNESS? There are many other ways to work on your mind-fit-ness that will complement or replace a mindfulness habit. The examples below are the most practical and best behaviours that I have come across:

READ PHILOSOPHYThe most powerful mind-fitness tool I use is philosophy. Not the ‘why is the sky blue’ kind but the practical philosophy of warriors, great leaders, entrepreneurs such as Tim Ferris: Stoicism.Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), which is scientifically supported and regarded as a powerful tool to overcome mental health problems is based on these philosophical principles.

Below are two philosophical points that made a massive difference to me

‘Men are disturbed not by things, but by the view which they take of them.’ - EpictetusThis learning helped me realise that we have ‘total control’ over how we feel. Also that our beliefs dictate our emotions. So if you change what you believe then you can change the way you feel.

“The more we value things outside our control, the less control we have”- Epictetus

The great stoic philosopher Epictetus suggests we only have full control over our emotions. Everything else, to a more or less extent, is not under our control.

Epictetus believed that most of the mental anguish we suffer is trying to control things we cannot. However, if we focus on the one area where we have full control, our emotions, we can weather any storm and enjoy every moment of life.


FOREST BATHINGPost-surgery patients recover quicker when they have a view of nature outside, whilst office workers who had plants within view experienced reduced fatigue, anger, anxiety and depression. Studies also revealed that being outdoors in nature can improve immune systems and anticancer proteins. Aim to get outside for at least 10 minutes a day.

Aim to get outside for at least 10 minutes a day

2Health by stealth

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HEALTH BY STEALTH The foundation of a thriving lifestyle is made up of exercise, quality nutrition and sleep. All of these aspects of our lives can be worked on and improved. During the week we will introduce you to the experts in each particular area so you can take your learning way beyond this course. Also we will try to introduce you to some new ideas that will help promote healthy living. Finally, we will set a few challenges for a bit of fun and to help with the experimentation of these ideas.

The first concept I want to introduce is NEAT exercise.

NEAT stands for Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis. What a mouthful, so let’s stick with NEAT from now on.

When it comes to burning calories we tend to think of traditional exercise as the best way to do this. But we are burning calories all the time. Exercise just fires up this process to blitz even more.

SO WHERE ELSE DO WE BURN CALORIES?We are burning calories whilst we eat and even when sleeping. In fact we are burning calories all day long as we go about our daily lives.

NEAT includes all of these calories burnt outside of eating, sleeping and exercising. It is these activities that we are interested in.

The idea is simple - if you build more NEAT activities into your day you will start to burn extra calories just by existing. There is no gym equipment required or ‘no pain no gain’. You just adopt a few ideas that will ramp up your NEAT exposure. Researcher James Levine suggests that NEAT activities can burn an extra 350 calories per day. This is a massive health win that can be built into your day without you really noticing.

You might have heard me refer to this as health by stealth. This is what NEAT is all about. The aim of the game is to turn your world into a secret gym, that no one knows about and so you can always get a locker!



THE WIN-WINWhen you combine your stealth exercise with traditional exercise the results can be impressive and quick. Furthermore, the NEAT exercise keeps you fired up for the days when you can’t make a class or don’t have time for traditional exercise.

Below are some of the best health by stealth ideas:

• Stand at work• Mix up your transport. Use a bike or walk to work. Maybe get off a stop early on the

tube and walk/jog.• Get busy in the office. Don’t phone a friend on the 2nd floor pay them a visit.• Host walking meetings• Take the stairs and ditch the lift.• Clean the house for sport.• Play with the kids and make your games active.

The list is endless but you get the idea - you create massive exercise wins by modifying daily behaviours to build stealth exercise into your day.

BLOW YOUR MINDA brilliant study by Ali Crum and Ellen Langer shows how a simple change in mindset can have a massive impact on not only the way we feel but also our physical bodies. They recruited cleaners from several hotels and split them into two groups. They then explained to one group that they were improving their health while they cleaned. They demonstrated that many or their cleaning activities were very similar to cardio workouts they might perform in a gym. The cleaners were also told how many calories they were burning. The control group were given no new information. A few weeks later the two groups were tested. The second group who received no new information showed no signs of change. However amazingly the group who had discovered that their work was like exercise had lost weight and lowered their cholesterol. This simple change in mindset had changed the way their bodies reacted to their physical jobs.

So use this psychological power in conjunction with NEAT exercise. The next time you have to clean the house - put your gym kit on and see if you can do it in record time. Or hold a walking meeting and know that you are exercising whilst working a massive win-win!

You get this point - with a little bit of pre-planning you can build all this hidden exercise into your life before you have pumped any iron.

3Power-up your sleep


Power-up your sleepOnly a few years ago I was feeling a constant nagging tiredness that would rarely dissipate. Yet I never questioned my sleep patterns, I wrote it off as part of a busy life. That was until I came across a study of elite basketball players and everything changed.

By simply improving their sleeping habits a Stanford basketball team increased their 3-point field goal percentage by a massive 9.2 % - this woke me up.

Business wisdom suggests ‘money never sleeps’ but maybe it goes for a cheeky afternoon nap?

Enhanced quality of sleep can:

• Seriously increase personal productivity• Increase energy• Ignite creativity• Improve performance• Sharpen attention• Help maintain a healthy weight• Lower stress• Reduce accidents• Reduce depression• Improve memory

If that’s not enough - better sleep can help you live longer

Once I discovered these benefits is was time to make it happen. Below are the best hacks I uncovered to help improve the quality of your shut-eye and boost productivity:


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UNCOVER YOUR OPTIMAL AMOUNT OF SLEEPThe guidelines suggest that 7 - 9 hours sleep is optimal. At your next opportunity take a few days to sleep and wake naturally without an alarm clock or the kids jumping on your head. Whatever the length of this natural sleep is your ideal amount. Mine is 8 hours. I can get away with less but if this continues productivity declines.

MAKE SLEEP THE FOUNDATION OF YOUR HEALTHY LIFESTYLEI changed my mindset about sleep and rather than it being an afterthought - I made it the bedrock of a healthy lifestyle. 8 hours was my optimal amount so I build my social and personal life around this number, rather than the other way round. If I’m out late I get up later. Understandably this is not always an option. So where possible - I avoid arranging two events in a row.

EXPERIMENT WITH YOUR SLEEP PATTERNSLike many business professionals we work long hours, therefore very often the only chance to catch up with loved ones and friends is in the evenings. When I analysed my time after work I realised my brain had normally melted by 9 pm - the lights were on but nobody was home. The 9 - 12 pm slot was not quality time. I was staying up because I felt that I should.

THE 5 AM MIRACLEA friend recommended Jeff Saunders and his 5 am miracle podcast, which unlocked a whole load of extra productivity. I realised that if I went to sleep at nine, I could get 8 hours of sleep and be up at 5 am. Ok so I would miss watching ‘Game of Thrones’ live but this was a small-ish price to pay. Just imagine having 2-3 extra hours of ‘me/we’ time before the kids are awake? These extra hours unlocked the time to exercise, study, learn, read, write and meditate before most people are even awake. Also, 8 hours of optimal sleep left me energised for the rest of the day and when combined with early starts doubled my productivity.


If you really value your late evenings, as many people do, then try to make arrangements to start work later and finish later - this might unlock the 7 am miracle, the time is arbitrary, but this idea is the same - find some extra hours before work, whilst making sure to get your dedicated hours of sleep.

Key point: Think outside the box, speak to your management or put measures in place. If peak performance is your aim, just like an office athlete, it is worth fighting to protect your shuteye.

DROP THE COFFEE AND CAFFEINATED DRINKS AFTER 2 PMAny drinks that offer ‘energy’ are the ones to avoid.

SET THE MOODDim the lights, switch off all electronics and phones. If you want to read use a soft light.

DON’T BE SCARED OF THE DARKWe are programmed to wake when it’s light and sleep when it’s dark. Light can inhibit the production of the sleep hormone melatonin so aim to avoid bright screen and light before bed.

BE A CAPED CRUSADERBlackout blinds or thick curtains will make a massive difference by blocking the light that wants to wake you up. If you can’t black out the room - try a sleep mask. You will look like Zorro but who cares.

SET THE TEMPERATUREAim for 5 -10 degrees lower than daytime temperatures. As always, experiment with what works for you.


SILENT NIGHTIf you live in a noisy area, try earplugs or even use a white noise background soundtrack to help muffle outside disturbances.

Invest in an old-fashioned alarm clock

The majority use smartphones as alarm clocks. The bright lights, or the quick check of social media or when you notice that annoying text before bed, can all affect our sleep. That is unless, like me, you set yourself a challenge not to use a smartphone. So consider going old school and use an alarm clock that just wakes you up.

EXERCISE IN THE MORNINGStudies have suggested that exercise is particularly good for helping us sleep. Furthermore, exercising in the morning leads to more deep sleep than afternoon exercise. This could be a run, yoga, some loving, kettlebell swings or all four!


Invest in an old-fashioned

alarm clock

4Take a break from alcohol


TAKE A BREAK FROM ALCOHOL We are not trying to be the fun police and this does not mean you have to quit for good but if you want to power up your life right now consider taking a break from the booze.

For many people this one change alone will generate more positive behavioural change than all the others put together.

Now if you don’t drink or rarely drink skip this last point. But even if you drink on the odd class taking a break can provide a massive productivity boost. For example science suggests that even small amounts of alcohol have a negative impact on the quality of sleep and there is now a ton of research demonstrating that impaired sleep destroys motivation, productivity and general well-being.

Personally it was quitting alcohol that unlocked all the other well-being advantages from improved sleep to extra motivation to exercise and reigned my zest for life.

But giving up alcohol is tough. The psychological conditioning and societal pressure to continue to drink is immense. What we have discovered at OneYearNoBeer is that almost anyone can break a drinking habit if they take the right steps. Here are the seven best tips I have discovered:

TAKE AN ALCOHOL-FREE CHALLENGEOk so I am biased - take a 28,90 or 365-day alcohol-free challenge with OneYearNoBeer.com.

COMMIT TO A PHYSICAL CHALLENGEThis might seem like a strange place to start, but it’s actually key to any alcohol-free period. Book a physical challenge beyond your current abilities. If you can just manage a jog around the block, perhaps start with a 5k park run. If a 10k’s your limit, then maybe sign up for a marathon. A physical target such as this will provide focus, regular exercise, confidence, and an outlet for the time you used to spend drinking.



REMEMBER THAT ONE SLIP-UP DOESN’T MEAN YOU’RE BACK TO SQUARE ONELasting habit change requires compassion. There is a common misconception that one mistake means failure, which opens the floodgates to indulgence. If you slip up, so what? Who cares? Dust yourself off, learn from your mistakes, and come back stronger.

DON’T JUST GET RID OF BAD HABITS; REPLACE THEM WITH GOOD ONESTrying to change a habit after years of psychological conditioning is very difficult. The easiest way to do it is to dress them up as good ones. Take the following steps:

Find your trigger: What time, place, emotion, preceding action or person is your trigger?Uncover what’s driving the habit: What is it you crave? Stress relief? Companionship?

Change your routine and hack the habit: Once you know what triggers the habit, along with the real driver, all you have to do is replace the routine with a healthy one the provides the same payoff.

If companionship drives you toward those after-work drinks, book a spin class with some mates instead.

You get the picture. Take the time to break down and replace your unhealthy routines.

USE YOUR EXCUSE: “I’M ON A CHALLENGE.”Most of us feel like we need a reason not to drink. Alcohol is the only drug in the world that people get upset with you for quitting.

Unless you’re pregnant or sick, most excuses are destroyed by well-meaning friends, family and colleagues who want their drinking buddies back.

So use your excuse: Everyone loves a challenge, and going alcohol-free is just another one to add to your list (alongside mud races, triathlons, marathons…). So, when the time comes, say it loud and proud.


“Want a drink?”“Yes I would love a [fill in blank with alcohol-free alternative].”“What?”“Yeah, I’ve decided to take a [30/90/365] day alcohol-free challenge, and I feel great!”Job done.

MAKE A LIST OF ALL THE REASONS YOU WANT TO QUITUse paper, iPad or laptop whatever suits you best. For extra motivation, put your list where you can see it as a daily reminder of why you are on this adventure.

KEEP PLANNING, THEN PLAN SOME MOREIt sounds over the top, but we know when it comes to going alcohol-free, winging it simply doesn’t work. You have to plan like an athlete and expect the unexpected.

There will always be a long-lost friend who arrives on your doorstep looking to catch up over a few drinks. Be ready for these moments when they arrive, give yourself a wry smile, and make the choice that fits your goals.

Planning ahead also means knowing what your options are before you get to a bar. Phone your chosen venue, if you must, and find out if they stock your alcohol-free alternative of choice. And always have a backup drink, in case you reach the bar and they are out of stock.

FOCUS ON MINDFULNESSFrom awareness comes the ability to change. Mindfulness is the first step in this process. Our brains love habits because these processes run without conscious thought. This is great for healthy habits you already have, but a problem when you’re trying to change bad ones.Mindfulness shines a light on the habits that are holding us back. As these unconscious routines come into full view, we can begin to apply the steps above and make lasting change.


THE HEALTHY TAKE AWAYThe short e-book is designed to give you a quick taster of the behavioural changes that will power up your life right now. These are all practical tips that can be applied to any busy life. We owe it to ourselves to be the best we can be and the ideas contained within this book are a firm step in that direction.

Thank you for downloading this e-book and I will keep you posted once a month on the latest and greatest ideas from the world of positive behavioural change.

If you would like to hear more from me please follow on:

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/andyoynbInstagram https://www.instagram.com/oneyearnobeer/LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyramage/Medium https://medium.com/@andyramage

If there is a behaviour that you would like to reshape, improve or change please feel free to reach out to me at [email protected]

Enjoy

Andy RamageCo-Founder OneYearNoBeer.comCo-Founder Aalpha Energy Oil Brokerage

Positive Behavioural Change CoachAuthor: The 28 Day Alcohol-Free Challenge: Sleep Better, Lose Weight, Boost Energy, Beat Anxiety


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