Listen to country music:
Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings and Dolly Parton could make you live longer! Cardiovascular experts found country music affects listeners’ bodies by dilating their veins, increasing blood flow and leading to better heart health.
Fans of events like the Kilkenny Country Music Festival will say ‘I told you so’ here!
Put up a bird feeder:
Turn your garden into a home for feathered friends. Putting out a variety of foods leads to a greater diversity. Finches love sunflower hearts.
Robins and blackbirds prefer ground feeders (not a great idea if there are cats in your area, though!) and sparrows will be attracted by peanuts.
Detach from work at the end of the day:
It’s so easy to constantly be at work these days. With the internet, we can access office email from any location.
Make it a priority not to do so. Your leisure time is precious. If you have to turn off your wifi to get a bit of peace at the end of the day, do so.
Many people working from home benefit from doing something which breaks their day.
For example, going out of the house for a moment in the morning, then coming back in and doing the same in the evening. Subconsciously this helps to switch on and off from work.
Learn something new by watching YouTube:
The number of instructional videos on YouTube is startling. Go for something achievable.
Not only will you have fun learning, but you’ll feel great when you accomplish your goal. There are also plenty of fun educational clips you can watch with your children.
Grind your own coffee beans:
If you’re one of the growing number of people making real coffee at home, this tip makes a big difference.
Coffee goes stale very quickly and the difference when using freshly ground beans is huge.
Get an analogue alarm clock:
How many of us get stressed at the sight of a clock displaying a time when we feel we should be asleep?
It’s harder to read a clockface than a digital display when you’re bleary-eyed at 3am. If you struggle to get a good night’s sleep, switching to an analogue alarm can help.
Early to bed, early to rise:
This one doesn’t work so well for night owls. However, if you’re an early bird, getting to bed before midnight makes all the difference! Double the benefit by getting outside before 9am.
Morning light helps to synchronise our biological clocks. Brightness in the earlier part of the day also increases alertness and mood. Use your early bird nature to best advantage and leave the house for at least 30 minutes before the ninth hour!
Try a different tune:
Make a playlist for a friend with a totally different musical taste to you.
Then get them to do the same in return. You never know, you might discover you love new artists you never heard before!
SEE ALSO – Check out all our coverage of the Shine 2022 event in Emo Court
