10 Ways to Improve Your Health in 5 Minutes or Less

By Stephen T. Sinatra, M.D., F.A.C.C., F.A.C.N., C.N.S., C.B.T.

The stress of difficult times – like a world-wide pandemic- can take a big toll on health and well being, making it important to keep the good energy circulating… Don’t worry, there’s no need to spend hours working out, or hundreds of dollars at a health food store. Raising your vibrational energy  and being healthy is about all the little things you do each day to care for your body, mind and spirit. Even if you have only five minutes, you can start making a positive difference right now.

Here are just a few of the ways you can get started:

1. Try alternate nostril breathing. This activity raises your vibration by improving your heart rate variability, balancing your autonomic nervous system (ANS), and generally helping you manage stress better. Using your fingers to hold your nose, breathe in through your right nostril for a count of four and out through the left nostril for a count of eight. Then switch it up, and breathe in for a count of four through the left and out through the right for a count of eight.

There are several good videos online that demonstrate this technique – here are some to choose from.

2. Meditate or practice yoga. Another way to calm and balance the ANS is through meditation or deep belly breathing. For five minutes, sit comfortably and focus on nothing but your breathing – acknowledge thoughts that arise, then let them go. You may choose to repeat a positive word or phrase to yourself, like “Ohm” or “All is well.” For belly breathing, focus on taking deep breaths and feeling the rise and fall of your abdomen. Yoga is also a form of meditation… one that is in motion. Empty your mind of distracting thoughts and be entirely present in the poses.

3. Sleep grounded. The next time you make up your bed, add an Earthing/grounding sheet. These linens feel just like regular sheets but attach to a wire that connects you with the Earth. This allows you to absorb the Earth’s vibration-raising health benefits while you sleep. What could be faster and easier than that? If you can’t sleep grounded, make sure to get outside and plant your bare feet on the Earth’s surface for at least 30 minutes per day.

4. Purge one shelf in your kitchen. Open a cabinet or your fridge, and pick a shelf. Then hide (or throw out) all of the food that contains added sugar. Refined white sugar and artificial sweeteners are “dead foods” that have no vibration—and consuming them can actually lower your vibration, rather than raise it. Cleaning out your kitchen or pantry one shelf at a time will help you become more aware of the foods where hidden sugars lurk. Since we’re in a time of uncertainty, I realize that throwing out less than optimal food isn’t prudent for many, hence I recommend that you put these foods in a box and store them out of reach and only eat them if truly necessary. Try, as much as possible to eat less processed, natural foods.

5. Write in a gratitude journal. Some people like to do this at the end of the day and others at the beginning, but whenever you can find the time will work. Simply jot down 3–4 things you’re thankful for. It’s not important whether they’re large or small. What matters is the positive energy of gratitude, which gives us renewed perspective on life’s challenges.

6. Call a friend or family member. Text messages and social media may be convenient way to communicate these days, but if you really want to raise your vibration—and the vibration of others—use your phone or computer to make an actual call. Hearing someone’s voice provides a feeling of connection and belonging that’s vital to health.

7. Take a break from electronics. Given how attached we are to our phones, this exercise—at least initially—may feel more like five hours than five minutes. But turn off anything that has a screen, a cord, or a wifi signal. Aside from the constant disruption they cause, many electronic devices emit radiation that can adversely affect your heart rhythm and nervous system. You can raise your vibration by unplugging for a while. Bonus points if you spend your unplugged time outside in nature.

8. Go for a power walk. Whenever you get your blood pumping, you’re filling your cells with oxygen and raising their vibrational energy—not to mention strengthening your muscles, bones, and heart. Don’t have anywhere you can go in just five minutes?  Briskly walk up around your house, in your house, or up and down the stairs. For added benefit (weather permitting), try walking barefoot in your yard, a park, or on a beach.

9. Have a fruit or veggie snack. If you think organic, non-GMO fruits and vegetables help raise your vibration by nourishing your body with antioxidant nutrients, you’re right—but that’s only half the story. These foods are also rich in fiber, which helps boost the body’s natural ability to detoxify itself. Plus, they are grown without toxic synthetic pesticides. The more effective your body is at ridding itself of waste, the healthier your cells.

10. Listen to your favorite song. Maybe it gets you going, or maybe it mellows you out. Either way, our favorite music leaves us in a more positive, can-do frame of mind. The Beach Boys sang about “Good Vibrations”—but music is undoubtedly a way to achieve high vibrations!

Feel free to try one of these activities or all of them—or mix them up and do a different one each day. Consistency is important for things like meditation and breathing exercises, though, so you’ll see better results with those if you try to do those activities every day. The same goes for eating healthy snacks.

Over time, I think you’ll find that sticking with the small things like these can add up to big improvements. And I wouldn’t be surprised if the five minutes you spend soon turns into 10…or maybe even an hour. Before you know it, you’ll be living in a true high-vibrational way!

© Stephen Sinatra, MD. All rights reserved.

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