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35 Simple Health Tips Experts Live By - A Series:
Here on the Well desk, we’re constantly asking experts for research-backed advice on how to eat better, stress less and generally live healthier, happier lives. But which habits really make the biggest difference?
To find out, our reporters went back to leading specialists they’ve interviewed over the years and asked them:
What is the one health tip you learned in your work that you live by?
These 35 tricks, life hacks, rules and reminders span nutrition, sleep, mental health, fitness, productivity and more. They all meet Well’s standard for excellence with a little extra credibility — they are practised by the people who preach them.
Gastroenterologist and clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Health
My second-grade teacher, Ms. Edson, told us: If something feels too hard to do, it just
means that the first step isn’t small enough. So often, when we’re struggling, we tell
ourselves that it’s a sign that we’re broken or that something is our fault, and then we
freeze. When something is too hard in the moment, tell yourself Ms Edson’s advice.
– Becky Kennedy
Clinical psychologist, parenting expert and founder of Good Inside
I never force myself to sleep, and I don’t wind down in bed. I go to bed when I feel sleepy.
This means my bedtime may vary slightly every night, but I fall asleep quickly.
– Alicia Roth
Sleep specialist at the Cleveland Clinic
I do small daily actions that keep me connected with other people. I didn’t used to.
But then my research began to show people who do are happier, live longer and stay
healthier. I started deliberately making dates with friends and going out to dinner with other guys. I have a Friday noon meeting with my friend and colleague Marc every week. And I make small, frequent contact with other people I want to stay connected to. Texting
counts.
– Dr. Robert J. Waldinger
Director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development
There’s lots of work on what’s called time affluence, the subjective sense that you have
some free time. The simple act of giving myself a break — two to five minutes to catch my
breath between tasks — makes me feel less time-famished. Studies would suggest that
just changing that sense of time famine can disproportionately impact well-being.
– Laurie Santos