Blissfully jess

If you’ve found your way to this post, I’m going to assume that you are wanting to make some changes in your lifestyle. Maybe you want to create healthier habits or want to start feeling better overall and are looking for some ideas to try. Lucky for you, I’m sharing 30 swaps I’ve made in my own lifestyle over the years! I hope you find this list to be helpful for you on your journey! <3
Related: How you can completely change your life in one year, Creating a healthy + balanced lifestyle

Save this post and browse these tips to see if there are any that you think you can try!

Please note: this is a list of things that worked for me! Not all of the items are going to be for everyone and that’s OK! Everyone is different, which means different things are going to work for each person. Use this as a list of ideas to try if you are wanting create healthier habits 🙂

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1. Bath & Body Works Shower Gel FOR Dove Soap

Trust me, I love my Bath & Body works! In recent years, I’ve learned how toxic the ingredients are for us & how it’s not the best for our skin. For a couple years now, I’ve switched my Bath and Body Works for a bar of Dove soap (I personally prefer the green one).

2. Using a loofa FOR wash cloth

On top of swapping Bath and Body Works for Dove, I’ve also thrown away my loofa that I was using for years. I was very grossed out when I leaned how much bacteria grows on loofas, so I threw out my loofa and made a swap for a wash cloth instead! With the wash cloth, I’m able to throw it in the laundry at the end of every week so I’m not washing myself with a disgusting amount of bacteria!

3. Plain Coffee FOR adding Collagen

What’s better than coffee?! Coffee that has vitamins and health benefits! I started adding a scoop of collagen to my coffee every morning and I honestly don’t notice that I’ve added anything to my coffee! My favorite is Dose & Co. 🙂 You also don’t have to put collagen in coffee, it’s just what I do because I drink it everyday. I love Dose & Co. because there’s no flavor so I don’t even notice any difference.

4. Just laying on the couch FOR foam rolling or laying on an acupressure mat

Have you ever tried foam rolling?! If not, you should definitely give it a try! It’s such a good habit to get into, one of those things that can be easily forgotten or brushed off to the side as not important. Now, if I’m watching TV in the evening or over the weekend, I’ll pull out my foam roller for 10-20 minutes and roll out my leg muscles and back! Ahhhh… feels sooo good 🙂

I’ve also been laying on an acupressure mat too! The pricks in my back are oddly satisfying and I’ve noticed that it’s helping with my stress, anxiety and lowering my blood pressure. CLICK HERE to check out the acupressure mat I’ve been using & loving!

Laying on the couch is nice and feels great, but it’s an added bonus to rest my mind AND do something to take care of my body!

5. Expensive face products that don’t work FOR massaging my face with a frozen cucumber

6. Scrolling social media in bed FOR reading

This seems like an obvious one but it really does make a difference! I even have my phone set to shut off my apps an hour before I go to bed. Consuming other people’s lives and staring at a screen really disrupts your ability to fall asleep AND the quality of your sleep. Remember, a good morning starts the night before. For me, reading in bed helps calm my mind and helps me unwind. You can find more night time tips on my post about Creating A Night Time Routine and also my 7 Tips For Falling Asleep.

A couple books I’m LOVING right now:

>> Click here to browse some of my other favorite books!

7. Drinking coffee and eating food first thing when I wake to FOR drinking water first

If you aren’t drinking water RIGHT when you wake up, you really NEED TO! If you don’t, you are starting your day dehydrated. Think about it… you aren’t getting any water into your body during the hours you are asleep. If you don’t start your day with water, you are going to feel fatigued and sluggish. To make sure you body holds onto more water, put a sprinkle of sea salt in it.

I drink 24 oz water before I drink coffee or eat anything. I will fill up my water bottle and put a dash of Redmond’s Sea Salt for some electrolytes. I will also drink 8oz of the water with half a lemon and 2 scoops of Essential Stacks L-Glutamine powder for my gut.

8. Rushing around everywhere FOR taking my time and being more present

We are definitely living in a time where we are running around everywhere alllll.the.time. There’s too much to do and not enough time to do it, right??? HOWEVER! You have to be present and enjoy the moment at times. Rushing around everywhere is just fueling your brain’s need to be stressed about something at all times. It makes a huge difference when you allow yourself to slow down and practice being more present. Make sure you aren’t wasting your life away by making yourself feel the need to be stressed all the time.
Related: 9 things to stop doing to live a happy, healthier, more fulfilled life, How to start living a life you love living, How to handle stress & overwhelm

>> click here to download my Self Care Planning Worksheet
>> click here to download my Guide To Understanding YOU

9. Cardio only workouts FOR adding weight training weight

I absolutely used to be a cardio bunny, spending hours on a treadmill or elliptical. I actually do love running & cardio, but ever since I was introduced to the weight room in college, I have fallen in love! I know that a lot of women are intrigued by the weight room at the gym, but feel very intimidated by it. If that sounds like you, I would consider hiring a personal trainer and also check out my post on 7 Tips For Increasing Your Self Confidence! Also, make sure you find a workout routine that YOU love! Weight training isn’t for everyone and that’s OK!

SOME OF MY FAVORITE WORKOUT PRODUCTS:

>> Click here to browse some of my other favorite products!

10. Forcing myself to be inside working all day FOR spending at least 30 mins outside / going on a walk per day

There’s something about being in fresh air that makes you feel so much better! As someone who works from home, it’s hard not to just spend all day inside. Even on days where the weather isn’t great, I try to get myself outside for SOME fresh air. ESPECIALLY if it’s a nice day out, I will sit outside for some time in the afternoon and even go on a walk. Not only is getting outside good for mental health, it’s also a good way to break up your day! This is a good way to make sure you are working yourself to burnout.
Related: What to do if you are experiencing extreme burnout, How unplugging can change your life, Signs you need to take a break

11. Not taking any supplements before bed FOR taking magnesium

One of the main reasons why people have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep is that they can’t get their minds to calm down. There’s just too much on our minds to think about! I started drinking magnesium before bed and it has really helped me so much. I microwave 4-6oz of water in the microwave for 45 seconds and mix in a scoop of Natural Vitality Calm Magnesium Powder. The fizz it makes is entertaining in itself! Do this an hour before bed and you can literally feeeel your body start to relax. Seriously, you need to give this a try! Click here to try it out 🙂

12. Getting upset with myself for being too tired or not being able to do the workouts I planned FOR listening to my body everyday and cycle syncing

If you know me or are familiar with my work and my message, I believe wholeheartedly in being kind to yourself. It’s easy to beat yourself up and to feel frustrated for not being able to do something, but it’s not going to get you anywhere. For that reason, I’ve created a habit of asking myself, “what does my body need today?” I’ve also been learning more and more about cycle syncing my entire life, which has been helpful as well. What we don’t learn in school – or anywhere – is that for women, we operate on 28-day hormone cycle, which is broken down into 4 phases. Our hormones are different in each of the phases, which of course influences our energy. So, I’ve really been paying attention to what phase I’m in and giving myself the grace and permission, especially when I know that I’m in the phase that I naturally have less energy.

13.Letting myself get more and more stressed out everyday FOR adding 5 minutes of a guided meditation everyday to relax my central nervous system

When feeling  stressed, healthy habits are typically the very first things to be ignored and placed on the back burner, being perceived as “not important”. While things might feel chaotic and like you don’t have time to even think about slowing down, it is important that you do. You can’t expect yourself to function like you want to when you are operating from fight or flight mode everyday. You are going to run yourself into paralyzing burnout and might even get yourself sick. Doing a guided meditation every day can help calm your mind from feeling so stressed, helping you feel more in control. A meditation can help calm your central nervous system and clear your mind so you feel more in control.
Related: How to feel in control of your life

14. Not having a plan each day/week/month FOR using my Day Designer Planner + planning guide

I hate the feeling of going into a new week without a plan. It feels like I’m starting the week behind, before the week even gets started. Especially if you are like me and have many different obligations to attend to, it makes your life so much easier to have a good system in place! I developed a Clarity + Goals + Planning Workbook to help me get clear on what to focus on and use my Day Designer Planner to organize everything! It makes my life so much easier!

>> click here to download my Clarity + Goals + Planning Workbook

15. Trying to process things on my own FOR reaching out & talking to someone

One of the most common things I hear (also true for myself) is that people want to figure things out on their own. The thought of reaching out for help or guidance feels like a “failure” & a “weakness” and hiring someone like a coach seems like a complete waste of money and time. But, it’s important to understand how much talking to someone can help and make a huge difference. Getting it out of your own mind can be exactly what you need. This can be a friend, family member, therapist or even a coach. You are human. Give yourself grace! I cannot begin to explain how much of a difference it has made on my own life leaning on others for help when I need it. Once I decided to stop trying to do things on my own and reached out for help (yes, including hiring coaches!), it has made my life and journey so much easier. Do yourself a favor and don’t try to do this on your own!
>> click here to apply for a 60 minute power hour coaching session if you could use some guidance on your journey!

16. Telling myself that I don’t have time for self care FOR making it a priority

You make time for the things that are important to you. You make excuses for the things that aren’t. Self care is important to me because my goals and what I’m working towards are important. Without self care & making myself a priority, I will remain stagnant and frustrated. Once I decided to put away my excuses and FIND the time to take care of myself, it’s interesting how things started falling into place.
Related: How to create a self care routine that works for you and your busy schedule, Self Care For Bad / Low Mental Health Days, 30 Day Self Care Challenge, 30 day journal prompt challenge

17. Trying to force things to happen FOR letting flow happen naturally

It’s interesting how when you try to FORCE something to happen, it never actually does. It’s really hard not to do because you have a vision and want it to happen so badly. But by trying to FORCE it into reality is the best guarantee to make sure that it doesn’t happen. Not to mention adding unnecessary stress and pressure on yourself. Once I let go of a rigid hold on how things play out, it’s amazing how much more enjoyable life is and things started falling into place better than I even was trying to force into reality.

18. Miralax FOR helpful supplements that actually work

I went to a GI for occasional constipation and they of course told me to “just drink enough miralax everyday!” It was annoying and didn’t work. After doing some research, I found some supplements that started working for me. PLEASE NOTE: I am not a professional, these are just what has worked for me!

What I’m finding helpful: L-Glutamine powder, Psyllium Husk Fiber Supplements, Kiala Super Greens, Hilma Digestive Enzymes

19. Wondering what’s for dinner everyday FOR planning ahead of time

There’s so many benefits to planning ahead of time! It takes away the stress of wondering what to eat. We try to come up with a plan for the week and even try to make things in bulk so we just eat it throughout the week. Trust me, stressing over what’s for dinner isn’t worth your energy!

20. Tampons FOR Period Cup

Before I gave it a try, I was very intimidated by a period cup because ya know… sounds a bit… risky… But, I knew that I wanted to at least give it a try because I thought tampons were uncomfortable and knew about the health issues they can cause if you aren’t careful. I am SO GLAD that I ended up deciding to give it a try because it has changed the game for me. Once I made the switch, I never looked back! Once you give it a try, it really does feel so much better! If you do decide to try one, make sure you try one like saalt because you know it’s safe. It’s not something that you don’t want to go the cheap route for!

21. Sugary protein bar before a workout FOR Rice cake, peanut butter, banana

After I learned how much sugar are in protein bars and generally unhealthy they are, I went on a mission to find a healthier pre-workout option (there are healthier protein bar options, but I’ve found that I prefer this better!). Even though I workout first thing in the morning, I always need something on my stomach, especially to give me some energy to get through more intense workouts. For the last several years, I’ve been eating a lightly salted rice cake with peanut butter and banana. In my opinion, it’s the perfect pre-workout snack and is always just what I need to get me through my workout!

22. Sugary Cereals FOR Oats

I’m not going to lie, I LOVE a bowl of cereal. It’s one of those foods that I can honestly eat at any time of the day. All day, everyday. But, most of them are very unhealthy and sugary. Now, I’ve swapped my sugary cereals for oats sweetened with stevia and berries.

23. Afternoon/evening workouts FOR morning workouts

It’s not that I think afternoon/evening workouts aren’t “healthy”, but I have noticed that early morning workouts works best for me. I think it’s important for everyone to figure out what works and makes the most sense for them! When you find what works best for you and honor that, it’s amazing how much more enjoyable life is!
Related: Why I started working out at 5AM + How to transition to early morning workouts, 3 Tips For Transitioning To Early Morning Workouts

24. Comparing myself to others FOR Focusing on myself

I don’t think I have to convince anyone to understand that comparing yourself to other people doesn’t do any good for them. But, it’s a natural human response because as social beings, we look to others to make sure that what we are doing will be accepted by others. So, when we see others looking a certain way, doing certain things, at a certain point in their journey, we automatically run ourselves through that lens. We compare ourselves to where they are and focus on the areas that we don’t seem to be “up to par” with where they are at.
Related: Tips for gaining confidence to be your true, authentic self, 7 Tips For Increasing Your Self Confidence, How to improve your mindset

Since this is a natural human response, we have to train our brains to think in a different way. We have to remove ourselves from focusing on what others are doing and bring it back to ourselves. This is important because we are all different, which means that our journeys are going to be different. When you let someone else’s life and journey take over how you are feeling about yourself, you are letting go of control of your own life. So, instead of comparing myself to others all the time, I’m now focused on me and where I’m at in my own journey because I know that my journey is unique to me. I remind myself everyday to focus on being better everyday. You have to remember that life is about you vs you, NOT you vs everyone else. Once you focus on that, your entire perception changes and so does your life.

25. Thinking that I’ve accomplished nothing each day / not able to complete my to do list FOR doing end of the day reflections on the things that I was able to do/get done

There’s nothing like getting to the end of each day thinking that you “failed” to accomplish what you set out to accomplish that day. Our brains are wired to naturally focus on the things that we didn’t do, rather than on all of the things that we were able to get done. So, you end each day feeling discouraged and you probably start self sabotaging & beating yourself up. HOWEVER, this means that you are not focusing on the best, most productive things that will actually help you reach your goals and get you closer to where you want to be.
Related: How to start a journaling as a part of your self care routine, The importance of celebrating all of your accomplishments

When you end each day reflecting on the things you are proud of yourself for and what you WERE able to get done, it’s amazing what it can do for your confidence. This exercise helps you start seeing all of the things you were able to accomplish, even on the days that you think that you “failed” to get anything done. What I have learned is there’s something to acknowledge and celebrate in every day. When you focus on those, that’s how you can reframe your mindset to focus on the more productive things. Don’t stand in your own way by focusing on the things that aren’t actually productive and going to help you get closer to where you want to be!

26. Wishing away certain things that make me unique/my imperfections FOR learning to love them

The thing that we all have to eventually learn is that our “imperfections” and “uniqueness” are qualities that makes us who we are. When I finally started accepting everything about myself, I noticed that I was so much happier and other people started loving me for them as well.

So, rather than wanting to change things about myself, I’ve learned to love them and life has been so much better!

27. Constantly worried about what other people think of me/what I’m doing FOR not caring so much what other people think

This is something that is very much easier said than done because it takes a lot of inner work and mental reprogramming. I knew that if I wanted to grow my business and do the things that I wanted to do, I had to work on my fear of judgement and being seen, which is very common. At the end of the day, I had to realize that I had to make sure that I was doing what makes me happy. It’s so much more freeing not being so focused on what other people think! You have to remind yourself that this is YOUR life. Nobody else is going to do the work for you. You vs you everyday, my love!
Related: How prioritizing myself & finally putting myself first changed my life, Creating A Life You Love

28. Focusing on what I don’t have FOR focusing on what I do have

As humans, it’s so easy to perseverate on the things that we don’t have yet. We don’t even think about the things we DO have, because there are things that are lacking and we don’t want there to be any “lack”. But, what you have to understand is if you are constantly focused on the lack, that is what you are going to attract.
Related: Adjusting Your Mindset When Bad Things Happen, How to improve your mindset, How to feel in control of your life, How To Start Manifesting

Once I finally took this seriously and started changing my mindset to focusing on the things that I do have, things started falling into place naturally. It can be so hard to do, but operating from stressed out, frantic energy is only going to keep you attracting more and more lack.

29. Letting fear dictate my decisions FOR takings risks

Something that a lot of people don’t realize or refuse to accept is that you can’t expect growth if you are constantly playing it safe because of fear of the unknown. Fear of what is or isn’t going to work out. Let me tell you, I have never ended up regretting taking a risk. It feels so much better seeing what I can really do and accomplish, rather than hiding in my comfort zone playing it safe. I’ve been grateful for every investment I’ve made in myself because I’ve been able to learn more about myself & be motivated to do things I’ve never thought was possible. Every time I put myself out there and “failed”, I learned something that I never would of if I never tried.

If you want to become everything that you possibly can be, you have to take risks. You have to stop letting fear of the unknown stop you from doing what you want to do and become who you wan to become. Who would you be and what would you accomplish if you gave yourself a chance?

If you are truly happy playing it safe, that’s fine. But, if you know there’s more for you, you have to start taking risks. Trust me, it’s so worth it.

30. Taking a stimulant for my ADHD FOR making lifestyle changes

I was medicated for ADHD with a stimulant medication for 12 years. While it helped me focus in school, I started developing health issues the longer I was on it. It was a difficult journey to get off of it, but after developing a lifestyle that works for me, I’ve been able to learn how to best operate with my ADHD. There’s nothing wrong with being medicated if it’s working for you, but I had to learn to listen to my body and the signs it was telling me that it was time to get off of it.
Related: How I Transitioned Off Of My ADHD Meds

Living with ADHD can be frustrating trying to operate in a neuro-typically functioning world. My body was telling me that I didn’t need a stimulant anymore and I’m so glad that I listened. I feel like I’ve been able to gain so much control over my life and health since getting off of my stimulant and focusing on different lifestyle and productivity strategies. I also found the book Dirty Laundry to be helpful in understanding my ADHD 🙂

Let this be a sign to listen to your body. Be an advocate for your body. Only YOU know what does and doesn’t feel right.

Final Thoughts

Like I mentioned at the beginning of this post, this is a list of things that worked for me! Not everything is guaranteed to work for everyone, which is why taking note of ideas and a lot of trial & error. It has taken me many, many years to develop the habits and found the different habits that work for me. The same goes for you! If you want to start incorporating better habits, make sure you are starting simple and allow yourself to go through a trial and error process. I hope you found this list helpful in getting started on your journey!! <3

Also, make sure you check out my downloadable resources!

>> click here to download my Clarity + Goals + Planning Workbook
>> click here to learn more about my weekly check in system for keeping track of your goals, tracking habits & holding yourself accountable
>> click here to download my guide to understanding YOU
>> click here to download my Self Care Planning Worksheet
>> click here to download my 50 journal prompts for self reflection & self discovery

XOXO,
Coach Jessie Shibko