Feeling down and a little less energetic can take a toll on your productivity, and being a little less productive each day will definitely have a big impact on your career. Your hormones could be the ones to blame. Unbalanced hormones in the blood can cause your body to work at a level below its optimum capacity, and as far as we are concerned, we do not want anything like that to happen.

I know it can feel daunting and exhausting to work on rebalancing your hormones, mainly if you don’t know where to start. There are so many advices out there. It truly takes time to see improvements, but yet some changes can be easily made which can motivate you into adding more changes to your lifestyle, to feel even better, and so on.

1. Take care of your detox factories

 

With all the chemicals we are exposed to, it is very important to make sure your body is able to eliminate them quickly. Cleaning up your outer body can make you feel good, but cleansing your inner body will make you feel better. Here are some of the tips that can be of huge help when it comes to detoxifying your body.

Skin

Use natural products. If you can eat them, this is even better.

Liver

Drink warm water and lemon in the morning and throughout the day. Add more cruciferous vegetables to your diet. This will help your liver in its exhausting job of filtering the unnecessary chemicals in your bloodstream.

Gut

Take a good probiotic. This will result in a healthier digestive system that, in turn, will influence all the other systems in your body.

 

2. Change your outlook on life

 

For that, I advise keeping a gratitude journal.

This practice is helpful to reduce stress. Stress affects the body in a number of ways. For one, it can have a substantial negative effect on your daily energy and performance. Being stressed over a particular task or situation can lessen your productivity and have a huge impact on your over-all daily schedule. Plus, it dims your perspective, making you more susceptible to depression, worry and grief.

Gratitude journal helps change your outlook on life. You cannot be grateful and be stressed at the same time, that is why having something to be thankful for refocuses your attention and reduces the time you consume in complaining about certain things. Did you know it takes barely a few seconds for our brain to absorb negative emotions but up to 30 seconds for positive ones? That is why sometimes, looking at the brighter side takes effort. In order for you to reduce the effort, it is considered helpful if you would carry a journal that has a list of the things you are thankful for. Remember, taking time to look at the positive sides of everything, even they’re too negative, makes you feel lighter and overwhelmed. Practice a grateful attitude and write it down.

 

3. Cleanse your life

Foods

As the saying goes, “You are what you eat.” If you keep on gobbling up things which are bad for you, you may end up having a body that looks terrible.

Foods rich in phytoestrogens reduces the risk of experiencing the negative effects caused by having too much estrogen in the blood, making you feel better and happier. Phytoestrogens are found in legumes (tofu*, tempeh, and soymilk*), beans, lentils, peas and chickpeas. Having 3 teaspoons of linseeds a day is also advisable because it serves as an estrogen-blocker in the blood. You could also consume indole-3-carbinol rich foods such as cabbage, broccoli, kale, bokchoy, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and radicchio.

* If you suspect you have estrogen dominance, these 2 foods should be avoided.

Home

Your environment affects your thoughts. If your environment is messy, the tendency is you’ll also have messy thoughts. And thoughts, as we know it, can add stress to our body and affect the hormonal balance inside. That is why keeping your home clean and organized can help change your outlook about yourself and your life. You can always start by throwing away all the unnecessary stuff in your home and arranging those that are left in a way that will make you feel comfortable and relaxed.

Relationships

Throwing away the unnecessary and taking care of what’s left is not only applicable to your home but also in relationships. Having stressful relationships can overwhelm your emotions and you can end up depressed. That is why people who stay with their good friends, happy colleagues and inspiring loved ones look fresher and more enthusiastic than others. If you want to be wholesome, get surrounded by people who live wholesomely.

 

4. Ask yourself the right questions

Instead of asking questions that makes you feel guilty inside, why not steer your way into positivity by asking the right questions? You can write the questions down and start answering them one by one. Take your time to reflect on each question and answer them honestly. This is a great way to help you reduce stress hormones and gain confidence. You can start by asking questions like, Am I happy with what I have achieved over the past year? If yes, great! If no, what would I like to have achieved in one year? After answering, start planning ahead. What can you start doing today that will bring you closer to your goals?

 

5. Practice self-care

Being workaholic or having a full schedule doesn’t mean you’ll be productive. Sometimes, because of the heavy workload, instead of having a sense of fulfillment because of the work you’ve done, you’ll end up burned-out. This is the reason why practicing self-care is important.

Self-care is like a vacation for your body and your mind. Taking a little work off your list and inserting time for rest and recreation can boost your mood and it will help regulate the hormonal balance in your body by reducing the stress hormones produced inside. You can start by having the right amount of sleep, adding some physical activity on your to-do list, and engaging in tasks you find fun to do.

These tips, when included on your daily schedule, can help you become more productive and redirect you to the brighter side of life. If you wish to obtain a “look good, feel good’ body, always remember these notes.