If the last few years has left you in a funk, and you want to get your day started off on the right foot, there’s a few tips to take – all new ways in the morning habits to get your day started right:

First and foremost – use and actual alarm clock. Most of use a phone, but that means you will likely start your day looking at social media instead of getting up properly.

Begin the day with gratitude – take 30 seconds to be thankful for something in your life – even if it’s just having had a good night’s sleep, or the breakfast you’re about to have.

Set daily intentions – just a few things that you want to accomplish that day; nothing big, just realistic goals you can look forward to achieving.

Drink water – usually it’s coffee first thing in the morning, but water is better first if you’ve been asleep for a few hours, you’re dehydrated.

And if you start your day with exercise, it’ll release endorphins, which help relieve stress, and you’ll get it out of the way, so you don’t skip your workout later in the day.

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You’re probably familiar with sleep apnea, but have you heard about screen apnea?

It’s the same – but instead of stopping breathing when you’re asleep, you do it when you stare too long at a screen.

You don’t stop breathing entirely, but your breathing rhythm alters – you may hold your breath without realizing, or even take shallower breaths.

The reason it happens is because of how our bodies react to stimuli – our nervous system responds to help us focus. It often happens when we get e-mails or texts as we prepare to check and respond.

But the constant receival of messages means we’re constantly overstimulated and puts our bodies into a chronic state of threat which makes us feel more exhausted every day.

If you do find yourself holding your breath, sigh out loud – it may help reset your breathing and take deeper breaths again.

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Staying hydrated is important, and not just during summer. Most of us forget to drink water throughout the day – our busy schedules just get in the way, and dehydration can cause health problems – but a new Instagram video has an easy way to determine if your dehydrated just by sitting at your desk.

If you want to know if you need more water, take the skin on your knuckles, and pinch it – if it returns easily, you’re hydrated, but if it takes a long time to go down, you’re dehydrated.

It’s not a perfect test, and it won’t replace doctor’s diagnosis, but it is a good indicator. Dehydration can lead to a host of health problems – dry skin and eyes, fatigue, dizziness, and irritability. More severe dehydration can lead to headaches and muscles crams, fainting and rapid heartbeat.

So fill up that glass!

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You’ve probably heard it before – you need to get in 10,000 steps a day to stay healthy.

But for those who don’t have the time, or routinely don’t reach that number, there’s good news – you probably need far less to make a healthy impact!

A new study shows that there’s a gradual effect to the number of steps you need, and just 4,000 per day lowers your chance of early death from any health cause – and even 2,500 lowers the risk of heart disease.

4,000 steps helps you live longer, and for every extra 1,000 steps per day, you decrease your odds of early death by about 15%.

As long as you get moving and don’t get discouraged if you don’t reach the magic 10,000 steps number, because you’re still doing your health a lot of good!

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Aging is unavoidable – and everybody goes through it. But there are some lifestyle changes we can make to hopefully slow down the aging process.

And that begins with what we eat.

First and foremost – limit junk food. All the added sugar can cause health issues down the road, and serious problems in 10 or 20 years, so avoid the temptations of sweets now.

Bring more fish into your diet – the omega-3 fatty acids help protect from disease as we age, as well as heart problems, depression, and even cancer. If you’re not a fish fan, you can always take an omega-3 supplement.

Grab colorful fruits and veggies – berries, leafy greens, carrots, red peppers – all are rich in antioxidants and fiber, which counter the negative effects of aging.

Finally – stay hydrated. Many of our systems that keep us hydrated degrade as we age, like our kidneys, and some medications can increase water loss – but while water is the best route for hydration, you can also grab foods with high water content, like cucumbers, zucchini, tomatoes, strawberries, and watermelon.

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