Most advice on healthy & happy living revolves around diet, exercise, and sleep. But what if you could go beyond the usual and discover real-life, unconventional strategies that can significantly help you to live a happy and long life?
These are tips/ideas I have tried in my daily lifestyle and experienced the difference.
Here are 12 unconventional yet practical ways to improve your health that most people don’t discuss.
1. Practice “Digital Fasting” to Reset Your Mind
Most people focus on fasting, but what about fasting digitally?
Constant exposure to screens overstimulates your brain, increases stress and anxiety, affects your sleeping habits, and messes with your dopamine levels.
- Try a 24-hour digital detox on your day off.
- Disable all non-essential or recreational app notifications as much as possible.
- Switching to a dumb phone can help you stay away from the screen and use apps that consume your time, it reduces addictive scrolling and watching social media for hours and hours.
- Also, you could use a basic alarm clock instead of your phone to avoid late-night doom-scrolling, which affects your sleep too.
You’ll notice improved focus, better sleep, and reduced anxiety within days.
2. Breathe Less, Live Longer
We always hear and are told to “take deep breaths” during anxiety and stressful times, but did you know that excessive breathing reduces CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) levels, making it harder for your body to use oxygen efficiently?
- Instead of deep breathing, practice slow, nasal breathing, which is inhaling for 4 seconds and breathing out for 8 seconds.
- Tape your mouth at night (yes, I’m serious) to improve oxygen absorption. Try it out.
- Try the Buteyko method—a breathing technique that reduces over-breathing and improves lung efficiency.
This technique has been linked to better sleep, lower blood pressure, and improved athletic performance.
3. Sleep with Your Mouth Closed (Mouth Taping Hack)
Mouth breathing while sleeping is a silent destroyer of health. It causes bad sleep, brain fog, cavities, and also changes the facial structure over time.
- Use a small strip of micropore medical tape to keep your mouth closed while sleeping.
- It forces you to breathe through your nose, which improves oxygenation, reduces snoring, and enhances deep sleep and good body recovery.
- In a few weeks, expect clear sinuses, better focus, and more energy in the morning.
This one trick can change your entire sleep quality overnight.
4. Sit on the Floor More Often
Modern chairs are killing our posture and flexibility. In Blue Zones (regions with the longest-living people) and a few Asian countries, people sit on the floor regularly.
- Sitting cross-legged or in a squat position improves spinal alignment and joint mobility.
- It engages your core and lower body muscles, preventing stiffness and back pain.
- Try floor sitting for 10 minutes daily while eating, reading, or watching TV.
Your body will thank you for it as you age.
5. Hug More for an Oxytocin Boost
Hugs aren’t just for comfort—they are a biological necessity.
- A 20-second hug releases oxytocin, which reduces stress, improves immunity, and boosts happiness.
- Hugging lowers cortisol levels, reduces belly fat, and helps achieve a healthy body.
- If you don’t have someone to hug often, even self-hugging or cuddling a pet has similar effects.
Aim for 8-10 hugs a day to feel a real difference in your mood and well-being.
6. Chew More, Eat Less, Absorb More Nutrients
In our fast-paced lives, we often gulp down our food and don’t enjoy it. By rushing through meals, we tend to miss out on vital nutrients.
So what’s the secret to ensure we benefit from the nutrients we consume? Chewing more.
- Chewing each bite 30+ times enhances digestion and nutrient absorption.
- It triggers our fullness hormones earlier, which will prevent you from overeating.
- Eating slowly reduces bloating and gut issues, it allows your stomach to help digest and process the food properly.
This simple habit can make every meal more nutritious without even requiring you to change your diet.
7. Walk Backward for Brain and Joint Health
Walking is great, but have you tried walking backward? Yes, you read that right.
- Walking backward improves balance, coordination, and effective brain function.
- It reduces knee pain by strengthening leg muscles, which are normally underused.
- It also increases cognitive sharpness, as it requires more brain engagement than regular walking.
Start with 10 steps a day and increase gradually. Take it as a fun activity, it is surprisingly effective.
8. Take Mini Cold Showers for Instant Energy
I know this one’s tough, and whenever I think of a cold shower, it reminds me of the “Cold Bucket Challenge” I tried during the lockdown year. It was crazy, I remember being in a state of shock for a good 20-30 seconds LOL.
Cold showers, even if taken for just 10 seconds, can have real positive effects on both mind and body.
- Boosts dopamine levels by 250%, improving mood and focus.
- Increases circulation and immune function.
- Trains your body to handle stress better.
To make things easier, have your regular warm shower with a 10-second cold to finish—it’s enough to make you feel refreshed without the full shock.
9. Stop Brushing Your Teeth Right After Eating
This one’s especially for hygiene freak buddies who carry a toothbrush in their everyday carry bag. Brushing immediately after meals weakens your enamel, especially if you’ve eaten acidic foods. So follow these tips to help you save your teeth 😀
- Wait at least 30 minutes after your meal to brush.
- However, what you could do is rinse your mouth with water or baking soda first to neutralize the acidity.
- If you must clean your teeth immediately, you should try xylitol chewing gum, which naturally helps to kill the bacteria.
A small change that saves your teeth from long-term damage.
10. Use a Blue Light Blocker in the Morning
We all know and have been told that blue light at night is bad for your overall health, but too much blue light in the morning too, can mess with your energy and mind.
- It is said that excess blue light early in the day spikes stress hormones, making you more anxious.
- Use amber-tinted glasses in the morning when using screens.
- Get 10 minutes of real sunlight first before looking at your phone.
- Stay away and don’t use your phone when you wake up in the morning for the first hour.
This balances your circadian rhythm (body clock) for better energy levels throughout the day.
11. Carry a Notebook to “Brain Dump” Stress
Mental stress is just as harmful as physical stress. Instead of bottling up thoughts in your head, try writing them in a book.
- Carry a small notebook and write your worries, ideas, or random thoughts that you go through throughout the day.
- The simple act of writing reduces mental pressure and overload, and hence improves sleep and focus on things you do.
- It’s like decluttering your mind—once thoughts are on paper, they stop looping and wandering in your head.
This habit has been linked to lower stress and improved problem-solving skills.
12. Squeeze Your Hands to Control Stress Instantly
Whenever you feel stressed, instead of overthinking or succumbing to the situation, try a physical reset:
- Clench your fists tightly for 5 seconds, then release—this mimics the body’s natural response to stress.
- Squeezing a stress ball or even your own hand can reduce anxiety in seconds.
- Pressing your thumb against your palm triggers calming pressure points.
It’s a quick, science-backed hack to regain control when emotions get overwhelming.
Final Thoughts
Healthy living isn’t just about diet and exercise—it’s about small, different habits that compound over time.
First, try incorporating just a few of these tips into your daily routine. The key to a healthier life isn’t doing what everyone else does—it’s about finding what works for you.
Which of these tips are you excited to try first? Let me know in the comments!
