How to Have a Healthy Night Out

 

When happy hour rolls around, many of us take a deep sigh of relief or regret and prepare to suspend our healthy habits. Beers at the bar often lead to unhealthy snacks, to more beers, and a punishing hangover the next morning as we regret most of our decisions, or at least the ones that we remember. In today’s article we’re going to outline a few practical tips to help you have a healthy night out, and to ensure that you have the maximum amount of fun without ruining your diet or giving in to temptation.

The first maxim is to hang out with fun, happy people. That may sound like a silly piece of advice, but actual research demonstrates that for each happy person in your group, your own happiness improves by 9%. How is that for exact research? Being with happy, healthy people will influence your habits and decisions for the better, just as being with depressed, unhealthy people will drag you down. Pick your company wisely, because whom you spend your night with will not only set the tone of the evening, but greatly influence your own decisions and attitudes.

Second, wear bright, spring colors. Again, this may sound silly, but if you go out wearing dark colors your mood will be affected, and you will be more morose, more subdued and negative. On the subliminal level, wearing right yellows and greens will energize and improve your mood, and help you approach the night from a positive frame of mind.

Finally, set yourself a mental guard on your activities by fixating on a healthy example of a friend who has no problem saying no to temptation. Think of somebody you greatly admire and whom inspires you to do better in your own life, and then either think of them when faced with temptation or even stick a photograph of them on your phone for you to look at when you are about to order those potato skins. Research has shown that identifying with positive examples that you respect and admire will help you follow in the same path, especially if you are able to consciously think of them in your moments of potential weakness.

So there you have it – three simple tips to ensure that your night out is positive, healthy and happy. These are basic tips, but wearing bright colors with happy friends and thinking of positive role models can make all the difference!