7 Things I Do To Look & Feel My Best (This Changed My Life)

Hi everyone, welcome back to my channel. I'm Courtney Ryan, and today's video is a little bit more personal. I'm going to be sharing seven things I do to look and feel my best. Now, looking and feeling our best isn't just about quick fixes or band-aids. It's about intentional choices that align with who we want to become. In this video, I'm sharing seven key practices that have truly transformed me. And I know that sounds dramatic, but it's true. Each choice is a commitment to my values and my vision for myself, creating a life of purpose and resilience. These aren't just habits, they're building blocks towards my best self and my future. So I hope this video inspires you to think about what makes you feel your best and who you want to become and what you can do today to get there. And while you're here, make sure you subscribe to stay in the loop for when I release new content. I post new videos every Wednesday and Sunday. So let's get into the video. Okay, the first thing I do to look and feel my best is pinpoint my goals. Pinpointing my goals has become a powerful way to help me look and feel my best. By always setting clear intentional goals, I'm able to stay more focused and know exactly what I'm working towards in each area of my life. I usually try to keep at least one goal in each of the following categories. One would be my financial goals. I might focus on building my savings, making a new investment, paying something off. These goals give me a sense of security and confidence, which translates to a calm, more positive outlook on my life. Feeling safe and secure with my finances is so important to me. And I always try to make sure I know exactly where I'm at and where I'm headed. The next category is more personal goals. So this could cover areas like learning a new skill, things about my career, nurturing relationships, whether it be romantic, platonic, friendship, family. Working on these goals really helps fuel my personal growth and fulfillment. And I find that when I'm growing in these areas, it really reflects in my energy and my confidence in everything that I do. The third category for me is health and wellness. I stay so deliberate about things like fitness, nutrition, and my mental wellbeing. Having goals in this category really helps keep me disciplined and energized and helps me stay physically and mentally strong and just feeling so much better. So those are my goal categories. Yours might look different depending on what your goals are, what you want your life to look like, what's important to you. I think it's important to take a look at what your values are and choose goals that are going to reflect that. Now I've realized through experience and trial and error that when I don't actively set these goals, I feel so lost as if I'm just drifting through without a sense of purpose. So by keeping these specific goals in mind, it ultimately helps me look and feel my best. The next habit that has helped me look and feel my best is increasing my protein and fiber intake. And I realize if you've watched the last couple videos of mine or maybe the last month worth of videos that I've made, I've mentioned protein a couple times and that is because when I increased my protein intake, I changed my life. I am genuinely not being dramatic. I have felt this need to share it with you guys because it has been that drastic of a change. Protein has been essential for helping me build lean muscle, which not only makes me look more toned, but it also helps boost my metabolism, helping me maintain a healthy weight that I'm happy with. It also helps keep me feeling full much longer and more energized throughout the day, reducing my cravings and giving me the fuel that I need to stay active and focused. Whether that be in my physical activities that I do daily, like working out, going to the gym, or more mentally challenging things like research, working on scripts, that kind of thing. Now I also wanted to mention fiber because this has been a game changer for my digestion. It has helped me reduce bloating and feel lighter and more comfortable. High fiber foods also help stabilize my blood sugar levels, giving me steady energy without any crashes during the day. So together, protein and fiber have made a huge difference in my wellness routine. It supports my fitness goals, enhances my energy, and helps me overall just feel more balanced and healthy. With a protein and fiber rich diet, I not only feel more satisfied and energized, but I also see results in my appearance and my overall health. And I would say over the last year and a half or so, I've really been focusing on eating more whole, unprocessed foods and fueling my body with the nutrients that it actually needs. The positive impact this lifestyle change has had on both the way that I look and feel is significant and so significant that I've needed to talk about it in multiple videos. Nutrition is so important. I'm actually reading a book right now called Good Energy. It's written by Dr. Casey and Callie Means and it is incredible and so, so helpful. I've learned a ton and honestly, I cannot emphasize the importance enough of taking control of your nutrition and the food that you're consuming. I highly recommend cooking your own meals instead of relying on convenience or fast food. I cook probably 90% of the meals that both my husband and I eat. I cook all throughout the week, every meal. We usually go out once a week, sometimes twice if we have something crazy going on or we have people in town or we're going out with friends. But on a normal week, we cook probably 90 to 95% of the food that we eat and this has been life-changing. So, highly recommend. I've also worked a lot on improving my gut health. I've tried multiple different things, one of those being today's sponsor, Ritual. You've probably seen this product everywhere and now is the best time to try it. Save 40% off of your entire Ritual order during their Black Friday, Cyber Monday sale. As I mentioned, a key element of your health and well-being is making sure that you have proper gut health. Symbiotic Plus is not your average probiotic. It's a three-in-one prebiotic, probiotic, and postbiotic. It contains two of the world's most clinically studied probiotic strains, prebiotics to support the growth of beneficial bacteria, and postbiotics to support gut barrier function, all in one capsule. Probiotics help support immune health. It's estimated that 70% of the immune system is located in the gut. As many of you probably already know, diet can impact our gut and sudden changes in diet can lead to digestive discomforts like bloating, but daily use of supplements like Symbiotic Plus can help us ease those digestive discomforts. I feel much less bloated since taking Symbiotic Plus and I really like the minty essence of the capsule itself. I'm a big fan. I've also found these to be really helpful for when I'm traveling or I'm not home or eating what I usually eat. Symbiotic Plus is now $32.40 instead of $54 during Ritual's Black Friday, Cyber Monday sale. For 40% off your first order of Ritual, go to ritual.com slash CourtneyR40 or use my code CourtneyR40. Thanks again, Ritual, for sponsoring a portion of this video. Okay, the third thing that helps me look and feel my best is keeping my promises, that I make to others, of course, but also to myself. Keeping the promises that I make to myself has become a key part of looking and feeling my best. Every single time I follow through on a commitment, whether it's a fitness goal, a work milestone, a daily routine, anything from my goal section that I mentioned earlier, I build trust in myself and reinforce my confidence. It's this consistency that keeps me motivated, energized, and resilient. I do not and cannot rely on external factors to keep me motivated. I have to have that within myself and just have discipline. You know, you're not always going to wake up and feel motivated. I've mentioned in a couple videos too how important it is to do hard things. I think this is so good for your brain and your body, but I don't just wake up and feel motivated every single day. There are days where I truly don't want to do anything, but my self-discipline and keeping the promises that I make to myself get me going and keep me going. When I stick to my promises, it is so much easier to maintain a positive mindset and see real progress, both mentally and physically. That's because I'm being consistent. I feel proud, I feel empowered, and that inner confidence shows on the outside too. This discipline also helps keep me from second-guessing myself or feeling regretful or guilty, which reduces my stress and keeps me focused on things that truly matter. Again, I always know my goals. I don't rely on external motivation to get me going. I have self-discipline and I do the things I tell myself that I'm going to do. Ultimately, by honoring the promises that I make to myself, I'm investing in my own growth and well-being, which allows me to feel my best and show up authentically in every single area of my life. My relationship, my friendships, for you guys on YouTube. I mean, I don't just talk the talk. I walk the walk and I'm really proud of that. The next thing I do to look and feel my best is heat exposure. Now, this is one that I've only added into my routine within the last few months. The newest to my life out of everything on this list today. But wow, have I already noticed such a big difference. And that is why I included it in this video, because I haven't been doing this that long. But the fact that I've already noticed the difference is wild to me. So my heat exposure of choice is the sauna. Using the sauna regularly has truly made me look and feel my best. I think one of the most noticeable changes has been a reduction in inflammation. Not only has this improved my overall exercise performance, but it also helps with my recovery, making me feel so much less sore and less stiff after my workouts. Just this week, actually, I went to the gym and did an insane leg day. When I got home from the gym, went in the sauna next day, couldn't even tell I had a leg day. Like, it truly is insane. I've also noticed an improvement in my flexibility, which is going to really help with longevity and keeping myself able to move, which I'm very happy about. The heat also helps improve circulation and I can feel my heart working in a healthy way. It is almost like a mini cardio session without even leaving the sauna. Like, you're sitting down doing cardio. It's also great for strengthening your immune system so I feel less prone to getting sick or feeling run down. And I will also say there is something deeply satisfying about a good sweat session in the sauna. It feels like almost a mental reset. I leave with my mood lifted, my mind clearer, which has boosted both my mood and my cognition. It is amazing how much more focused and positive I feel after each session. I am someone who naturally just does not sweat. There have been times where I have done an intense cardio session like running a 5k out in the summer heat and I still am hardly sweating. So it's been so good for me to have this deliberate heat exposure and to make my body sweat. I want to get to a point where I almost train my body to sweat more. Sweating is so good for you and it's something that I have such a hard time doing unless I'm sitting in a 190 degree sauna for 20 minutes. So at this point it feels like a necessity for me. I have had some of the greatest nights of sleep of my life since we got this sauna. So all that to say, the sauna has become a key part of my wellness routine and I cannot wait to see the long-term benefits. I truly feel like I could go on and on about it because it has been that life-changing. Maybe I'll update you guys in a couple months with my results or you know other benefits that I've seen after doing it for longer. But even just doing it two months, a little over two months, I'm hooked. The next thing that helps me look and feel my best is doing the inner work and getting to root causes. Now this is a loaded point here because there's so much that falls into it. But to simplify, I have done a ton of work to identify the root causes of things rather than letting them continue happening or just patching them up with a quick fix. Doing the inner work and uncovering the root causes behind my actions has been transformative and helping me look and feel my best. By understanding why I have certain habits, fears, things that make me upset, I can make more mindful choices rather than reacting on autopilot. This self-awareness has really freed me from patterns that were holding me back and has allowed me to develop healthier routines and set boundaries that overall just support my well-being. It has really helped me a lot with emotional regulation and being able to respond to things that might make me upset in a more rational, healthy, thoughtful way. I'll often do breath work. I've actually started meditating a little bit more recently, which is something that I really struggled with in the past. I actually did a video of a self-improvement tier list, and I didn't rank meditation that high, if I can remember correctly. It's something that I always really struggled with, you know, the act of sitting with myself without being restless. I've really had to work on this, but it's become a very powerful practice for me as I've done it more and learned how to do it correctly. And in terms of understanding myself and getting to the root of things, when I get to the core of what motivates me, I feel this sense of peace and clarity. I no longer waste energy on things that just don't serve me, which has reduced stress and made me feel lighter and more grounded in my life. I think this peace and inner clarity is also reflected in the way that I carry myself outwardly. I think I'm more relaxed. I'm more confident. I think I'm able to show up as a more authentic version of me that feels really true to who I actually am, which has felt really good. So taking the time to work on myself internally has given me so many tools to make intentional decisions and cultivate a life that genuinely feels good. It's helped me develop inner strength and resilience, which has played an important role in both looking and feeling my best. Okay, next are my movement must-haves. So my movement must-haves and non-negotiables in this category drastically impacts the way that I look and the way that I feel. Incorporating my movement must-haves, which are lifting, Pilates, and cardio, mostly walking for me, has been a key to looking and feeling my best. So I try to lift weights two to three times a week. This helps me build strength and muscle tone, helps me work towards being more sculpted, more defined, and also helps boost my metabolism. I'm 28, so I'm trying to build muscle while it's still easier as I'm younger, and this will also help aid in my longevity as well. So I do my strength training, and then I also do Pilates. Pilates adds an incredible layer of core strength and flexibility, helping me with my posture, my balance, and sort of a mind-body connection that makes me feel more aligned, more graceful, and just overall much better. And I think it's been a while since I've talked about this, but in high school I actually fractured my spine, and I also have scoliosis, so my core strength is a non-negotiable and helps my overall quality of life. Pilates has been a game-changer for me, and even though it is so difficult, I genuinely look forward to doing it. I actually do these free videos on YouTube from a YouTube channel called Move With Nicole. I don't know if you guys will be interested in it. I think men could also really benefit from Pilates. It's a full-body workout. These classes kick my butt, okay? If you want to be humbled, do a Move With Nicole class on YouTube. They're free, and it is seriously one of the greatest workouts that I have ever done, and I've had a personal trainer. I've been going to the gym for many, many years, and nothing kicks my butt quite like Move With Nicole. And finally, walking is my go-to for both low-impact movement and mental clarity. It helps keep me active even on my rest days. It helps support my recovery, and it gives me time to reset and reflect. Sometimes I'll put on a podcast, and other times I'll just walk in silence with my own thoughts and listen to nature. It has been incredibly healing for me and a great way to also get outside. A walk always, and I repeat always, makes me feel better. If I'm in a funk, I walk. If I'm stressed, I walk. If I'm sad, I walk, and it always helps. I will also say I've been much more intentional about my daily step count, and I've noticed major changes in my body when I started doing so. I've actually lost about 10 pounds, and I think this is a major reason why. And the last thing I do to look and feel my best, as many of you already know, I am sober. I know I've mentioned this in other videos before, but I wanted to touch on it again because it is one of the most powerful lifestyle choices that I have made for myself. Choosing sobriety is absolutely a cornerstone of how I look and feel my best. Being sober allows my brain and body to function at its peak, and I'll be honest, this was such an easy choice for me. I never enjoyed the taste of alcohol. I disliked how it made me feel. Truly, there was nothing I liked about it, and even though I only used to drink occasionally, maybe three times a year, so not a lot at all, but committing to full sobriety has allowed me to feel more energized, clear-headed, and fully present in my life. I think one of the benefits of being sober is how I've been able to stand firmly in my values, free from this pressure to drink just because it's expected in social situations. Saying no to alcohol feels really empowering for me, and it's rewarding to know that I'm living authentically and staying true to what makes me truly feel my best, and not just doing it because other people are doing it or making me feel like I need to. Not drinking has positively impacted every single area of my life, including my physical health. My skin is clear. My energy is steady. I sleep better. I feel like I look better. Mentally, I feel more balanced, more healthy, more resilient. Without alcohol clouding my mind, I can approach my goals and relationships with full clarity and intention, and overall, sobriety has been a powerful and freeing choice that has helped me look and truly feel aligned with my best self. I don't share that I'm sober to act holier-than-thou or because I think that makes me better than anybody. It's truly just what is best for me, and I would highly encourage you to educate yourself on the impacts of alcohol and if that might be the best decision for you and what your goals are. In a society where alcohol is so common, especially socially, it can feel very isolating to be the person who's not drinking. People often will make you feel bad about it, but I hope me sharing that I am sober might help you feel a little bit better about your decision if that's a choice that you've made for yourself. If you're someone who's been thinking about being sober, rest assured knowing that you know someone now who also is. It is truly great. I cannot say enough wonderful things about it, so I hope that makes at least one of you feel a little bit better. Honestly, there are far more than just seven things that I do to look and feel my best. I do a lot of things, but I wanted to share the ones that have truly transformed me both inside and out. I think each of these practices has become a building block in helping me create a life that feels aligned with my values, my strengths, and my vision for myself. I really try to think about the woman that I want to be. I picture her in my head, and I think about the choices that that woman would make every day, and if a choice doesn't align with that woman that I want to be, I just don't do it. Choosing to make intentional, mindful changes isn't just about looking good on the outside. It's much more about cultivating a sense of peace and purpose that's going to radiate through everything that I do and everything that you do. So if you'd like to see more personal videos like this, I'd be happy to dive deeper and share other parts of my journey or my life if you guys would want to see that, things that I've done that I think could help you guys too, things that I'm currently working on. I always have something that I'm working on. Looking and feeling our best is an ongoing process, and I would love to continue this conversation with you, so let me know down in the comments what you'd like to see next, any thoughts you have about your own journey. I would just love to hear from you guys down in the comments. I know this video was a little bit different than what I usually do, so thank you so much for watching if you did, and remember your choices today have the power to shape the person that you become tomorrow. Your life 20 years from now will be a reflection of the small habits and choices that you make today, so make it a great one. If you like this video or found it helpful, be sure to give it a thumbs up and subscribe to my channel to be in the loop for when I release new content. If you haven't already, be sure to follow me over on Instagram at CourtneyChristineRyan. I love connecting with all of you guys over on there as well. As always, thank you all so much for watching, and I will see you all next time.