Tracking your happiness too closely can backfire and make it harder to actually enjoy your life.

Supporting your gut health can help reduce inflammation and keep your brain functioning at its best.

Replacing a bad habit with a healthier alternative is far more effective than trying to eliminate it outright.

Gathering health data can help you make better decisions for your mind and body.

Spring has arrived here in North America, and with it comes the perfect opportunity to reset, recharge, and get ready for the heavy speaking seasons ahead. Whether you've been hibernating a little too comfortably this winter or you've been grinding through back-to-back engagements, now is the time to build some sustainable habits that will keep you sharp, energized, and on your game through the spring, summer, and fall speaking seasons. And the good news? Some of these are practically guaranteed to bring a smile to your face right away.

First off, don't obsess about happiness.

A study showed something you might have already suspected: Those of us who keep close track of how happy we are, fretting about minor moments and changes in our happiness barometer, tend to be less happy than folks who simply live in the moment and enjoy themselves. So let go of the scorecard, stop comparing yourself to the other speakers on the conference agenda, and just savor that cup of coffee in your hotel room or that sunset from the airport terminal. The road warrior life has its pleasures if you can slow down long enough to find them.

Second, do take those prebiotics.

I'll be the first to confess I'm still not entirely sure what's on the list, but if you can find some prebiotics, they're good for your brain health. The basic link is inflammation—which is bad for the brain and the rest of your body—and prebiotics help reduce it. I'm not a medical doctor, and this is not medical advice, but if you're logging a lot of miles this season, it might be worth looking into your prebiotic intake. Your gut health and your brain health are more connected than most of us realize.

Third, if you want to shed a bad habit, try habit substitution.

We all know that losing a bad habit is hard. But research shows that substituting a good habit for a bad one is the approach most likely to succeed, because we are all creatures of habit in one form or another. The travel lifestyle makes this especially tricky—airport lounges and hotel minibars are not exactly designed with your best interests in mind. So try a mini crossword puzzle instead of the extra snack, or a short walk around the terminal instead of another coffee. By the time you're done, the urge has usually passed.

Fourth, if you're the scattered-brain type, try fidgeting (but not on stage!).

Tapping your foot, a pencil, or fiddling with your hands turns out to be a reasonably effective way to help your mind stop wandering. Research on people with ADHD finds that it helps them concentrate better for longer. So go fiddle—while you're in the green room, on the plane, or in a long pre-event briefing. Just save the stillness, and the mastery it signals, for the stage.

Fifth, consider getting a real picture of what's going on inside.

One of the challenges of life on the road is that it's easy to feel fine while your body is quietly running on empty. That's why I recently tried something called a comprehensive blood workup through a private company, which can give you a full panel of results along with personalized recommendations for diet, supplements, and lifestyle. It's one of a growing number of services that can give you a real, data-driven baseline for your health rather than just guessing. I'm not here to sell you on any particular service, but if you've never had a thorough look under the hood, spring is a great time to do it. Start with a thorough annual physical! Knowledge is leverage.

Finally, eat chocolate at least once a week.

This remains my personal favorite, and I am delighted to report that the science still holds up. Eating chocolate once a week—or more—is genuinely good for your brain. We've long known that chocolate is good for cardiovascular health, but it also helps with cognition. In one study, roughly 1,000 participants were given chocolate and then put through a battery of cognitive tests, and they did better across the board, including on measures of working memory, abstract reasoning, and visual-spatial organization. As the spring speaking season kicks into gear, consider this your permission slip. A little chocolate is practically a professional obligation.

Here's to a healthy, high-performing spring. The audiences are waiting—let's make sure you show up at your best.

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