I’m not sure about you but a second year of being in and out of lockdown and a national focus on disease is starting to take its toll. Coming out of lockdown as we head towards year’s end means life is super busy at the moment and its about to get a little bit stressful. So its important that we turn our focus towards our physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. Here is a simple starting point and some important considerations to help you re-establish good habits. Its time to get focused on the positives of health rather than be consumed by the negatives of disease.
SLEEP:
We are well and truly into daylight savings now so make sure your routine is well established. Sleep before midnight is of far better quality than that after midnight, so a solid evening routine and consistent bedtime is a must!
R&R:
Our social and work life will start to get busier now that we are opening up and moving out of restrictions, so ensure you are scheduling time to put your brakes on. Decipher what it is that you can do each day to switch off for a bit and make it a non-negotiable on a daily basis. For example, read a few pages of a book each night or start the day with something you enjoy like watering the garden. Continue some of the hobbies or family activities you have enjoyed whilst spending more time than ever at home this year.
EAT WELL:
Spring is a beautiful season for all of our plant-based foods. There is so much more variety and variety is fast becoming the most important part of diet regardless of whether you are vegan, paleo or follow no regime at all. Ultimately adults should be including at least 50 different foods in a week. And our kids should be eating at least 20-30.
BREATH:
Breathing exercises and breathing correctly is one of the most basic fundamentals in combatting your stress response. It doesn’t need to be another item on your to-do list. Just simply find a time in your day that is appropriate to connect with your breath. As we get busy and stressed we tend to drop our mouth open and inhale short shallow breaths causing over oxygenation. This is part of the stress response and to negate this we need to breathe through our nostrils, deep into the diaphragm and slow the entire process down. A useful hack is that singing, whistling or humming has the same effect as a breathing exercise, so perhaps just belt out a tune in the car.
SUNSHINE AND FRESH AIR:
Our vitamin D levels can plummet in the winter months and it’s easy – as the spring weather ebbs and flows – to neglect getting outside each and every day. If you are working and tend to save your outdoor activity for the weekend you need to look at how you might be able to improve this on a daily basis. Perhaps get up a little earlier and do a walk around the block first thing or have you got 10 mins in your lunch break to do some stretches outside in the sun. Just make sure you incorporate an activity outdoors daily (busy work schedule or not).
MOVE
And regardless of if weather is permitting, be sure to move every single day. A studio or gym membership is worth considering to keep you accountable, and give you options on days that its better to exercise indoors. Walk daily regardless of if you have a per dog, or perhaps dance or stretch in your breaks if still working from home. Incidental movement is the key, so stop sitting and start moving.
Don’t wait until you are frazzled leading into Christmas. And don’t wait until the New Year to create some healthy habits by way of New Year resolutions. Start with just a few simple things now, so that you – and your loved ones – can enjoy a healthier and more balanced version of yourself this summer as we start to move towards more freedom.