LIFESTYLE: BALANCE AND MANAGEMENT
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1: Take time out and escape reality: No matter what your budget, make a plan to escape into nature at some stage throughout the year for a minimum of a week. If you cannot manage that, then try to once per week get your feet onto the earth and find yourself in a place of nature and beauty. This has many benefits. A trip into nature or a holiday or adventure gives you something to work towards, look forward to. Turn your phone off (better yet, go into a no phone reception area) when you go and do not take your computer. Use this time to fill up your mental cup, play with your kids, spend time with those whom you love and create memories that will carry you through the next few months.
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2: Make time in your day for silence: Meditate, day dream, practise deep breathing, your vision, do your affirmations. The effects of quieting the mind and returning to a state of calm has huge effects on your ability to concentrate, stay focused and remain empowered.
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3: Eat nourishing food. This cannot be said enough. The effects of nutrition on our health wellbeing is well documented and the proof is in the pudding. Eat fast food, heavy and refined foods, chocolate and sugar, coffee and alcohol everyday and try and function like a well balanced, focused and positive machine..... not going to happen! EVER. Eat a balanced diet with plenty of fresh fruit, vegetables, healthy fats and full of antioxidants and enzymes on the other hand and you will not only have energy but will feel light, inspired and powerful.
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4: Exercise: As with nourishing food, keeping your body active has many benefits It is proven to have positive effects on mood and brain function, on your ability to feel good and connect with others. It allows you to have a break from the pressures of society, your family, your career etc. Sometimes this is the hardest thing to make time for. But guaranteed, that if you exercise, your life will feel much more balanced.
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5: Keep things simple: With so much technology allowing so many things to be done at once (you can be making appointments, catching up with friends, paying bills and sending documents all in the matter of a few moments), the constant stimulation of society, the instant gratification on offer, it is very easy to get caught up in the motion of going from one thing to the next, always rushing, always have a million things planned and a million things to do. How to navigate this? It's really actually simple. KEEP THINGS SIMPLE. Stop booking in so many things one after another. Understand that there will always be many things to do, but your health and wellbeing is top priority. Make sure you have times during your week where it slows down. How? Schedule in times when nothing can be booked and you can go with the flow when it comes up. Try meeting up with friends in a park, at the beach instead of in a shopping centre, make sure you book in time with your family or loved ones (and no one else) and spend quality time (you will never regret this. EVER). Make your home a sanctuary, plan time for quiet, plan moments in your weekend where there is no phones, get in your kitchen and create things, or your garden and plant things. Get grounded on a daily basis. You will reap the benefits.
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6: Limit use of media when ever you can: The effects of media is now becoming increasingly evident that it affects health and wellbeing. From affecting your sleep rhythms, to damaging long term eye sight, media is keeping the brain constantly stimulated and over active and thats not to mention the damaging effects of invisible electromagnetic fields, radiation etc. and the big one, ADDICTION! Addiction to our phones and social media is currently a big problem and can only increase as technology continues to advance (Don't get me started on that one). My tip to reduce media: Never take your phone into your bedroom. "But i use it as an alarm" I hear you say. Well get an alarm clock or use a watch. Avoid having televisions and computers in bedrooms, put up boundaries around technology in your home with not only your children but with yourself as a role model, take Instagram Facebook and other addictive social media things off your phone and then you can only access it from a computer.
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7: Honour your body: We lived in a fast paced world. We have only one physical body to carry us through our lifetime, so nourishing it on a regular basis can be this difference between enjoying life and being able to do so many things and having your body pack it in your 30's-40's and then not spend many years trying to regain your physical health. Stress affects the physical body and so be proactive. Seek therapies and do daily activities that nourish your physical body. This could include:
Taking supplements to support lifestyle
Having a bath with epsom salts (great source of magnesium and relaxing)
Having a massage, acupuncture to restore health and vitality
Ensuring posture is aligned with chiropractic, osteopaths
Stretching daily (yoga or palates, tai chi, ki gong etc)
Daily practising of deep breathing
Looking after your skin through regular skin brushing, natural products
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8: Educate yourself: The more you know about yourself, the more you make conscious decisions that support your health and wellbeing and allow you to cope with situations in life as they present themselves. "The more your read, the more you know, the more you know, the more places you go..." DR Seuss. The benefits of gaining new information is that you constantly grow as a person, you fill your soul with knowledge and inspiration and you evolve. How to educate yourself? Try the following:
Take part in assessments that help you understand yourself more such as your love language, your archetype, etc.
Read books, books and more books in what you want to learn
Listen to pod casts, audio books etc (great for when driving or travelling)
Watch inspiration leaders in their field (ted talks), documentaries etc.
Take part in workshops, webinars and more
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9: Create rhythms: The importance of rhythms cannot be underestimated. Creating a daily rhythm has the following benefits: it regulates your sleep cycle, your digestion and your mood. It allows you to identify when you work, exercise, feel the best etc. and then schedule life around this. You will be more productive feel calmer and will know whats happening which takes the uncertainty and chaos out of the 9-5 lifestyle. I don't have a rhythm for weekends, as I need spontaneity in life as well, however through the week, having rhythms means the week runs smoothly.
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10: Cultivate an attitude gratitude: Last but not least, cultivating an attitude that recognises how much good there is in the world and in your life, how to be optimistic in the face of adversity and how to give thanks for the simple things in life. This is a powerful mind set to have. It gives perspective, it breeds hope and it reminds us all that life is precious and to live how we want to live. The brain is a very large muscle and with practise one can cultivate a mindset like this that will enhance your life. Try either
Waking up and welcoming the day with gratitude
Enjoying 5 mins at the table with your family sharing your moments of gratitude and happiness
Writing, journalling, sticky noting messages to loved one and around your house
As you go to bed, use prayer or give thanks.
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