I recently went on my first ever retreat and wondered why I hadn't gifted myself with this amount of love before. It was amazing experience to be in nature, swim in the lake, do loads of yoga and talk with some incredible people about life. It got me thinking that we all know that a healthy lifestyle includes exercise, eating and drinking well but there are other little tweaks we can make to our daily lives to improve our overall wellbeing.
Eat well, Drink water
Drinking a glass of water when you wake up will kickstart the liver and hydrate your body. Eat as many vibrant colourful foods as you can and add raw veg like carrots and cucumber and fruits which are packed with nutrients and water. Always have a glass of water near, if you find you are thirsty you are already dehydrated.
2. Be Mindful
Put your phone away so you can focus on the moment you're in, especially while eating your meal . Being mindful, helps you to appreciate what you're doing and also remember what you've done.
If you can't remember what you ate this time yesterday, you know you were distracted and not being mindful.
3. Just say no
Personally this is a hard one for me but you can't do everything, as much as you try you just can't. I'm a real stickler for the food my kids eat but when there are parties at school
I simply refuse to prepare sandwiches as I know it will add to my stressful morning and I will not only get frustrated and overwhelmed but the kids will bear the brunt of it when we are running late for school because I took too much on. Reduce stress by saying no, now and again.
4. Slow down
Breathe and simplify. Life is an endless task of getting things done and everything gets done eventually and the world wont stop if you don't. If you are a perfectionist I get it, but ask yourself what's the 3 most important things I need to do today.
Allow yourself to do nothing when you wake up just to process your thoughts.
5. Be Grateful
When life gets challenging and the house is a mess, flip your perspective. It's perception of a situation that is upsetting rather than the situation itself. Think of someone you are truly grateful for. Those who are there for you no matter what and feel how grateful you are to have them in your life. Gratitude brings attention to the beauty in your life.
6. Acknowledge your feelings
We all feel sad, depressed, anxious, lonely and its OK, sit with your feelings and even write about them down to understand what you are feeling. Journaling is a great tool to release or understand what your upset about. Writing is also very therapeutic
Even a good chat with someone you trust can be enough
7. Do something for yourself
Whether it's a walk, yoga, going on holiday, making plans, seeing someone special... do something that you can enjoy. Even trying something new in the area you live in or a drive through the countryside can be rejuvenating. Taking in nature is a wonderful way of relax.
8. Just BE
Simply Just Be for a moment with no distractions. Hear the sounds, feel the sensations and smell the fresh air but don't focus on any of it, just sit and be.
9.
Declutter
Its empowering and quite liberating to get rid of what you don't need.
As a rule if you haven't used something for over a year, you simply don't need it and its taking up capacity in your life. Go on and give it to charity, or someone who needs it or sell it.
Stuff can add to making you feel stressed, especially if you have too much of it.