And here we go again. Another year quickly spirally towards its final months, with Christmas just around the corner. I’m not sure about you but for me life is super busy at the moment. With that being said, I do have some advice to help you establish good habits during a busy time.
These are the five things that should be on your radar this month for your health and wellbeing.
SLEEP:
It’s been a month now since daylight savings kicked in so make sure your routine is now 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:
We are only a month out from the silly season, 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 if a book each night or start the day with something you enjoy like watering the garden.
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:
Last month I wrote about breathing exercises (will hyperlink this). 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 busier we tend to over-oxygenate, drop our mouth open and inhale short shallow breaths. 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.
MOVE IN THE 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.
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. Don’t plonk on the couch after work, make the most of daylight savings and get moving. Just make sure you incorporate an activity outdoors daily, busy work schedule or not.
Don’t wait until you are frazzled leading into Christmas. 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 later!