With colder, darker days and now a second lockdown it's important to prioritise a little time each day to keep our body & mind as healthy as possible. Here are my 5 top tips for this coming month.
1. Get Colourful & Creative!
Whilst you are welcome to take this advice to dye your hair blue or paint your walls in vibrant shades the lesser extreme option is to bring some colour into your meal times!
I 100% recommend ODDBOX as a way to get you started! A brand I believe in for taste and their environmental heart:
- - fresh, delicious fruit & veg delivered to your door
- - surplus products, mostly UK based to help reduce food waste
- - heaps for your money
- - colourful, fresh & helps you get creative with your dishes
- (they tell you what's in your next box so you can plan your meals!)
Click below to get £10 of your first box (£9.99 for your first large box of yummy fruits and veggies)
2. Move Your Body
I am a huge advocate of exercise and yoga to strengthen your body, build functional movement and reduce injury however there is also so so SO much benefit to simply moving in any way that makes you feel good.
Your fascia (a connective tissue that wraps around every organ, muscle, bone etc in your body) can get rigid and ‘stuck’ when still. It’s sort of like being still cools it to a solid and moving heats it to near a fluid! So crack on your favourite tunes and get that body wiggling!! Me and my sister like to hold 30 second dance parties (yes taken from Scrubs) and time we are feeling a little low, stressed, or anxious. Yes, you look ridiculous, but you can’t help but feel much better!
- Next week, look out for my blog post on 8 minutes of movement for office workers/work from homies!
3. Take a Fake Commute!
No, I do not mean hop in the car or on the tube for a round trip back home, but I do mean talk a walk or a hop on a bike! Getting outside in nature and fresh air is one of the best things we can do for our mental health. But with lockdown and most of working form home we are rarely getting the benefits of fresh air and sunny (ish!) rays.
Take a fake commute to work. Not only do you get some fresh air and movement into your day.
Go for a walk during lunch. With the days getting shorter by the time we have finished work it’s likely the natural light has disappeared. Prep your lunch the night before so you have time to go for a walk AND enough time to enjoy your food …or better yet, get someone else in your household to make it for you!
For some, it’s not quite so simple if you are isolating and have no outdoor space but even small things like opening all the curtain or opening windows and doors to allow fresh air to circulate and natural light to brighten your living space can make such a difference – believe me, I’ve been there!
4. Breathwork & Meditation
Every Ancient culture knew the benefits of these practices, and now we are understanding the science behind it all. This science is a whole other blog post (coming soon!) but one of the most relevant benefits that is affecting many of us right now if its ability to reduce our anxiety and stress levels. And the best thing? It's a tool that's totally free
Little and often. Start small and make it manageable. 3 minutes a day is much more beneficial than 30 minutes once a week.
Spend a little time playing with cushions/blocks/rugs to find a comfortable seat. The seat should help prop your sit bones so you feel effortlessly tall
Consistency, try to build in into your daily routine so it becomes a habit just like brushing your teeth!
Close the mouth and breath in and out through the nose. Find a slow and even rhythm of the inhale and exhale. Focus on the root of the spine. When you inhale think of expanding the lowest part of the torso like filling up a water glass. When you exhale, find a little engagement of the lower muscles that send the air back out (almost like squeezing a tube of toothpaste!
There are so many free (and great!) Apps and videos around so get in touch if you want to know where to start!
5. Do something YOU enjoy EVERY day
What makes you smile? It could be as simple as enjoying a morning coffee or playing your favourite song, but whatever it is make sure you take the time to enjoy it to its fullest
No multitasking, no distractions, be present and enjoy the moment
No excuses
YOU are important.
See you on the mat!
Trina
xxx