Master these 5 basics and begin crafting a life of optimal wellness.
Everything starts with a solid foundation. This is essential for health and well-being. This means restful quality sleep, food that rejuvenates and nourishes our bodies, consistent exercise, spending time in nature, and meditation. So, how do you begin crafting a life of optimal wellness? Here are a few simple ideas to set up some healthy habits and optimise your energy.
Sleep
Getting 8-9 hours of restful sleep each night is scientifically proven to increase our ability to perform by as much as 30%! Sleep improves our cognitive ability. It give us more clarity. And it rejuvenates our body. Skipping those precious hours of sleep over the long term has been linked to increased risks of dementia, diabetes, obesity, and cancer. It can even shorten your life span! So, in the last 90 minutes of the day, try turning down the lights, switching off your devices (move them away from your bed), hydrate and start to slow it all down. Make it a goal to get more sleep and turn it into a habit.
Nourish your body
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What we put into our bodies, directly effects our energy levels. Eating too many sugars, starches and carbs can destroy our health and can lead to diabetes, Alzheimer’s and obesity. Instead, try an increase of whole food green-based diets. It's also vital to hydrate your body. First thing in the morning try drinking a full glass of water, instead of drinking that first cup of coffee to get you going. Give yourself the gift of seeing a nutritionist to see what foods you are allergic to or hire a healthy food and wellness coach to educate yourself on the best foods for your body. Nourish your body and the results will amaze you.
Take breaks
Every 50 minutes, get up from your desk and stretch. Set an alarm on your phone. When that alarm goes off, stand up, get a glass of water and spend 2-3 minutes stretching. This short term interruption helps create longer term resilience and allows us to be more alert, more energised and more present. If you take regular breaks, then your overall energy and performance throughout the day will increase.
Exercise
Make a conscious choice to incorporate physical activities that nourish your mind and your body. Try two, 60 minutes workouts per week, or a daily 30 minute walk in nature, or 30 minutes of yoga, or just 10 minutes of breathing per day can dramatically increase your energy levels and make your brain work better. Consistent physical activity has been proven to boost your memory, improve concentration, improve your mental health, enhance your creativity, and slow down your cognitive decline. Start with something simple today.
Meditate. Every day.
And finally, meditate. 10-20 minutes per day. Start small and you’ll get better and better as you practice. Meditation can help us transform our mind from negative to positive, from stressed to peaceful, from unhappy to happy and from cloudy to clear. There are so many places you can find meditation techniques, but keep it simple. Do it first thing each morning. Sit in a comfortable position. Check in with your body. Count your breaths. Come back when your mind wonders. Don’t worry that you’re doing it wrong. And smile. Meditation isn’t always easy but it has amazing benefits. And you can do it anywhere!
If you can improve each of these areas just a little bit, you’ll begin to see an overall increase in your health, vitality and wellbeing. You’ll have more mental clarity, feel more alive and you’ll be better equipped to manage whatever comes up in your daily life.
So, how will you begin crafting a life of optimal wellness?