As we move into autumn you might feel the need to take stock and have a bit of a reboot. ESP’s Wellbeing writer Karen Devine has some ideas to get you thinking about how to make some changes and give yourself a boost…
Autumn is a perfect time to start a daily journal. It’s a great place to review your health and wellbeing openly and honestly to yourself.
Once you start writing in a journal it can become a place where you can then set small/large goals for the morning/afternoon/day/week/month/year. My advice is always to make small changes first, even if they seem too small to get anything done. The feeling that you get from achieving the morning goals can them build like a snowball, which grows and picks up pace to help you get the bigger things done.
If anything is really troublesome and having a negative influence in your life, is it time to reach out for professional help?
Here are some questions you can ask yourself to take stock of how you’re feeling…
· How much alcohol are you drinking? Can I drink less? Do I need to drink less?
· How much socialising are you doing? Are you enjoying it or is having ‘the feeling of missing out’ driving your choices where you may just need to stay home, relax and catch up with a movie, a course you’re doing, finishing jobs etc.
· What is your sleep like? Do you get 8-9 hours? Can you improve on your sleep? Is your lifestyle affecting your sleep? Can you change it?
· How much social media and screen time are you having? Can it be scaled back? Are you using this time to procrastinate doing other things?
· What is your nutrient intake like? Has it been the best it could be during the summer? Can you make small changes to help? What can you change to make improvements?
· What time do you get to be alone to have your own thoughts in your head or enjoy some music, a book, a walk etc? Can you make some time?
· Have you been procrastinating? Have you put off starting the course, completing projects, clearing out a cupboard, making that phone call, sorting out your banking?
· What are your relationships like? Are they wholesome, healthy and supportive? If not, write down what you feel is missing, wrong and difficult about them.
SAVING AND REDIRECTING MONEY FOR HEALTHIER OPTIONS
You would be amazed at how much you have spent on going out over summer and of course on alcohol, snacks and dining out.
If you have noticed a dent in your bank balance, why not put aside the money that you would have been spending on the booze, or the days/nights out and have a ‘self-care pot’ over the coming weeks and months. You will be astonished to see just how much that pot can grow very quickly throwing in a few pennies and pounds here and there that you would have perhaps spent on a bottle of wine.
Imagine at the end of the month you have £100-£150 or more that you would have spent, why not treat yourself to a lovely massage, a facial, a day hiking experience or some other outdoor activity. Or you could put it away for something bigger.
A QUICK BODY REBOOT
Some people feel they need a bit more of a kick to get going!
Before you jump on the detox bandwagon and pay out on lots of supplements do the ground work for a few days/weeks first. Yes, I use supplements myself on occasions and do guide people on using them, but remember that when you are hydrating, eating lots of natural foods, excluding the slower moving heavier foods (excess meat, dairy, gluten etc), taking out sugar, alcohol and caffeine you naturally start to feel better.
When you are using yoga, pilates, moving your body more, getting enough sleep your energy can really move and improve. Weaving supplements in can be helpful in some cases as they can support and improve detoxification enzymes, bowel cleansing etc, but it is important to note that you can feel and see huge improvements with lifestyle changes minus the big outlay in supplements.
You can consider –
· Intermittent fasting, or longer fasts if you know what you are doing.
· Bowel cleansing – including the additions of colonics (happy to chat over this with you if you need).
· Juice fasting and/or lighter eating for a few days
· Having more ‘raw food days’
Karen Devine
For more information on improving your wellbeing and nutrition head over to Karen’s website www.karendevine.co.uk