“TO OWN YOUR LIFE, YOU HAVE GOT TO OWN YOUR DAY.” AUBREY MARCUS.
This all starts with the simple decisions you make in your daily choices and daily habits. Sleep, Nutrition, Movement, the way you react to Stress, Hydration, Time Out, The Breathe and Connections all have a major impact on your daily life, your mind, your body and your WELLBEING.
Today I am am going to give you a brief overview of the first 4 choices you have, and how you can make a change to start to own your day. (See next blog for the other four!)
Sleep boosts your immune system, supports toxin clearance, enhances muscle recovery, increases brain creativity, decreases stress- it does so many things! Lack of sleep has also been linked to an increased risk of respiratory infections and the common cold. Check out this study:
“150 adults were given nasal drops containing rhinovirus (a virus that commonly causes the common cold) and were quarantined and observed for 5 days. Those who slept for less than 7 hours were 3 times more likely to get a cold than those that slept 8 hours. Those with less than 90% sleep efficiency (time asleep/time in bed) were 5 times more likely to get a cold than those with higher sleep efficiency. This means that if you are a restless sleeper you’re more at risk of getting colds.” Shawn Stevenson, Sleep Smarter.
#1. Have a sleep routine. Same pattern, same time. Wind down. Chill out. Go to bed at the same time each night.
#2 Get some real light.
Sleep in real dark. Our bodies are designed to wake with light and sleep at dark. Get sunlight in your eyes in the morning to help your brain set up your body clock (circadian rhythm). When the sun sets and it gets dark, reduce your exposure to artificial lighting so your brain understands that it’s night time. Dim your lights. If you need to have artificial lighting then block blue light which is from artificial lighting (phones, TVs, computers, LED lights). Blue light signals to your brain that it’s day time. This isn’t the right signal to be sending your brain if you’re looking to go to sleep.
We get to choose what we eat every time we go to eat (ha amazing right?)- Let’s make these choices count.
Every cell in our body needs certain chemicals in order to function optimally. That means we need ALOT of nutrients to get the correct minerals and vitamins in order for this to happen. If we are not eating properly and getting these minerals- our energy, our moods, our work, our relationships, our movement, our organs and our overall wellbeing are taking the toll.
We all know what we should be eating – so take ownership of this. ( If not- do some research and find out whats best for you, or get in touch for a Nutrition Consult). Set goals on what you will eat during the day, learn how to make nutritious and tasty salads, sign up to My Food Bag, Order My Plate- there are so many options whether we enjoy cooking or not…. if improving nutrition is your goal, then it’s time to make a start.
Check out some simply recipes here: Activ8 Recipes
I’m not going to harp on here. Regular exercise improves your mental health, your physcial health and your overall wellbeing. We all know it- but how do we do it? We need to get motivated and create daily habits which make us move.
How you move makes your day, When you move makes your day, What type of movement you do makes your day. Find a way to make movement part of your everyday life. If you are already exercising- find a goal that is going to keep you going. Find a goal that is going to make you push yourself to that next level. When we move more- this literally changes your life. Mentally and Physically. We are experts in supporting, motivating and kickstarting you in this process- please get in touch if you want a chat. Get in touch with Miranda
The fight or flight mechanism is your body’s perfect tool for helping you cope with short term stress. It just isn’t useful to stay in this state for long periods. Modern life brings these stressors every day…especially with the pandemic. We have got to find a way to cope. Find a way DAILY that brings your cortisol levels down. You can’t be in a negative and positive emotion at the same time- when you laugh, play, have fun, do something you love etc- this all decreases your stress levels and is a good mechanism to cope with stress.
Living in a state of high stress and fear just isn’t good for you. Under short periods of stress, cortisol (the body’s stress hormone) is anti-inflammatory and helps boost your immunity. Chronic high cortisol levels don’t boost your immune system at all and produce inflammatory chemicals called cytokines that cause inflammation and compromise the immune system.
Hans Selye, one of the earliest stress researchers has this quote:
“It’s not stress that kills us, it’s our reaction to it
How are you reacting to the current situation?
Are you taking control of your life?
Are you reacting in a way that is helpful to you and those around you?
If you have a purpose, mission statement and know your values for your life – now is the time to check in on them.”
