It can be quite tricky to keep up good daily habits, can’t it? But, the benefits of choosing to prioritise your health and wellbeing are so positive that we should take the time to prioritise them.

Good daily habits can help prevent overwhelm, burn-out, stress and even illness. By building a more robust immune system through sleep, rest and healthier living, we can help our bodies to become stronger in fighting off disease. We can also increase our own awareness of the signs of fatigue and stress before they have a detrimental impact on our health and well-being.

Taking the time to care for ourselves through good daily habits, helps us recognise when something is off balance or out of synch quicker to make adjustments and prevent the problem from becoming chronic.¹

So, if the benefits are so great, why don’t we prioritise the practice of good daily habits to strengthen our health and well-being?

We’d all love to feel good, eat well and create a stress-free and happy life, so why don’t we?

Because it takes time: Being disciplined and creating a routine feel like they add to the list of chores, and with so much going on in our busy lives, we feel we simply don’t have the time to do everything, so we edit our day.

It’s also easier to cut out the things we want to do because if we are answerable to no one. For example, I can easily choose not to run because I’m not letting anyone down, only me.

Why do we choose these things to cut? Because we aren’t answerable to anyone else but ourselves, you aren’t letting anyone else down but you. However, if you choose not to run an errand for a friend, then you’re letting them down. We shift our priorities when we’re under pressure based on ease.

And yet, it’s entirely counter-productive. Because eventually, we become exhausted, resentful, unwell or simply unhappy.

Therefore, good daily habits must become our non-negotiables. Things that are set in stone, just for us, to protect and preserve our mental health and well-being.

What is a habit? Let’s start by understanding the nature of a habit.

The dictionary defines a habit as ‘a settled or regular tendency or practise, especially one that is hard to give up.’

The American Journal of Psychology suggests: A habit is a routine of behaviour that is repeated regularly and tends to occur subconsciously. Defining a “habit, from the standpoint of psychology, [as] a more or less fixed way of thinking, willing, or feeling acquired through previous repetition of a mental experience.”

We are all familiar with some of our regular habits, for example, brushing our teeth, exercising, watching our favourite shows. Then you have the not so good habits such as drinking, smoking and overeating.

But why are some habits easier to break than others? For example, I love cake, but it’s hard for me to stop because it’s become such a ‘happy’ habit. Yet, I want to run every day, but this habit is hard to keep and easy to break. Why?

Charles Duhigg is the author of The Power of Habit; he has spent years researching this very subject. He suggests,

‘Apparently, 40% of the actions we perform on any day are not actual decisions but habits. From brushing your teeth or driving, to whether you go for a run when you get home or slouch in front of the couch. All are habits and it’s possible to create both good and bad ones. Essentially, the brain is always looking to save effort by creating new habits, so our energy can be saved for other tasks. When a habit emerges, the brain stops being involved in making decisions. So to change a habit, you have to fight it!’²

How can we find time for our good daily habits?

It often feels like we never have enough time, doesn’t it?

Rushing about, getting stuff done, but then what? At the end of the day, you may feel like you’ve achieved nothing and are exhausted and stressed from an unfulfilling day.

Time management can help; learning how to manage your time effectively can help you feel more relaxed, focused and in control.

“The aim of good time management is to achieve the lifestyle balance you want,” says Emma Donaldson-Feilder, a chartered occupational psychologist.

“Work out your priorities in life,” says Emma. “That is then the guiding principle for how you spend your time and how you manage it.”

Once you have worked out the big picture, you can work out some short-term and medium-term goals. “Knowing your goals will help you plan better and focus on the things that will help you achieve those goals,” says Emma.³

Prioritising your good daily habits

It can be difficult to work out your priorities but remember, they don’t have to be fixed, and they may change, but it’s important to make a start. Perhaps yours will be got to the gym 3 days per week. Read one book per month; there’s no right or wrong here. These are your priorities so ask yourself, what’s important to you?

We’ve chosen 5 Good Daily Habits to get you started

1. Create a Morning Routine.
   Starting your day with a good morning routine can really set you up for a positive and productive day. To begin with, keep it short and simple, then you can be sure you have the time to do it every day.
2. Sleep well.
   Sleep deprivation can be hugely detrimental to our brains and bodies, so you must achieve QUALITY and QUANTITY for your overall health and well-being. Our circadian rhythm, or circadian cycle, is a natural, internal process that regulates the sleep-wake cycle and repeats roughly every 24 hours. These natural processes respond primarily to light and dark so try to follow some simple practices like managing your eating time, daylight exposure, exercise and stress management.

‘Studies have shown that chronically sleep-deprived animals and humans have weaker immune systems, making it easier for even mild infections and viruses to gain entry to the body and cause more damage or even death. Therefore, maintaining a consistent sleep schedule is a powerful strategy to maintain better immunity.’¹

3. An Attitude of Gratitude.
Research has shown that experiencing gratitude has physical, psychological and social benefits, according to a 2012 study published in Personality and Individual Differences reported in Forbes.

Begin with something as simple as thinking of 3 things you are grateful for. You can do this when you wake up or just before bed. It’s a very simple yet effective habit to start. For example, it can be as easy as writing down, ‘today I am thankful for: The roof over my head, the food on my table, and the family around me’.⁴

4. Meditate.
The holistic benefits of meditation are diverse: It can help reduce mental health issues such as anxiety and depression and naturally manage our stress and anger levels. Not to mention the physical effects of pain reduction, improving heart health and promoting significantly improved sleep patterns.

These benefits have knock-on effects such as increasing our immunity, improving mood, relationships, and overall well-being.⁵

5. Spend time outdoors.

How often have you been for a walk and thought to yourself, isn’t this wonderful-I can hear the birds, smells the air and just be at peace?

And yet, we spend so much time indoors that we forget how uplifting and beneficial to our overall mood it can be.

Research by the mental health charity MIND suggests,

‘Spending time in nature has been found to help with mental health problems such as anxiety and depression. For example, research into ecotherapy (a type of formal treatment which involves doing activities outside in nature) has shown it can help with mild to moderate depression. This might be due to combining regular physical activity and social contact with being outside in nature.’⁶

Even giving yourself a proper lunch break, walking to work, or having your early morning cuppa in the garden can significantly impact your health and well-being. Remember, it needs to work for you, and this is one simple habit you can easily incorporate into your daily life.

Between our busy lives and unexpected things happening, one of the first things to push aside is the extra things we don’t always consider important, and our daily habits are no exception. BUT, they should be the exception!

The reality is that your good daily habits are the last things we should be edited out of our day.

1. A healthy circadian rhythm may keep you sane and increase resilience to fight COVID-19 [↩] [↩]
2. How Habits Work [↩]
3. Easy time-management tips [↩]
4. 7 Scientifically Proven Benefits Of Gratitude That Will Motivate You To Give Thanks Year-Round [↩]
5. Mindfulness [↩]
6. Nature and mental health [↩]

The New Year is here and it brings a time of reflection and goal-setting. Last year was historic in terms of challenges but it was also a year of resilience.

Whilst we may not know what challenges are ahead, we’ve all proven our resilience by actively progressing forward in life — physically, personally, professionally, emotionally and socially.

As we think about what we want to achieve this year, it’s important we consider our learnings and let them shape our opportunities. Follow these three important steps to help set yourself up for a successful year – Reflect, Reset and Rebuild.

Reflect

Whilst the last year was unpredictable for everyone, recognising the different scenarios people experienced, and are still experiencing, can do wonders for your own reflection. Everyone was affected differently. Maybe you personally experienced job and financial struggles, health implications, bereavement or the onslaught of bad news worldwide took a toll on your mental health. Perhaps someone you care about went through these challenges. While it’s important not to dwell, recognising that although you may have experienced a different struggle to those around you, you are certainly not alone. 

Reflection doesn’t only need to be done at the end or beginning of a year but it’s often a time that we see it as a fresh start. It’s a good time to take an inventory of your personal response to life, what life presented to you and how you reacted to it — the continual cycle. As you look back on your memories, photos, or even your journal, asking yourself some important questions about those experiences helps you honour the hard times and notice the ways in which you rose to the occasion and were resilient – and times that may have hindered you from progressing.

What have you accomplished this year? These don’t have to be big milestones – finding some time for self-care, relationships or a hobby is just as big of an achievement. Or even getting recognised at work, achieving a health goal like losing weight or ticking something off on the house list – these are all wonderful accomplishments. Giving yourself some praise is an important part of your reflection.¹

Take it a step further and challenge yourself to go deeper in that reflection. Notice what were the feelings, actions and thoughts involved in those accomplishments. Reflect on how it was actually also hard! The point is that reflecting on accomplishments isn’t simply about finding the glee in the happy ending. It also should provoke thoughts of difficulty, strife, perseverance and resilience. Honour and celebrate all of those steps in your success.

All of these points of reflection will help you identify how you’ve changed over the past year and what you learnt about yourself.

Reset

‘New Year, new me’ is a popular phrase around this time of year – and it’s because it’s the perfect time to reset and transition from one year to the next. Resetting is ultimately recognising your needs and responding to them. It is the essence of self-care. What do you need to continue to propel you forward? Do not yet focus on what’s ahead, but instead think of what your body and soul need to feel energised and whole in the present, as well as the future.

This doesn’t simply mean massages and spa days. It sometimes actually takes work — doing things we may not even want to do. Attend to your medical and health needs, declutter your home, review and organise (and throw away) paperwork, get caught up on small domestic duties such as reorganising your kitchen or cleaning out your garage. By minimising your frivolous or unnecessary needs and wants, you can focus on what is more essential and life-giving.

Once you’ve attended to those tasks, you can do the more enjoyable self-care activities like sleeping in, getting a massage, taking an aromatherapy-infused bath, spending the evening listening to your favourite music or watching your favourite show.

Rebuild

Now it’s time to rebuild. This becomes a clearer path after deep reflection and necessary and enjoyable self-care (resetting). Rebuilding means prioritising what you absolutely must do and carefully selecting what you want to do in the remaining time. Is there something from last year (or previous years) that you wanted to accomplish, try or explore that you weren’t able to get to? Is that still something you want to do?

Focus on what brings you joy and energy and figure out ways to incorporate that into your life more. If you want more free time, start taking an inventory of what isn’t pertinent to your financial or personal wellbeing. Perhaps you want a greater sense of peace and harmony— rebuild your free time on activities that bring you that, such as weekly nature walks, daily yoga, time with a special friend every month or even simple quiet time by yourself.

Reflect, reset and rebuild this New Year so that you can be best equipped to resiliently respond to whatever 2021 brings.²

Now is the time. We all realise good ideas are not always easy to implement in our lives. We should do our best to stay focused on the good things around us, including the millions of wonderful people in our communities. Things are always cyclical and we are entering a new time, a new dispensation. Some wise people call it the Age of Aquarius. We are here to enjoy life, so let’s do it!

1. https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/JWAM-10-2015-003/full/html [↩]
2. https://hbr.org/2020/06/how-to-reset-your-goals-during-a-crisis [↩]

Working from home benefits – are you making the most of them?

While it may have seemed a year ago that everyone was working from home, that wasn’t the case.¹ Even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, with its required social distancing and stay-at-home mandates, remote working was increasing in popularity but it certainly wasn’t the ‘new normal’ it is accepted to be now. Certain job sectors, such as start-ups and technology firms, allowed working from home and listed it as a perk. Some companies have entirely remote teams, with work-from-home intentionally built into their culture.

Change is often challenging to begin with. If working from home is new for you, you may find it challenging but quite rewarding. It’s important to emphasise that whether you live alone or suddenly have your children home from school, there will be an adjustment period as you transition to working efficiently from home.

Working from home and productivity

It’s important to separate your work life from your home life, as working from home and productivity do not easily go hand-in-hand if you are not set up for it. Create specific zones or spaces for work. If you do not have to worry about childcare or if your children are more independent, find a spot in your home that is separate from your living or sleeping space.

If you do have to participate in childcare (or do it all alone!), try to set up a workspace slightly removed from play or relaxation areas, such as a small desk in a corner of the dining room, rather than the living room.

Have specific working hours and turn off notifications for work-related communication after those hours. During your work hours, work efficiently and intensely (no lurking on social media or news pages!), and respect your time off. Talk with your team about how you will prioritise work, but not overwork.

Struggling? Try to focus on the working from home benefits

Working from home is not for everyone but as we’ve seen in recent times, we may not necessarily have the choice. Without a commute, you are going to have a lot more time with your spouse, children or roommate (or yourself, if you live alone).

Embrace this time — it is a treasure and there really are a number of working from home benefits! Without a commute in the morning, you can linger longer over breakfast, or perhaps take time out to meditate or read a chapter of a book before you start your day.

Hopefully you’ll be able to use your lunch break to also detach from work and spend time with your loved ones. And not having a commute home in the afternoon means you can spend that time having dinner with your family and going on an evening walk. Take time for special things you wouldn’t normally do, like eating lunch outside with your family.

Get dressed, brush your teeth, make your bed. The point is, get up and get ready in the morning to start your day. This helps you transition into a work mindset. It prepares your mind for a workday. It also helps you respect your non-working time.

The importance of breaks

A study found that working from home can make it difficult to relax outside of working hours if you don’t allow yourself adequate personal time and space.² Take hourly breaks. Just like you should be doing at the office, stand up from your desk, walk around, stretch and disconnect from work for just a few moments. This provides a short mental break but also gets your blood flowing and your body better oxygenated.

If you have children you have to take care of while working at home, experiment with a schedule that coincides with their learning or play time.

If you haven’t already, now is the time to really encourage independent play in younger children.

If more intensive childcare is necessary, talk with your work team about flexible hours. Build a quiet time or nap into your children’s days and really focus on work then. Perhaps a few hours before your children are awake in the morning could be a time to do work that takes your full attention.

It’s ok to ask for help

We never know what life is going to throw at us so it’s important to be kind to ourselves and get support if we need it. Challenging times can cause extra stress. Although you may be physically apart from people, just remember, you’re not alone and technology has made it even easier to stay connected – whether it’s for work or social purposes!

1. https://iaap-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/apps.12290 [↩]
2. http://www.nomads.usp.br/documentos/textos/modos_vida/02_bladerunner_working_from_home.pdf [↩]

How can developing mindfulness support positive mental health?

Positive mental health is determined by a variety of factors and while it’s impossible to control everything that happens around us, developing mindfulness can be a strong step in the right direction when it comes to experiencing greater happiness and a positive state of mind. 

Why should you eat healthy, high-frequency energy foods?

“If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration.” – Nikola Tesla

We’re not just a physical body – scientifically speaking, we’re a source of energy that is bound together by an energy field. Everything with energy vibrates, and the higher the energy, the higher the frequency of this vibration.¹ High-frequency foods help us to increase our natural energy vibration and in doing so, we’re better-able to connect with ourselves and rid our minds of unhealthy thoughts.  Foods with a high vibrational energy include organic fruits, herbs, vegetables and nuts.² By contrast, low -frequency foods, such as meat, poultry and sugar, as well as foods that are highly processed, chemically or genetically altered or contain chemical additives, can result in ill health when eaten in high amounts.

Why is it important to keep hydrated?

Dehydration makes you feel physically unwell and can also affect your mental health.³ The human brain is composed of around 75% water and as soon as this level starts to drop, circulation slows and blood and oxygen move around the body more slowly.⁴ Even mild dehydration affects how you think and feel. If you can’t think clearly, it’s difficult to be fully mindful and to experience happiness.

Why is movement vital for mental health?

Evidence suggests that physical activity and exercise probably alleviate some of the symptoms associated with a negative state of mind. In addition, scientific studies have concluded that exercise might help with improving self-image, social skills and cognitive functioning, as well as reducing the symptoms of anxiety.⁵ Try taking a stroll in the fresh air or going for a gentle swim. You’ll soon see that it’s difficult not to feel in a more positive state of mind after this.

Why is sleep so important?

Anyone who has ever suffered a bad night’s sleep will tell you that their brain probably wasn’t firing on all cylinders the following day. Lack of sleep can leave you feeling mentally exhausted, emotional and unsettled in your surroundings. Try to get eight hours of quality sleep each night.⁶ Set a routine and go to bed at the same time each evening.

Try to wake up at the same time each morning (even on weekends!) and don’t stare at your phone or other electronic devices before you sleep as they can keep your brain alert and prevent you from relaxing fully.

Why is elevating your thoughts the key?

The law of attraction states that what we put out into the universe; we will receive.⁷ If you want to attract joy and happiness, you need to make an active effort to put those messages out there. Don’t focus on what you don’t want from life but concentrate on what you do want. Set meaningful goals and strive to make the very most of every single day.

Why is altruism beneficial to mental health?

Doing something kind for someone else doesn’t just benefit them – it can benefit you too. Connecting with people, and taking time to help them, can create positive vibes and help enhance your sense of purpose and wellbeing. Helping others has been scientifically shown to reduce stress and improve both your physical and mental health, leading to a sense of calm and ease and enabling you to increase your confidence, happiness and optimism.⁸ Ultimately, by helping others, you too could lead a happier, more fulfilled life.

Your state of mind isn’t something you can focus on in isolation. Different aspects of our lifestyle, including your physical health, can all contribute to achieving a positive state of mind.

1. Full on happiness: Vibrational Frequency 101 + Foods to increase it [↩]
2. Mindbodygreen: How to make sure you’re eating high-vibrational food [↩]
3. https://psychcentral.com/news/2012/02/20/dehydration-influences-mood-cognition/35037.html [↩]
4. AIFC: How important is water and hydration to mental health? [↩]
5. NCBI: The relation of physical activity and exercise to mental health [↩]
6. https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/how-much-sleep-do-we-really-need#:~:text=National%20Sleep%20Foundation%20guidelines1,to%208%20hours%20per%20night. [↩]
7. The Law of Attraction: What is the law of attraction? Open your eyes to a world of endless possibilities. [↩]
8. Mental Health Foundation: Doing good does you good [↩]

Waking up every morning with a sense of calm and contentment is entirely possible when you have established a routine of positive daily habits.

The healthiest morning routine is one that works for you, supporting your health and lifestyle goals while preparing you for the day ahead. For example, daily habits like waking early, going for a run, eating a well-balanced breakfast and walking to work would appear an ideal scenario of calm, balance and happiness that restores and revitalises our health and mental wellbeing, but it’s not the same for everyone.

How do I begin creating healthy daily habits?

Athletes, leaders and others who strive toward high performance believe that positive daily habits are the foundation of their success. In Brendon Burchard’s bestselling book, High-Performance Habits, he explains how these exceptional individuals can perform at a higher level than others: by developing positive habits. But these habits are just for elite performers; they are often simple yet impactful ways to improve performance for anyone who adopts them.

To begin with, we’d suggest starting with small incremental changes. Grand gestures rarely stick and can be too much all at once, increasing feelings of overwhelm, so start by making small gradual changes to develop daily habits. Think about things like planning your breakfast, setting time aside for a quick run or 10 minutes of meditation before getting out of bed, or even packing your bag ready for work the night before.

A little preparation goes a long way.

Preparing yourself mentally and physically will help you achieve your health and wellbeing goals. Let’s think about what you want to change. What do you want to achieve? A smoother morning? Better peace of mind? Clarity and focus in your thoughts? Reduced stress or anxiety? More mobility for your joints and muscles?

Make a list of what you want to achieve with your daily habits, and then think about how you can do it. Keep your list handy for the first few weeks until your routine and habits and established.

Some people keep a list beside their bed while others leave post-it notes around the house to remind them of what to do next. Again, whatever works for you is best!

Here’s our list of top 6 things to help you create a healthy morning routine to improve your health and wellbeing.

1. Start the night before

Nothing sets you up better than a little preparation the night before to create a calm and relaxed morning, whether it’s a work or rest day ahead. You’ll feel content getting into bed that you have planned a smooth morning and done what you can to prepare ahead of time.

If it’s a work day: Get your lunch made, bag packed, and clothes picked out for the following day.

If it’s a rest day: Switch off your alarm, leave a glass of water beside your bed and make sure you have your favourite beverage ready for the morning. Write down any errands you need to run, including any calls or appointments you have.

2. Waking up

Get up as soon as your alarm goes off, you’ll feel better for it, and it won’t put you behind before the day has even begun. Stretch and yawn and help your body to rise by taking in a few deep breaths to awaken the senses. Open the curtains, ideally open a window and breathe the fresh air. The natural light will help your body adjust and gently shift your brain from night to daytime.

3. Meditation

According to research, the practice of meditation can help reduce stress, decrease feelings of anxiety and improve your overall health and wellbeing. Even 10 minutes per day will help you establish an initial habit of doing it, as you gradually work towards a longer practice of up to 30 mins per day.

Begin by sitting quietly without distraction or noise and take a few slow, deep breaths and clear your thoughts. Try to wind down and gently relax into your body. Feel the air enter your lungs and listen to the sound of your breath. Now simply continue to breathe normally while you sit peacefully, listening to your breath: in and out repeatedly. Try not to think about anything; just listen to the sound of your breathing. This daily habit should become easier and more relaxing as you continue your practice.

4. Gratitude

This is a simple daily habit to establish but is often easily forgotten too. The practise of showing and sharing gratitude can easily be woven into your day because you can do it anytime and anywhere. Ideally, you could find 5 minutes each morning to write your thoughts of appreciation in a gratitude journal, but life isn’t always ideal, so…

While brushing your teeth, ask yourself, ‘What am I thankful for this morning?’

Driving to work, remember to appreciate those around you, the car you drive, the blue sky, the fresh air, and the incredible body you have that carries you through the day.

When you’re feeling annoyed you have to wait in the queue to pay for your breakfast, shift your mindset and be thankful that you can buy food; you have a shop filled with wonderful food stuffs to nourish your body, be grateful that you live in a place where it’s safe.

These are just a few moments during your morning when you can show gratitude and shift your mindset from negative thoughts and behaviours to positive ones.

5. Exercise

Exercising the body is a great daily habit to get into at the start of each day. You don’t even need the gym; you can choose from a run, swim, cycle or an online exercise class from the comfort of your living room. However, if you prefer the company of others or taking a class is what you love, then go for it. Whatever works for you is best as it will help you establish the habit and prevent breaking it.

Remember, whatever you choose should stretch the body and raise your heart rate a little, which will help improve your physical health and immune system.

6. No devices

…until you’ve completed at least the first 4 steps above, ideally all 5.

I know, just imagine a morning without devices; it’s hard, isn’t it? BUT, the benefits to our brain upon waking up without immediately plugging in are overwhelming.

Those who have tried it report experiencing increased focus, productivity, a better quality of sleep, lower stress and improved mental health.

While we disconnect from the tech, we can reconnect better with ourselves and others around us. It improves our connectivity and communication with others by developing our self-awareness and giving us the time and space to build our emotional intelligence.

Remember, your healthiest morning routine is your choice. Find what works for you but try and maintain the habits for at least 30 days, by which time you will have established them as routine rather than optional. Start small and gradually increase your time on each one to help maintain and improve good health and positive emotional wellbeing.

There are various times in our lives when we’re more likely to address our current behaviours: a new year, a landmark birthday, or a significant life event to name a few. But as we all know, creating resolutions is far easier than sticking to them! So, rather than just setting goals and being disappointed if we don’t meet them, why not consider how we can show more accountability to help us get to where we want to be?

Are you contributing to the problem?

The first step in personal accountability is being honest about your current habits and behaviours. This can be difficult because we tend to downplay our bad habits or try to justify them in some sense. For example, you might be trying to eat healthier, but you could be using food as a coping mechanism if you have a bad day. You may be trying to drink less, but it’s easy to justify that nightly glass of wine as a reward for a long day. Is it a treat though, or are you using unhealthy choices as a distraction? Recognising and acknowledging the truth of your current situation is an important first step in taking accountability.

Set a healthy routine

A routine gives us purpose, structure and self-accountability and can help us achieve our goals. So many healthy routines have a positive knock-on effect, and taking care of our physical health can improve our mental health.  For example, eating a balanced and healthy diet will result in more energy and less sluggishness. Consuming plenty of fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, and healthy fats will provide your body with the nutrients it needs to function at its best. A healthy routine can also extend to a suitable sleep pattern, helping to make us more focused and less irritable the following day.

Look after your mental health

When we don’t prioritise our mental wellbeing it can lead to negative ripple effects in other areas of life. There are simple steps you can take to assume responsibility for your mental health. Mindfulness, meditation or journaling can help you stay grounded during stressful or challenging moments. When you feel stressed or anxious, what is it that makes you feel this way? Are you unhappy in a job or relationship? Are you taking on too much? Or conversely, are you under-stimulated and finding yourself bored or frustrated? Depending on your circumstances, cutting back on your hobbies, or finding some new ones, could be beneficial.

Be forgiving with yourself

Recognise that achieving your goals is a journey of ups and downs. It’s important to remember that change takes time and there will probably be bumps along the way. It can be frustrating when things don’t go as planned but it’s important not to give up; instead use these moments as opportunities for self-reflection and remind yourself why making these changes was important in the first place.

Seek accountability from others

Having others hold you accountable makes it easier to stick to a routine and get closer towards your goal. If you are training for a run, for example – find a jogging partner! It’s going to be easier to get yourself out the door if you know you have someone waiting for you. Plus, letting yourself down by skipping your workout might not leave you feeling guilty but letting someone else down probably will. If you are trying to reach a solo goal – that’s fine too, and you can still seek accountability in a different way. Can you share your plans with a colleague, to help keep you motivated? Or could you join an online forum or social media group for support?

Let go of things you can’t control

… and embrace ownership of the things you can! You can’t stop family conflict, for example, but you can change how you react to it. You can’t stop the situations where unhealthy foods seem unavoidable – like a birthday celebration – but you can choose to exercise moderation. This is not about depriving yourself of things but is, in fact, the opposite. Being mindful of the fact that you are in control can be incredibly freeing.

Taking personal accountability for our health can be challenging, but it’s essential if we want sustainable results in our lives. It starts with being honest about where we are now and then setting achievable goals that will move us closer towards our desired outcome. Change takes time so don’t get discouraged if things aren’t happening as quickly as expected; keep re-focusing on why these priorities were so important in the first place.

Are you ready to welcome a fresh start with purpose? Do you want to set goals that sync with your values and strengths? Do you wonder if reaching these goals will bring fulfilment and joy?

Using your ikigai can guide your determinations for success and enjoyment. Ikigai is the Japanese concept for living a life of purpose and worth – simply put, a reason for living. It involves four components comprised of:

            – your passions

            – your skills

            – your vocation or career

            – your mission in life

Overlapping are elements that play a role in these components:

            – what you love to do

            – what you are good at

            – what the world needs

            – what you can do and be compensated for

When the four components are fulfilled by the elements that support it, ikigai can flow smoothly leading to experiences that cultivate enduring happiness. It not only benefits you, but also others in the world.

And bringing it into a new beginning can be just the thing needed to set meaningful goals.

Reflect

Before setting goals, take time to reflect on the past as well as your current values and goals.

Ask yourself such questions as:

            – What did I accomplish recently? / What do I want to accomplish going forward?

            – How did it make me feel? / What do I want to feel?

            – Who did I help? / Who do I want to help?

            – What’s important to me?

            – How can I assist others and make a difference in the world?

            – What skills do I have?

            – What brings me joy?

Contemplating what purpose you’ve been serving and adjusting it to meet your future goals can support determinations that fit you.

Prioritise

Setting the same goals as you always have may not be useful because aging, experiences, and environment can all affect ikigai (it morphs throughout life). In addition, setting goals just because someone else is doesn’t benefit you at all.

This is why it’s important to tailor your goals to what works for you.

Prioritizing actions that bring meaning to your life as an individual can help you succeed. For some, this may be cleaning up their diet. For others, it may mean connecting to their community through volunteerism. 

Customize your goals in this period of starting fresh to fulfill your personal sense of ikigai.

Activate

Ikigai is only a philosophical concept until action creates experiences that demonstrates it.

Activate your ikigai by:

            – being proactive rather than reactive in changes you want to make

            – tracking your progress (what is working, what isn’t)

            – setting small goals that, over time, can make a big difference

            – modifying goals when needed

            – staying accountable to yourself and to others

Following through with what you set out to accomplish may be more achievable when thoughtful goals align with your passion, skills, values, and the needs of humanity.

Although any time of year is good for developing your ikigai, a new beginning can provide a scheduled pause for making space to think about it.

Is it spending our days with those we love? Is it living out our passions? Is it safety and security? How about having good health? Living where you want? Or loving what you do?

What is it that makes a good life?

The answer to this ubiquitous question may hold the secret to happiness, and the Japanese concept of ikigai is one possible explanation.

Ikigai means a reason for living and is a Japanese formula for happiness. It is a blending of passions and talents with compensated actions that help the world.

According to Japanese tradition, you must have ikigai to live a good life.

Ikigai consists of four major components:

            1. What you love

            2. What you’re good at

            3. What the world needs

            4. What you can be paid for

What you love

Think about your passions and interests. Why do you love them so much?

While there is often a multitude of answers, one primary reason should be because they allow you to be in the present moment, encouraging you to stop thinking and just enjoy living.

Such passions may be:

            – singing

            – dancing

            – reading

            – writing

            – painting

            – movement

            – outdoor activity

What you’re good at

Whether it’s something that comes naturally or a skill that has taken years to master, ikigai motivates you to overcome obstacles and improve your competency.

In some companies, this is called strength management, in which employees are placed in certain roles and groomed based on their inherent prowess.

Consider what talents you have that can be helpful in the world:

Is it communicating with others? How about attention to details? Do you know a lot about history? Are you an expert with numbers? Is writing something you enjoy? Or does public speaking energize you?

Discover what you are good at to develop your ikigai.

What the world needs

What is your purpose in the world?

It’s easy to wonder what the point of certain things is. Particularly when it comes to a job, going about day-to-day actions with no reason or direction makes life depressing.

Finding work that helps others and contributes to the greater good is part of having a purposeful life. Resolve to help the world through your strengths and skills – whether that be in your everyday job or through another opportunity – to bring meaning and fulfillment to your life.

What you can be paid for

There may be many things you would love to do every day, but it’s hard to be happy with past-due bills piling up on the counter.

An important part of ikigai is to be fairly compensated for your work. It’s important to not only feel worthy, but to also be monetarily valued. 

While this may take some time, creativity, and determination, it’s essential to evaluate what you love, what you are good at, and what the world needs with the opportunity for earnings.

Can stress actually be a good thing?

Most of us grew up believing that stress is a bad thing, after all, when we speak of stress it’s usually in relation to something bad. This is what’s known as ‘negative stress.’ It’s that unpleasant feeling of being out of control or unable to cope, which can lead to fear, anxiety and both mental and physical illness.

Did you know though that stress can actually be beneficial to keeping a healthy mental state too, with studies showing a positive response to certain types of stress?¹ Our bodies are remarkable in the way they are constructed to help us survive and in certain circumstances, stress can actually be a good thing. It allows us to deal with challenges and complete tasks when we feel under pressure, and it triggers our fight-or-flight response which forces us to deal with the things we have to or escape the things that could harm us.

Turning negative stress into positive stress (eustress)

Our bodies won’t necessarily recognise positive stress (known as eustress) straight away and our first response to a stressful situation may not feel positive at all however, both positive and negative stress can occur simultaneously and when this happens, studies have shown that the positive stress is more likely to dominate.² There are other factors that can also influence our ability to respond positively to stress too:

• Maintaining a belief system of hope and expectation with a positive outlook on life
• Confidence in ourselves and our ability to manage stressors
• Expecting the best of ourselves, rather than the worst of ourselves
• Expectation of a reward for dealing with a stressful situation

The benefits of Eustress

Eustress has the ability to leave us feeling exhilarated rather than feeling negative. When the stressful situation you have encountered is over, your internal stress system will turn down and you will return to a healthy mental state. Essentially, positive stress can help you complete tasks effectively when under pressure. Some examples of when this may be useful are when taking part in a sporting competition, during a test or examination, while planning a wedding, holiday or house move or while trying to meet an important deadline.

Making positive stress work for you

To continue keeping your stress positive and ensuring your physiological health is well balanced, it is important to regularly check in with yourself and monitor your stress levels. Remind yourself of the importance of staying positive and enforce self-belief by telling yourself “I can do this” or “This is no problem for me.” If you find yourself struggling, take a moment to meditate or take some deep breaths.

Organisation is also important to stop you feeling overwhelmed and prevent you making mistakes that could turn your positive stress into negative stress. If you struggle with your organisational skills, try to make lists of everything you have to do in order of importance. If you are working on something important always back it up or make a copy to avoid the potential stress of anything getting lost and if stress is affecting you emotionally, focus on self-care and come up with a plan. Remember to include things like taking regular breaks and allowing yourself to relax, and always make time to sleep and rest. Give yourself time away from your tasks to get some fresh air and light exercise and finally, ensure you follow a healthy, balanced diet and drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.

By making positive stress work for you in this way, you’ll find yourself accomplishing tasks more easily and without as much anxiety in no time at all!

1. https://www.healthline.com/health/benefits-of-stress-you-didnt-know-about [↩]
2. http://www.idosi.org/wjms/11(2)14/6.pdf [↩]

When something is a habit you do it almost automatically and without thinking, but sometimes things we want to become a habit can seem a bit of a chore. Why is this? We all set ourselves goals and it’s great to do this, but with the best will in the world, much of the time we will fail to stick to our goals long enough to see them to completion. Don’t worry though, as our six top tips will help put you in a healthy mental state, boost your focus and motivation and will put you on the path to not only reach your goals, but turn them into easy-to-maintain habits.

1 – Start small

It can be very tempting when setting a new goal to focus on the end result and then try to get there as quickly as possible. This is completely normal – it’s human nature to want to succeed at what we put our minds to. By focusing on the large goal rather than breaking things down into smaller goals though, it’s less likely that we will succeed. A great example of this is if you decide to lose weight. With a focus on your end goal, you may find yourself going from zero to 100 by cutting out all ‘bad’ foods overnight and going from a place of no exercise to multiple gym sessions each week. The problem with this is that it requires a phenomenal amount of willpower and if you run out you could be more likely to quit altogether.

Instead start small, so that very little extra effort is required, and build from there. For example, instead of instantly changing your entire diet, try adding an extra piece of fruit each day. After a week try switching your lunch to a salad or healthy soup. The following week, commit to eating more vegetables with your dinner. By making these small changes, eventually the big changes you first envisaged will have been made and you will barely have noticed.

2- Take one thing at a time

Habits are hard to build, so don’t try to do more than one new thing at once. For example, if your end goal is to lose weight then try to focus only on one way of doing this in the early days. Rather than completely changing both your diet and your fitness regime, perhaps focus on your diet first. It will take enough willpower and effort to reduce your calorie intake without having to then find more willpower to motivate yourself to go to the gym too. After a few weeks when it has become more of a normal-feeling to be eating less, you might then bring in your new habit and try including some more exercise in your plans.

3 – Make sure you have clear intentions

This is not the time to be vague. If your goal is ‘to go to the gym more’ then decide when you are going to go and what you are going to do. If you know, for example, that on a Monday you are going to do a Pilates class at 9:00 AM, on a Wednesday you are going to jog on a treadmill for 20 minutes after work and on a Friday you are going to go for a 30 minute swim first thing in the morning, you will have a clear idea of when and what you need to do to meet your goal. If you just say you are going ‘to go to the gym more’ there is no real tangible commitment and it will be far easier to put things off, let the days roll into each other and not achieve your goal.

4 – Make yourself accountable

Research has shown that watching someone else’s behaviour and habits can have a big influence on your own.¹ For this reason it can be beneficial to find a partner to work on a positive habit alongside you. Not only will you have accountability for your actions, but you will have someone to look at to motivate you and encourage you to reach the same goal that you are seeing them achieve. This could be a friend, partner or even someone you know through a social media network.

5 – Reward your wins – even the small ones

Never underestimate the effort it will take to maintain a new habit. Even if the habit is something that seems relatively small in comparison to what others are doing, you are running your own race and you should always reward yourself for any progress, no matter how small. Rewarding yourself activates the reward circuitry in your brain that’s responsible for emotions such as achievement and pride, which empower you to take action to maintain your habit and create even bigger successes in the future.²

6 – Set your environment up for success

Do what you can to make your environment suit your desired goals. For example, if you are in the habit of checking your mobile phone before bed each night, don’t simply decide not to do it, but instead place your phone charger in a different room so that you can’t take your phone into the bedroom with you. If you use the alarm clock on your phone, buy yourself a traditional alarm clock instead. Likewise, if you want to get into the habit of reading more books, ensure that there are books waiting to be picked up at the places you would usually sit down to relax, whether this is on the sofa or in bed. This way you will be less likely to turn on the TV instead.

While these top tips do not guarantee that your goals will become a habit, they do put you in the best position for success. Maintaining motivation, keeping good self-control and adapting new behaviours into daily habits is always going to be difficult. By following these tips we believe you can do it.

1. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/bdm.408 [↩]
2. https://academic.oup.com/cercor/article/18/4/898/282183?login=true [↩]

There are many health benefits of physical exercise, but sometimes, the one we want is simply weight loss.

There’s nothing more annoying though, than being committed and disciplined on the exercise front and then getting on the scales at the end of the week only to find you haven’t actually lost any weight – or worse still, that you might even have put some on! Before you start smashing your scales and throwing them out the window though, know that all is not actually lost. Things are not always what they seem and you could well be benefitting from the exercise you are doing more than you realise!

So… if things aren’t as they seem, what could be the reasons why your weight isn’t changing?

Weight fluctuates

Your weight naturally goes up and down and during a single day you could weigh as much as 5-6 pounds different at various points!¹ Given that it takes around 3,500 calories consumed to gain 1 pound of fat, you can’t possible have put all of this on in one day. Scales are great as a guide, but they are a reflection of your ‘weight’ and this is not the same thing as body fat. At certain times we might be carrying more water, so the number on the scales could be greater, but this does not mean we have gained ‘fat.’

Gain muscle whilst losing weight

If you are exercising, you are most likely gaining muscle, and this can show up on the scales.
Not all pounds on the scales are created equal though and if you look at two people who are the same height and weight, they could look very different. This is down to a number of factors – water retention, body composition and the overall shape of your body, but it’s also because muscle and fat have a very different density. It’s often heard that muscle weighs more than fat. This is itself is incorrect. A pound of muscle, and a pound of fat, both weigh the same. They do not look the same though. A pound of cotton wool, for example, is going to be physically larger looking than a pound of steel.

Not keeping track of what you are eating

It’s not always a factor, but are you actually consuming more calories than you need without realising? It’s easy to fall into the trap of believing that if we are exercising more we can eat more, and to a degree, this is absolutely correct. You do need more calories to fuel your body if you are frequently enjoying a good movement workout… but we don’t always need THAT MUCH more. Try snacking on high-protein foods that have been proven in studies to keep your fuller for longer and are more likely to help you with continued weight loss.²

Not eating whole foods

Whole foods are rich in vitamins and minerals, don’t contain any chemical additives and are largely unprocessed. They are things like apples, bananas, broccoli, tomatoes, brown rice, whole eggs and salmon. As these foods are nutritious, they give our bodies what they need to function optimally. A diet rich in processed foods on the other hand, can slow down weight loss in a number of ways. Firstly, it often won’t contain enough iron, which is needed to move oxygen around the body and can limit your ability to burn calories through exercise.³ Whole foods also don’t contain refined sugars, which are associated with obesity and have been shown to increase production of the hunger hormone ghrelin which reduces your brains ability to make you feel full.³

Not lifting weights / resistance training

The health benefits of physical exercise are most evident when you combine different types of movement workout. Often, it can be too easy to think that if you are spending all of your time on cardio, then that’s good enough. You can give your muscles a far better workout though – and fuel weight loss – by mixing up your routines with weights or resistance training. While weight training doesn’t burn as many calories during the session as cardio will, it is more effective at building muscle. Muscle burns more energy throughout the day than fat does, so the more muscle you have, the more calories you will be burning, even when you’re not doing anything!⁴

Not doing cardio

The opposite is also true. Weightlifting and bodyweight resistance exercise are fantastic for making you physically stronger, but overall, cardio burns more calories per session than weight training will. The evidence points to cardio being what makes you fitter and helping to fire up your metabolism, leading to better weight loss in the long run.⁵

Not sleeping enough

Studies have shown that not getting enough sleep can have a direct impact on your ability to lose weight as the biological mechanisms that kick in when we are tired make us hungry and inclined to eat more than we actually need in order to achieve a quick burst of energy.⁶ Additionally, evidence suggests that your metabolism will not work optimally if you are tired during the day,⁷ so even if you can resist the chocolate biscuits, your body won’t be burning calories as it usually would be anyway.

The bottom line is that daily and even weekly fluctuations in your weight are rarely a cause for concern and are perfectly normal – albeit sometimes frustrating! As long as you are following a healthy diet, getting enough varied exercise and having a good night’s sleep, any ‘stuck’ scales will soon start moving in the direction you want them to again. Also remember that scales are just one way to measure your progress but there are other ways too. You can take monthly measurements to see how your body shape is changing, consider how your clothes are fitting and most importantly, pay attention to how much better you are feeling.

1. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/when-is-the-best-time-to-weigh-yourself/ [↩]
2. https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/101/6/1320S/4564492?login=true [↩]
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK54103/ [↩] [↩]
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2980962/ [↩]
5. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1521691804000836 [↩]
6. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%252Fs13679-012-0026-7 [↩]
7. http://www.tgiscience.com/documents/Sleep%20and%20Weight%20Gain.pdf [↩]

Human beings are truly exceptional creatures. Think about those very first few days, weeks and months of a baby’s life, of your own life.

We are born into a world of extraordinary change from day one. All around us are brand-new sensations, sounds, smells, tastes, sights. Absolutely everything is unknown. The wonderful thing is that most of us just get on with all this great swathe of new experiences. We don’t make a big fuss about it. We learn to recognise things, to work out which ones we enjoy most, and to start making sense of what we are hearing and seeing. In the first year of being alive we are able to embrace change as a simple fact of life. We are all born learners.

But then, somewhere along the way, we begin to develop patterns of behaviour that become the norm, the ‘way we always do things’, and which become predictable. Somehow that cute, curious, inquisitive child that we once were is in danger of getting stuck in a rut, resisting change, and even becoming afraid of change.

The truth is that enjoying change and trying out new activities and experiences continues to be beneficial to our wellbeing throughout the whole of our lives. In fact, maybe it becomes even more important as we get older.

There’s no need to wait for the New Year to turn over a new leaf. You can do it today.

A small amount of time spent doing something you have never done before can lead to even more opportunities and have a liberating, rejuvenating, uplifting effect.

It can be something really very simple.¹ You don’t have to start bungee-jumping or skydiving… Take a different route into work in the morning. Jump off at a different bus or tube stop. As you walk down your local high street look up and see what is above you. Try something new on the menu rather than the dish you already know you like. Set aside an hour or two to go and see a new film, visit an exhibition, listen to some new music, whatever it is you enjoy.

Given that all our lives seem to be frantic, one great new experience is to give yourself fifteen minutes of ‘me time’,² finding somewhere quiet to sit calmly, relax and reflect. For most of us that in itself is a new experience!

Meeting new people is also an excellent, positive element for a fresh state of mind. In the information age, a few mouse clicks will open up a wealth of options and information about local activities and groups – maybe there’s something you have always thought about doing but never got round to. This is the perfect chance to finally do it. You’ll learn new skills, make more friends, and have something to talk about, blog about and, who knows, even be able to boast about! And if you keep our current friends involved with what you’re doing, and introduce them to new friends, your whole social life will thrive.

The confidence of having tried, enjoyed and mastered something new is infectious. You may find that other people start noticing and commenting on your good mood, and that at work you can use that new-found confidence to good effect.

So, that’s enough advice. Don’t leave it a moment longer. Try something new – right now!

1. http://www.bbc.co.uk/earth/story/20160420-how-nature-is-good-for-our-health-and-happiness [↩]
2. https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-20080/why-me-time-is-so-important-for-happiness-infographic.html [↩]