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Sunday 29 January 2017

Creating a Balanced Lifestyle

So, how are the New Year resolutions going? If you’ve stuck to yours, well done, but chances are many people abandoned theirs not long after the return to work and the sinking back into the relentlessly busy lifestyle of work commitments and organising the family. Before you know it, your stress levels will be back to where they were before Christmas. Finding the time to relax, so that you can recover from stress before being bombarded with more, is essential for your health and wellbeing. Relaxation, exercise and ‘time for you’ will give your body and mind time to recuperate.
 

Making Time to Relax

There is a wonderful saying that the busier you are, the more time you need to spend meditating. Many people use the explanation of being too busy as an excuse for not meditating but the busier you are, the more you need to meditate to calm your mind and provide the mental break you need in order to keep going. If you don’t want to meditate, just taking 5 or 10 minutes out of your busy day twice a day to focus on your breathing will be of great benefit. Perhaps you can find the opportunity to do some deep breathing exercises on the bus on your way to and from work or in your lunch break.

Setting boundaries is also incredibly important and is something many of us struggle with. So that means not taking work home with you or at least having a sensible cut-off time if this is necessary and not checking emails or taking work calls in the evenings. Even socially or with family, have a clear idea of what you can and cannot commit to and assert that when others try to over-step the mark. Some ‘down time’ alone in the evenings is essential for many people to help them process and let go of the day. If this is you, make time for this in your schedule.
 

Write it Down

Journalling is now regarded as a very beneficial form of personal therapy. Buy a notebook specifically for this purpose and write down how you feel as a way of exorcising stressful thoughts and emotions from your mind. Try to find at least 10 minutes in the evening to write about the events of the day and how they made you feel. Be completely honest –this is your opportunity to privately vent your anger, sadness, hurt and pain.
 

Create Time for Activities you Enjoy

Taking up a hobby such as painting, reading, furniture restoration or jewellery making can help combat stress. A hobby can calm your emotions and boost your self-esteem. Being totally absorbed in a creative pursuit can actually be a form of light meditation – you are so engrossed in what you are doing that you lose all awareness of what is going on around you, so you have managed to switch off without even trying. It is essential to find an activity that you really enjoy and only do it when you feel like it; otherwise it will just become another obligation.

Spending time with your family and seeing friends are also excellent ways to switch off from the stresses of work and the daily grind – as long as you don’t spend the whole time talking about work! If possible, do something new or different to ring the changes and provide new experiences. This will help you feel you are moving forward rather than being stuck in the same old routine of groundhog day.
 

Take Regular Exercise

Exercise is an excellent way to reduce stress. It relieves muscular tension, improves health, boosts wellbeing through the release of endorphins and helps you sleep better. Walking or running are great for clearing the mind, especially if you can get out into the countryside. If you can’t get to a gym, step exercises on the bottom stairs are better than nothing. Pounding, punching and kicking are great for getting the stress out of your body. Always choose a form of exercise you enjoy otherwise you won’t stick with it. Yoga, tai chi and chi kung are great for those wanting a more holistic approach to exercise. Yoga and Pilates are great for stretching out the energy channels in the body and releasing tension and energy blocks.

 
Holistic Therapy

Making time for a relaxing therapeutic treatment such as Reiki, Reflexology or a back massage once a month can provide well-needed ‘me-time’ and boost your physical health as well. Book your next appointment when you attend your first treatment as appointments are always easier to stick to when they are already in your diary.

 
Plan a Free Day

When you’re feeling really low in energy and your batteries need recharging, it’s time to take a day off and spend it doing exactly what you want. Sleep in as late as you like, go for a walk, visit a friend or do an activity of your choosing, watch a film or read a book, then have a nice relaxing bubble bath before bed.

 
Adopt a Balanced Diet

Stress and exhaustion can have a detrimental effect on the immune system which in turn makes you more susceptible to colds and other viruses. Constant stress depletes your body’s store on nutrients and leaves you less able to cope with a busy, demanding lifestyle. The nutrients most affected by stress are vitamins B, C and E and the minerals magnesium, zinc, potassium and sodium. You can address this by ensuring that you have your 5 a day and incorporating more fruit, salad and vegetables into your diet and by reducing processed food, fizzy drinks, cakes and biscuits. Taking a good multivitamin is also an option if you’re feeling run down.

 
Helen Shortland is a Reiki Master Healer/Teacher, Meditation Teacher and Holistic Therapist based at 15 Wheeler Gate in Nottingham city centre. Helen offers several healing treatments such as Reiki, Angelic Reiki, Faery Reiki, Angel Therapy and Fairy Blessing Guided Journey, as well as Usui Reiki and Faery Reiki training courses. She has been on the spiritual path for 15 years and has extensive knowledge of healing and the healing journey. For further information about her Reiki courses, therapies and workshops, please visit her website http://helenshortland.com or visit and ‘like’ her Facebook page Helen Shortland Holistics & Enchantment.

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