Working on your wellbeing – Rescue Remedy

As lockdown continues, so too do the challenges for our health and wellbeing, but there are plenty of simple holistic steps you can take to help yourself.

And here, natural health experts from Rescue Remedy offer their wellness tips to ease stress and boost emotional wellbeing:

• Smart goals: Smart goals are a way of breaking down aims into five bite-sized categories – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-related – to help make targets doable. Every weekend, carve out 15-20 minutes to work out your aims for the week ahead and break them down into each category. Write them down somewhere that you can tick off when you have completed them. Ticking off completed goals is a great way of seeing how much you’ve achieved and feel positive if you’re feeling low. Here are few things that we have been ticking off our list: workout three times per week, have a bath once this week, walk 10,000 steps every day, read a chapter a night, turn off your phone after 8pm, meditate for five minutes a day.
• Mindfulness: Here are a few ways that you can weave it into your daily routine. Morning: Try to wake up 20 minutes before your household to practise. If that’s not feasible – and we know how hard it can be – practise this while you’re in the shower or making a cup of tea. Count to four as you breathe in and four as you breathe out. Repeat while you scan your body, focusing on how your toes and feet feel, moving up the legs, hips, back, shoulders, arms, neck, face, jaw and head. During the day: The trick to being mindful during the day is remembering to practise while you are busy. Whether you’re buried deep in work, making lunch for the family or simply popping to the toilet, bring your mind into the present by asking yourself what you can see, smell, feel, taste or hear. At night: When the kids are tucked up and you finally have some time to yourself, make sure you’re really spending it on yourself. The small act of taking pleasure in lighting a candle, getting comfy under a blanket, repeating your positive affirmations, or simply enjoying a few squares of chocolate, will bring you into the now. Try to spend your evening in the now and not worrying about tomorrow.
• Nutrition: As the saying goes, ‘you are what you eat’. This doesn’t only refer to how food affects your body but may also affect your mind. Having a good diet could help boost your mood, help you think more clearly and give you more energy. Eat regularly; three balanced meals a day will help you to stay away from the (sometime unhealthy) snacks. Eat a balanced diet, eating a mix of fibre, protein, ‘good’ fats and vegetables will help you maintain your energy levels throughout the day. Drink enough – water is great, but you can also enjoy herbal tea and diluted fruit juice to keep you on top of the recommended eight glasses a day.
• Fitness: It’s hard to stay motivated at the moment, so it’s important to remember that any movement is good movement. Don’t be hard on yourself and remind yourself that you are the only person who can take the pressure off your shoulders. If you have a little more time, it’s important to get your heart rate up. While running isn’t for everyone, try to explore your area by foot and add in a power walk if you want. Otherwise, enjoy an online HIIT class; there are a huge amount of YouTube videos out there that cater for every fitness levels and any injuries you might have. The main thing with fitness is to try to enjoy it!

This article has been featured in Natural Lifestyle Magazine, grab your free copy of this monthly magazine in store now!