Mamuna Arshad
WITH A REPUTATION FOR RESULTS
COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY CLINIC
Wishing you all
a very
Merry Christmas
> November 2014
"Time Out..... !"
In today’s pressures of family life, relationships and work commitments, spending time alone has become almost impossible. We are endlessly thinking of others and have lost sight of taking time out to fulfil our own needs.
We are so pre occupied with the next thing to do that we feel we are unable to take that time to “just be” and do “what we want”.
There’s even a new slang term tied to the non-stop need to text, tweet and check our messages known as “FOMO”. For those who don’t know what it stands for, FOMO is a colloquial abbreviation which means a “fear of missing out”.
In Today’s culture, We tend to view people who spend time alone as sad or anti-social, but there are many benefits to taking time out.
The following are a few go-solo strategies:
Get up and do - Wake up early and take time to do anything that makes you (and only you) happy. Switch the phone, computer and TV off so you can focus without any distractions. You can also apply this strategy when you get to work before everyone else arrives.
Know your boundaries - It’s especially important to spend time away from people. Interacting with certain individuals can drain you of your energy and can make you feel sick, frustrated, angry and uncomfortable. Try and simply do your best to spend less time with them and re charge your batteries!
Take time out for yourself - You might be surprised at what you discover about yourself when you’re the only one deciding where you want to go and what you want to do
> October 2014
Laughter is the best Medicine !"
Across the globe, laughter therapy groups are emerging in a bid to bring back the humour in our lives.
Laughter therapy not only lightens our mood and makes us feel really good about ourselves, as well as being beneficial to our well-being. Research has shown that laughing is a therapeutic process that heals emotional and physical pain.
In India, one of the most popular therapies is hasya yoga (better known as laughter therapy). Therapy sessions are held in local parks and are just as popular of a pastime in India, as is Tai Chi in China.
Each session starts with deep breathing and a warm-up exercise which involves repeating “Ho, ho, ha, ha”, followed by a variety of encouraged laughter.
Health laughing benefits include:
Relaxing the whole body. A hearty laugh helps to relieve physical tension and stress, leaving your muscles relaxed for up to 45 minutes after.
Boosting the immune system. Laughter decreases stress hormones and increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, therefore improving your resistance to disease.
Triggering the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. Endorphins promote a sense of well-being and can relieve pain.
Protecting the heart. Laughter improves the function of blood vessels and increases the flow of blood, which can help protect you against a heart attack as well as other cardiovascular ailments.
Reducing stress. More than 70 per cent of illnesses have some relation to stress including depression, ulcers and heart disease. Laughing on a regular basis reduces stress and in turn reduces illness.
> September 2014
Steps to Boost your Confidence !"
People of all ages and from all walks of life can lack confidence in themselves for one reason or another. And this can be the most disabling of problems to have. Attending meetings, going out socially, forming new relationships, starting a new activity - these and many other situations can all become impossibly nerve-wracking. So what can you do about it?
Most people simply grow up lacking confidence, as a direct outcome of their background and childhood experiences. Others can lose their confidence at some time later in their lives, as a result of experiences they've had, or because of the changes that can happen to us all as we grow older. But confidence doesn't disappear forever when you lose it, you can build it back up again. How do you do that? How do you learn about confidence-building?
- Reading up on it - there are lots and lots of good books
- Ask you G.P to refer you to a counsellor
- Seek the support of your friends and family.
You should aim to take control of your life and boost your confidence by:
- Having a clearer and more positive outlook on life
- Be more clear on your priorities
- Feeling more in control of your own life
- Being able to recognise stress and anxiety better, and some methods of managing them
- Learning to communicate and behave more confidently
- Gaining knowledge of new skills to help you cope and manage better in a range of difficult situations
- Losing your confidence usually takes a bit of time, so building it back up again will take a few months or more, so it's best to avoid anyone offering overnight cures, and it's always worth checking out someone's qualifications before going ahead with anything.
But the main thing to remember is that if you lack confidence, don't just sit there, go for it, you can do something about it. And there's lots of help out there to show you how to do just that.
> August 2014
Steps to relieve
stress !"
If you cope well with pressure and only get stressed occasionally, these quick, simple techniques will help your mind and body relax and get back to a ‘normal’ state. Here are a few quick fixes for stress.
Deep breathe... Taking a few deep breaths has long been known to calm us down, and is the easiest, fastest and cheapest way of dealing with stressful situations. This exercise maximises the flow of oxygen to your brain, which helps it take control of the symptoms and relax muscles.
Talkabout it -Stress can make us withdraw into ourselves, exaggerating negative feelings and perceptions. Talking through your stress can give you a different perspective as well as gaining support from friends and family. On occasion outside support of your Doctor or a other health professional; as it may be a better option for those who need it.
Make abreak for it...! Removing yourself from whatever’s making you feel stressed, like difficult colleagues or screaming children, may seem like the best option but it isn’t always practical to do so. Scheduling a little time out can help. Try going somewhere for a few hours where you can quietly re-charge and gain peace of mind.
Put pen to paper...! Jot down a note about how and why you feel stressed. This will help you break down the causes and stop you feeling overwhelmed and out of control. You may recognise a pattern to your symptoms and this will also help you get on top of them.
Work it out...! Exercising can increase endorphins and improve and exhilarate the flow of oxygen to your body. Muscle relaxation techniques such as stretching, clenching and unclenching your muscles can relieve tension.
Avoid…. smoking, alcohol and coffee. You may feel that they help you cope, but they can all reduce the effectiveness of our bodies’ natural stress response. Caffeine can increase tension, alcohol is a depressant and over time can interfere with how our brains deal with stress; it can also trigger anger and aggression, as do nicotine cravings. Smoking also affects breathing patterns and can exaggerate the effects of stress
> July 2014
Go with the "FLOW !"
Can you think of a time in your life when you were utterly absorbed in the moment? When was the last time you were immersed in something that you completely lost track of time with? If so, its what what some psychologist’s call ‘flow’.
Flow provides a reprieve from the constant day to day worries within one’s life.
After a “flow experience” most people experience a stronger and more optimistic sense of self.
One of the keys to accessing flow is to enjoy a particular activity. For example, to increase flow in your life why not try the following suggestions:
Firstly; think back over the last couple of days, weeks, months and years and write down a list of activities that you have really enjoyed. This can include anything from, Going out with friends, family day out, reading a novel or cooking a meal.
From this list, choose an activity that you are going to do each day. i.e. keep in touch with your friends, read more books on the bestsellers list more often etc.
Secondly, Identify your moments in “flow”. Write down a list of flow experiences, for example: playing with your children, talking to your best friend, going for a work out at the gym.
Commit to doing one of these every day for at least the next two weeks and enjoy the results.
> June 2014
STAY MOTIVATED THIS SUMMER
STAY FOCUSED - The best self-help mantra to motivate you to shape up and eat healthier in a way that will help and aid weight loss is to keep saying to yourself; “I will eat healthier, exercise and look after myself better”.
Using a motivational Mantra can help you focus, every time you say it to yourself or out loud, your mind encourages you to keep going.
STICK TO THE PLAN! “I really want to do this”. Your mind does what it thinks you want it to do, the more determined you are about wanting to eat less, eat healthy food and exercise the more it will motivate you to enjoy the process.
REMEMBER - When you are around junk food, remind yourself of why you want to lose weight. Is it for health issues, are you getting married next spring or are you simply wanting to look and feel fantastic? Reminding yourself can help you decide to pause any bad eating and drop some weight.
Select correctly –Choose the most positive words and use those that define how you'd like to feel.
Crack the code –Shift your attention away from bad eating habits and talk or think about something else.
Be Active -Get a new hobby, project or goal.
Give yourself a natural high –Do things that make yourself feel better emotionally
> May 2014
We all know the mind is a powerful tool in helping to boost our physical, emotional and spiritual confidence.
The benefits of de-stressing through relaxation and meditation techniques are well documented, but there are many other ways in which we can use the power of our minds to our advantage.
The power of the mind can be a phenomenal aid in helping us to exude more confidence and attract success.
One of the most important aspects of attracting good things into our life is to make sure that you are feeling as upbeat as you possibly can be.
The following are a few tips on how to Boost your confidence and have a positive outlook on life.
Always be yourself.
Use positive affirmations/mantras.
Stop trying to be perfect.
Focus on what really brings you joy.
Surround yourself with positive people.
Get creative – and express yourself.
Stop trying to please everyone.
> April 2014
Spring has finally sprung...!
Spring is probably the most important time of year to be self-aware! In spring, we start to stay up later as the nights get lighter. Now is the time to put the plans you have been thinking about into action. It is a great time for new starts….
Along with natures re-birth (Spring), with it comes the desire to make some changes to our daily lives. We all feel full of renewed enthusiasm for seasonal changes. Seasonal living is all about energy. At this time of year the main emphasis in exercising should be on detoxing your life as well as your mind, body & soul.
Exercise your desire to rid yourself of those winter habits of staying indoors and comfort eating by doing something which creates a mental and physical stimulas. To get mental clarity and focus and improve your fitness and agility…start to plan a exercise routine that suits you best.
When choosing a form of exercise, try and go for lots of stretching. Spring is about wakening the body and stretching out of hibernation. If you have been exercising indoors during the winter, try going for brisk walks or cycling and get some variety.
During this time of year, as well as exercising we should be aiming to eat healthier and include a better diet of fresh green food which increase a new lease of vitality.
>March
Think your way to
better Health
Did you know that our health and well-being is influenced by the thoughts and words we use every day?You are probably unaware how you express your yourself in your day to day life. You may not even be aware that you are irritable, annoyed or stressed.
By expressing and unlocking how you feel can have an immediate effect on your health. These innocent and not so innocent words and feelings, along with your perceptions about your life, can seriously impact your health. What you think and feel is therefore of extreme importance. It should be accepted as part of your personal responsibility and a major component of your health.
Why not try the following strategies…..
Be more aware – Decide to play an active role in your own health and start by choosing positive words, thoughts and feelings to promote a healthier Mind, Body & Soul.
Break the cycle – Purposely shift your attention away from your problems and physical symptoms and talk or think about something else. Get creative and start a new hobby or set a goal.
Tap in– Identify the things you would change in your life if you could, physical or otherwise, past or present and then tap into it.
Lift your own spirits – Be PRO-ACTIVE, make yourself feel better emotionally and physically, especially when you’re down. Prepare a list of what you like and what makes you happy including people, activities, smells, music, good memories, photos etc.
Be Thankful – Find things to be thankful for in your life (including friends, family, your home and nature) then focus your attention on these rather than anything negative.
> February 2014
Do you spend your nights tossing and turning? Getting enough sleep is one of the most important steps you can take towards optimum vitality, glowing skin and to a longer, healthier life.On a physical level a decent night's sleep promotes cellular rejuvenation and boosts the immune system while on a mental level it helps us to process thoughts. Almost two-thirds of people have difficulty sleeping. Stress is one of the commonest causes.…
Here are a few suggestions to give you a better night's sleep:
Keep regular hours - Going to bed and getting up at roughly the same time every day will train your body to sleep better by getting it into a regular rhythm.
Keep a pen and paper by your bedside- If you can’t stop worrying, it’s often useful to make a list before lights out, of things that you need to tackle the next day to de-clutter the mind.
Make sure your bedroom is not too hot, cold, noisy or light - An overheated bedroom can wake you in the middle of the night. Likewise, try to make your bedroom both as quiet and as dark as possible.
Avoid over-indulging -Eating and drinking too much, late at night can ruin your sleep patterns. Our digestive system more or less shuts down at night; eating a large meal just before bed can confuse your body and make it difficult to get to sleep.
Try….
A cup of herbal tea - Chamomile and valerian are both mild sedatives and should help you fall asleep or a hot, milky drink - A glass of warm milk is one of the most popular folk remedies for sleep problems.
Try to relax before going to bed - A warm bath will gently warm and relax you or sprinkle a few drops of lavender oil in the bath and on your pillow- lavender oil had a beneficial influence on the quality and duration of sleep.
Read a book- Reading a book is one of the best ways to distract your mind from the problem of sleep. Reading can help both physically and mentally. Not only will you start to forget the worry of not getting to sleep, your eyes will also start to feel tired.
Happy New Year !
> January
MOTIVATE YOURSELF TO STAY HEALTHY.....Millions of people around the world have made New Year’s resolutions that most do not stick to by the end of the first month of the year! Here are a few suggestions on how to make healthy resolutions and how to stick to them… You must really, really want it.....To achieve any health resolution, you have to want it. You cannot succeed at your goal without your mind being in the right place for the resolutions to be made. Create short and long term goals The most common resolutions are ‘going to lose weight’ or ‘going to give up smoking’. Instead of being generic, create shorter and longer goals. So, let’s say for example you want to
lose a stone for your planned holiday in August. That’s 14 pounds in seven months, which equals two pounds a month or only one pound every two weeks. By achieving smaller goals , it is much more achievable to reach. Track your progress By tracking your progress, you’ll find it much easier to stick to your guns. If your resolutions are only in your head you can easily make excuses and lose track. Writing down your weight loss week by week can keep the motivation going!