>November 2017
Boost Your Brain Power
Blitz your nutrient intake - Ensure your diet is packed with healthy nutrients on a daily basis. Home-made smoothies are an excellent way to improve your wellbeing.
For an extra boost take a supplement of ginseng, which is also a vital nutrient that can help to enhance cognitive function, improve memory and increase energy levels.
Get moving - Cardio-vascular exercise has been proven to preserve the brains health. The more active you are improves your energy, focus and drive. This plays a vital role in brain cell growth, mood regulation and learning.
Embrace mindfulness - Many of us experience brain haze and a plunge in concentration levels as we are constantly on the go, and for this reason it’s vital to factor in some ‘down time’ during our busy lifestyle. This can be achieved by setting aside a few minutes a day to simply relax and turn your thoughts off.
Try to set aside time to do this and you’ll be surprised at how quickly you’ll feel the benefits.
Get some sleep - Sleep is not only necessary for our well-being, but vital for our brain health, too. Long-term sleep deprivation can cause lasting damage to brain cells, not to mention low moods, so it is imperative to ensure you get at least eight hours of sleep to experience a full sleep cycle.
Train your brain -Playing memory games or learning a second language can offer benefits for improving intellect, memory concentration, awareness and focus.
> OCTOBER 2017
Get moving and help raise money for others…....
With the start of the Autumnal season, change is upon us.
This time of the year sparks the beginning of starting something new. With dark days upon us, some of us tend to neglect ourselves and burrow deep into the comfort of staying in with very little desire to do much.
Why not change that and get active and support what’s happening in your community today? Working with various Charities can spruce the need to be a part of something that helps you to give back to those who need to bring about change, raise funds for research, bring awareness and highlight a need for immediate attention.
Outdoor activities are a great opportunity to up the amount of exercise you’re doing and to gain new friends. Charities seem to be well aware of this and are organising a range of fantastic walks across the UK to raise funds for their Charities.
Organised Charity/fundraising events take on many forms including coffee mornings, 10 k run, walks, Cycling to name a few. Remember charity events are for all age groups and is a great way to include all members of the family.
All you have to do is sign up, enlist the help of other including your friends, family and colleagues for donations and put on your trainers. Nothing says feel good factor quite like being involved for the greater good, while also raising money for charity.
Register today and make a difference, sign up to a charity or more. Below is a list of some organisations registered in the United Kingdom.
Cancer Research UK, The Save the Children Fund, Macmillan Cancer Support, OXFAM, The British Red Cross Society, The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, Royal society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, The Salvation Army, British Heart Foundation, UNICEF, Marie Curie Cancer Care, Barnado's, Help for Heroes, The Prince's Trust.
> SEPTEMBER 2017
“Karate Chop!” negative thoughts.
It’s so important to highlight that our health and well-being is influenced by the thoughts and words we use every day.
Many of us wake up feeling a certain way; what you think and feel is therefore of great importance and it is your personal responsibility to maintain a healthier and positive outlook on a daily basis.
Remember, your mind/body is constantly listening and responding in what it thinks is the appropriate manner and therefore can influence how you feel on any given day.
Our experiences whether they are physical or emotional, frequently stay with us. These memories are often difficult to shift. However, there are techniques available that can help y
EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) is effective in rapidly reducing emotions surrounding a memory or incident which contribute to physical as well as emotional issues. By tapping lightly with your fingertips on specific points on the face and body, which correspond to specific points of the body’s energy meridians, you are able to release painful, negative emotions.
Remember to practise happier, healthy thoughts by:
Be more mindful – Play an active role in your own health and start by selecting positive language, thoughts and feelings.
Pick and choose– Opt for the most positive words in all cases and use those that match how you’d like to feel.
Break the cycle – Purposely alter your attention away from your problems and physical symptoms and talk or think about something else.
Distract yourself - Get a new hobby, project or goal.
Make a change – Identify the things you would change in your life if you could, physical or otherwise, past or present.
Feel good Factor – Do things deliberately to make yourself feel better emotionally and physically, especially when you’re down. Engage in sports/activities, plan to meet with friends etc.
Raise me up - Prepare a list of what you like and what makes you happy including people, activities, animals, smells, colours, flowers, music, good memories and revisit a happier time.
Practice gratitude and appreciation – 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.
> AUGUST 2017
Tune In…
For most of us, music is a large part of our lives, whether we play a musical instrument, are in a band, play in an orchestra, sing in a choir, participant in a crowd or simply just enjoy listening to it.
Thanks to the varied assortment of genres, there’s something to suit every taste, need and mood. Music allows us to feel many sentiments and feelings that include joy, comfort, peace and inspiration. Arousing strong emotional responses, is often linked to important personal memories and experiences that resonate with us.
With such a powerful effect, there’s no surprise that it can be used as a therapy. Drawing upon the qualities of sound and melody to support people of all ages and at all stages of life. From assisting babies to bond and connect with their parents to offering comforting palliative care during someone’s last days.
What makes music so powerful in its effect is the fact that everyone has the ability to respond to it, music often uses this connection to encourage positive changes in emotional well-being.
Music Therapy - treats a wide range of people with problems, the nature of the session depends on the patient’s needs.
Active Therapy, is when the therapist and the patient actively partake in creating music using an assortment of musical styles and instruments.
Receptive therapy, takes residence in a more relaxed environment in which the therapist makes or plays music to the patient, who is encouraged to express their thoughts and feeling by drawing/painting, meditating or simply listening.
> JULY 2017
Exercise your Mind
Zinc is vital for brain health. Research suggests that those who were found to be lacking suffered from variable stages of mental health, such as anxiety and depression.
Coming to grips with mindfulness-Most of us experience a hazy mind, cloudy thoughts and a rise and fall in concentration as we are continually on the go. With our daily lives being so active, it’s so imperative to make time to pencil in some ‘down time’ in our busy schedule.
Try: set aside at least 30 minutes to do simply nothing. You’ll be surprised to learn just how quickly you’ll feel the benefits and reap the rewards. You can practise mindfulness techniques at any time of the day.
Get Active:Cardio Vascular exercises have been recognised to preserve health & well-being; when your blood is pumping throughout our body, it circulates around the brain and immerses your cells in oxygen and glucose, which is what we need to function. The more it gets, the more your performance and memory improves.Try a brisk walk to get you started, add in a activity you enjoy and voila- instant health and happiness
e.g. When we work our muscles, hormones rush to the brain. This plays a vital role in brain cell growth, mood regulation and learning. There are lots of easy options for getting started.
Try: Ensure your diet is crammed with zinc sourced rich foods like pumpkin seeds, spinach, wheat germ and fish. For an added improvement take a supplement with ginseng, an important nutrient that can help to increase cognitive purpose, memory and energy levels.
Teach your brain – As we get older our mind starts to forget, so it is important to exercise our mind. We often read of degenerative diseases for those in their later years that include Dementia and Alzheimer’s, Memory games are often advised and used to maintain what we know.
Try: Playing games, keeps us active and sharp.Ever thought about learning a second language? Benefits include improving intellect, memory and concentration.
Time to snooze! - Sleep is not only vital for our over-all well-being, but vital for our mind and health, too. Lasting sleep deprivation can cause irreversible damage to brain cells, as well as low moods, so it is important to guarantee you get at least six to eight hours of kip to experience a full sleep cycle.
Try:Magnesium Supplements. Little magnesium can often be a cause of sleep difficulty, and a great way to up your intake is with a supplement.
> JUNE 2017
The Art Of Colour
Step into colour this summer
Can we persuade our well-being by simply changing and adapting the colours we wear to suit our mood? Studies show that colours can have a colossal psychological impact on your emotions, and that the exact colour has the capability to boost your confidence and can help set your day on the right footing.
Try the following power colours for the next 7 days ........
RED
Life – The colour red helps to face any uncertainties by giving added strength in the face of fear and doubt.
Love - Red is the colour of passion and confidence and is a fabulous colour to wear to attract attention.
Work- It is also a great choice if you need to embrace new challenges.
Aspiration- Red will inject you with fervour and the get-up-and-go by projecting an driven, motivated and dynamic individual who will achieve results.
PINK
Life - Pink will help you to get in touch with your inner compassion.
Love - Wearing pink will immediately put others at ease in your presence and draws others in.
Social - Magenta is a effervescent and sensual colour that is also fun loving.
Aspiration- Shows leadership abilities united with self-confidence.
ORANGE
Well-being -This colour makes you feel happier and makes others feel very important in your presence.
Social - If you feel absent in self-worth and are feeling shy then this shade will give you the self-belief to push through your limitations, particularly when meeting new people.
Attract - As orange is a warm and inspiring colour others will be easily drawn to you when you wear it.
Aspiration- Wearing orange can make you feel brave and courageous and presents yourself to others as energetic and full of life.
YELLOW
Life- Yellow will help you to separate yourself from a state of affairs so you can see it with clarity before making an informed decision.
Well-being - It is the colour of delight and joyfulness, so wearing it will instantly be favourable for you and is sure to make others smile too. It spreads cheerfulness to all who see you in it.
Aspiration- Yellow is the colour of mental creativity and intellect so it will allow you to encourage and motivate your thinking process.
GREEN
Life - The colour Green allows you to see situations from all diverse angles with clearness and transparency.
Love - Green is the great peacemaker and allows you to set boundaries in your relationships too. If you are stuck in a rut this is the colour to wear to help move you into the right direction allowing you to act from the heart.
Well-being- Green can help to balance the body and to detox the system.
Aspiration- Green projects an image of friendliness and generosity of spirit.
BLUE
Life- It is an optimistic and uplifting colour and shows you are trustworthy and reliable.
Well-being - It enables you to take control of your anxiety and to communicate in a sensitive and open-minded way.
PURPLE
Life- If you strive to stand out from the crowd. If you need to tap into your creative side, wearing purple will help you feel inspired.
Work- Helps you to discover your leadership abilities.
Aspiration- It combines wisdom and sensitivity and with shades that include indigo to violet, purple suggests power and sophistication.
> MAY 2017
Silence is golden
With our lives running at an ever faster pace in an increasingly hectic world, moments to ourselves are very few and far between. Most of us long for silence and to just have time for ourselves without any further distractions is becoming increasingly difficult. These days we seem to be too concerned of what we are missing, with the endless digital invasion we are constantly reminded of just how very little time we have to ourselves.
It seems, the feeling of “switching off” is a thing of the past! Without our smartphones, tablets and laptops which are too often and sometimes convenient… no more than an arm’s length away and thanks to the presence of the internet and social media, we are rarely truly alone.
While we frequently pray for peace and quiet it turns out that a lack of silence can be quite detrimental to us in the long-term. Recent studies have confirmed that physical and digital noise negatively affects our focus and sleep, as well as increasing stress hormones and symptoms of anxiety and depression.
It’s so important to “just be”. The health and wellness industry have always focused on the need to switch off and continue to focus and concentrate on the mind, body and soul. There seems to be an increase in Global retreats that offer Silent sanctuaries and typically involves several days of solitude, meditation and mindfulness with nil use of technology and disturbance from the outside world.
Episodes of silence, help us to communicate much more effectively, with or without words. A ‘digital detox’ is a great way to disconnect from your devices and reconnect with yourself and loved ones. Simply meditating for a few minutes a day can go a long way in bringing a bit of silence back into your life and help re-charging your sense of well-being.
Successively, you’ll find yourself being more centred and at peace.
> April 2017
Time for a Re-boot!?
It’s normal to feel sad, discontented, restless and generally feeling emotionally fatigued sometimes. But, you’d be surprised how powerful a simple lifestyle change can be. Setting daily goals to alleviate negative feelings is an essential guide to living a much improved life.
Sometimes we all need reminding of the positive things in life, as well as our own self-worth. So why not start today? Enhance your happiness, boost your confidence and get ready to embrace whatever comes your way by taking time out of your day to re-boot and re charge for a well needed investment.
The biggest investment in life is you….Try simple and easy steps to a healthier life choice!
IN CONFIDENCE-Genuine confidence comes when you believe something is worth doing =Unlimited potential.
SCENTSATIONAL- Aromatherapy = A great way to relax, boost energy & re-boot your sense of well-being.
FOOD EXCHANGE- Ditch the junk, try the alternative = Great tasting food.
COLOUR THERAPY - Wear colour and surround yourself with bright colours = Improves your Mood!
MOVE TO THE RHYTHM - Indulge in a Salsa class, get them hips moving = Having fun and losing a few pounds!
STAY HYDRATED- Replace the alcohol, fizz and caffeine instead replace with water and herbal teas = increased energy levels.
A HEAD START – Book yourself in for an Indian head massage OR try Acupuncture when you're feeling lethargic = ideal pick-me-up that can be done at any time to improve and boost vitality.
LIFE, LOVE BALANCE – Getting it right = we reap what we sow, take the time to Gage with loved ones and enjoy life to the maximum.
HEALTHY SNACK POT - Prone to energy slumps? Grazing on Nuts, seeds & fruit can help sustain energy levels.
STRETCH, PINCH AND MANIPULATE! Why not try a 60-SECOND self-help treatment. Pinch, roll and manipulate the muscles to ease tension = Great first-aid revival technique.
“DANCE AND SING, GET UP AND DO YOUR THING!” - Your mental and physical energy gets a lift when you hear an upbeat track = Makes you feel good and reduces fatigue.
EXHALE– Love Yoga = Serenity, Calmness and inner strength.
HIT THE MARK! Use two fingers to massage the 'third eye' between the eyebrows and bridge of the nose = releases tension/ stress, headaches and fatigue.
VITS RULE! Load up on energy foods and vitamins = important nutrients help to energise and kick starts a get-up-and-go attitude.
JUMP AND SHOUT - Take a deep breathe in and jump for joy = upon exhaling give the world a positive affirmation. *shouting is optional.
Next time fatigue starts to set in, try one of these simple tricks to give your Mind and body a little vigour.
> March 2017
Sunny side up….
I’m often reminded of the Morecombe and Wise breakfast sketch that still makes me smile to this day.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t75jW263CTw
What a perfect way to start the morning….
Unfortunately; in our present day, our mere daily existence can leave us feeling like life is spiralling out of control even before 8.00 am!
It seems one too many grey mornings, mood swings and the constant battle of too much to do in one day, can often leave us lacking in energy, sleep deprived and wanting to reach for quick fixes….
With each day blurring and blending into the next, being distracted and preoccupied can sometimes have us doing things twice just to make sure we did them in the first instance.
The morning drive to work, the application of make-up (be that in transit) and the gallons of coffee consumed just to start the day can give anybody unpleasant symptoms including indigestion, anxiety and depression.
We are constantly being told that breakfast/early hours of the morning can greatly influence the day ahead.
So let’s give it a go….Try these simple steps and see your a.m. routine change for the better:
Wake up at 6 am- the ideal time for increased oomph and alertness is in the hours between 6-7 am.
Know what to wear – Planning what you are going to wear the night before can save you so much time.
Try to elude all social media contact before your working day starts– As soon as you acknowledge that flashing red or blue light, we all feel obligated to answer calls, emails and text messages.
Eat a balanced breakfast and avoid the caffeine- Instead opt for porridge/oatmeal/yogurt and drink hot water with lemon and honey to rev you up for the day ahead.
Exercise – including yoga and meditation can improve your posture, blood flow, clarity, focus to boost your energy levels.
No matter how optimistic our mind-set and our intentions are, it is a case of having to organise our time wisely and making sure you are firing on all cylinders. It is also useful to:
Recite a daily Mantra/Affirmation, by narrating your own motivational quote. It doesn’t have to be too deeply thought through, instead something that resonates with you. Reciting affirmations boost your capability of believing that you can achieve a heck of a lot in one day by building your self-esteem and giving you extra confidence.
> February 2017
Be my Valentine...…!?
Setting ourselves up for a whopping big let-down this Valentine’s day!?
This time of year melts the heart of most cynics. Our pre-conceived ideas about what makes us happy on Valentine’s Day usually includes our desire to be coupled up, just like Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan or Cary Grant and his Girl Friday!
If we’re already coupled up, we count ourselves lucky and often think of the countless possibilities of getting it right, this year!
With each year, we spend a fortune on “out doing” the previous year’s attempt.
Now big business, it begs the question, is it more about extravagance than merely saying those 3 words?
Surely a declaration isn’t just that of displaying a crass forget me knot or an epic announcement on social media with the help of Beyonce or is it?
As most of you will say “the times are a changing” and this is the same as a hand written open letter professing unrequited love to a sweetheart, posted in the New York Times!
Valentine’s Day, is the only one day in the year that marks one’s commitment!? Not sure about you guys but I want chocolate every day of the year not just on 14 February…. Instead I choose this day to spend with other loved ones (friends and family, (well we all need a break from that “Special One!”)).
Whatever your circumstance and whoever you choose to spend Valentine’s Day with, be sure to make it stress free and create a happy and loving environment. To avoid disappointment, make the day a positive and uplifting experience.
Be a true Valentine to that special someone, try these simple steps to ensure you both have a great Day …..
Be honest and tell your partner what you want- Be sure that you have made it clear in terms of what would make Valentine’s Day the perfect setting to a great day for the both of you.
Being attentive to what each other wants and needs is key to knowing what the other desires and shows willingness to be in the moment.
Affirmations are a great way to certify a healthier mind and focus on all the positive things to ensure a wonderful time. By achieving self-prophecy through affirmation ensures a commitment to having a great time. Mantras /Affirmations are not only used to recite but alternatively they can be used as a constant reminder! Try writing them down on post-it notes, to act as a daily reminder. It will help to gather momentum and make the day even more thrilling!
Flawed Perfection- The imperfections make the Day more memorable! Not all can be achieved and the chances are there will be a romantic meal up in flames, a quick trip to the emergency room and worse the in-laws all making an unexpected appearance. Despite the unforeseen circumstances, remember it will be notable in the years to come.
Whether we are in a relationship or are single the overruling aspiration is to be happy, so no matter how your Valentine’s Day turns out, make sure you have fun.
Wishing you all
A Wonderful and Prosperous New Year !
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