4/29/2023 0 Comments Spring cleaning imagesAsk yourself if your intake of these things has changed or increased? If it has – what do you need to do to fix this? Can you decrease their use by yourself? Or do you need help from your family, doctor or other health professional? The sooner you acknowledge there’s a problem, the sooner you can deal with it. Over time this becomes an unhealthy habit. Or we’ve been using alcohol and/or drugs to make us feel better. Many of us have been seeking comfort in sugary and/or fatty foods more than we’d like. Let’s get serious – sugar, fats, alcohol and drugs.They’re not an indulgence – they’re a necessity and vital to our overall happiness and wellbeing. And make sure you do these things on a regular basis. Or read a book, listen to music, walk the dog, create something, play a computer game, have a bubble bath or massage. Try strategies like mindfulness, visualisation and guided imagery. And if you can, ditch the negative people. So seek out the happy, positive people and enjoy their company. Too much contact with negative people (in person and via social media) does the opposite and makes the world a gloomy place. These people will inspire you, make you feel good about yourself and the world in general. And in the midst of a pandemic – this is the kind of contagion we need. Surround yourself with positive, upbeat people.And finally, make sure you’re staying hydrated by drinking enough water each day. There’s never been a better time than now to focus on these basics and make improvements if needed. We can shed the heavy blankets and adjust our sleep habits. The days are getting longer and warmer so we can get outside more for our exercise. This time of the year we have access to amazing fresh produce that’s just crying out to be made into delicious salads and stir fries. Focus on the basics – eat well, move, sleep – repeat.It’s amazing how these small changes give us a mental boost. Or use some new stationary or bit of tech. There may not be things you can change about work – but why not put on your favourite outfit/earrings/shoes/lipstick – even if you’re working from home. Go for a bike ride? Take up painting? Visit a new place each week? Find things that you enjoy, and fill you with anticipation and happiness, and do them. Do you spend your evenings on the couch? Or weekends doing the same old things? Stop and really think about what you would actually ‘like’ to do with your free time. What can you change? Take your work/school commitments out of the equation for now. Do you feel like you’re stuck in a rut? I know it feels like Groundhog Day at times! So look at your routine. Saying no is really hard, but it will become easier. And don’t feel the need to give detailed reasons for saying no. But you need to be true to who you are and stand firm. You may disappoint some people and they may be a little unhappy with you. Ask yourself if this is something you want to do? Are you able to do it – physically and mentally? Do you have the time to do it? Will it bring you happiness? If you answered no to these questions, then you should say no to the request. Don’t answer immediately with an automatic ‘yes’. The next time someone asks you to do something, give yourself a moment. That’s why we need to look after ourselves and start saying no. But that can make us become overwhelmed and stressed with the number of commitments we have. We’re wired to want to please others, so we often find it difficult to say no. Just make sure you take some time away from the digital world, step outside and breathe in the fresh, sweet smelling spring air. Whatever works for you and your commitments. Schedule time to put it all aside: perhaps after dinner, or for an hour during your day, or for your entire Sunday. We’re never far away from a phone, tablet or computer – and we need to step away. We’re always connected these days, immersed in the news, social media, video chats, work/school, phone calls. So let’s take advantage of the warmer days and the extra downtime many of us are dealing with and look at how we can sweep away the cobwebs and make ourselves sparkle this spring! But that takes a toll on us – physically and mentally – especially if you’re living with a chronic condition, pain and fatigue. Through it all we’ve done the best we can to cope with a really difficult situation. We’ve been isolated, locked down, separated from loved ones, working from home (or lost work) and home schooling. There’s nothing like a thorough purge of your home or office, and the sense of satisfaction when everything is clean and organised just the way you like it.īut it’s also a really good time to start thinking about how you can spring clean yourself – your body, mind and spirit.Ģ020 has been a really tough year and it’s not over yet. Last issue we talked about spring cleaning our physical environment.
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