If things are feeling a bit overwhelming right now or giving you cause for stress, here’s a few tips that will help you turn things around.
We often take on too much and then lose our life balance, which can be ok in the short term as our bodies use adrenaline to provide the extra energy we need to get through it.
However, too much long term stress is detrimental to our health and wellbeing. Here, yoga instructor and founder of Golden Yogi, Erin O’Hara shares her self-care habits and rituals to help you stay more balanced and stress less.
Read on for 6 simple self-care habits that’ll change your life for the better:
Meditate daily
A daily meditation practice is like a shower for the mind, and the more regularly you do it, the more balanced the mind becomes. This can simply be 5-10 minutes of practice in the morning or before bed. Any meditation is good; whether it’s breath awareness, mindfulness, chanting, or even a guided meditation on an app such as Headspace or Calm.
Work-life balance
Disconnect from technology and avoid checking emails or Facebook in the middle of the night or when you first wake up. Set boundaries around your work time and when you are taking time off.
Prioritise sleep
Getting enough sleep gives you a greater ability to cope with stress. Sleep brings hormones into balance, calms the nervous system, rests the body and mind, and gives you the energy to cope with life.
Exercise regularly
Exercise gives you more energy by boosting the flow of blood and endorphins around your body. It reduces stress, depression and anxiety. Aim for 20-30 minutes of exercise 3-4 times per week and you’ll start to see positive changes.
Eat well
Make healthy wholefoods the foundation of your diet. By eating more wholefoods and fewer processed foods. drinking adequate water, reducing caffeine and eating regular healthy snacks will help to keep your sugar levels balanced and your energy levels stable.
Vitamins and minerals
B vitamins aid in a healthy brain and nervous system function, these get depleted when we stress. To manage stress, take a B complex supplement daily – magnesium is also known to help alleviate stress and reduce anxiety.
