By Jacqui Watts, Healthful Wellness
I bet when you started your business you told yourself that life would be so much more ‘stress free’, you’d have time to smell the roses, you dreamed of morning walks and looked forward to lunchtime lattes. Am I right?
But somewhere along the way the lines got blurred and before you knew it, it feels like you’re working harder than ever and the cloud of exhaustion and overwhelm has been hanging around like a bad fart.
We get it, and here at Healthful we are on a mission to educate and support women. We want you to slow down, look after your Adrenals, honor your mind and body and get back to the basics of nurturing yourself. Sound good? Great, here’s five simple tips to nurture your nervous system and feel more like you again.
Time Away From Screens.
The truth is that sometimes when we’re exhausted we tend to gravitate toward activities that actually drain us even more. We’re overloaded with digital devices and the access that people have to us, so it’s time to plan some time out. A daily digital detox, if you like.
This doesn’t need to be an online announcement about stepping away from social media and no you don’t need to lock away your devices. Just plan to consistently make gaps in your day away from screens.
Try no phones in the bedroom, remove time sapping apps or no screens an hour before bed. If you work at a computer, set an alarm and work in 50 minute blocks. When the alarm sounds get up and go and do something else (no scrolling) for 15 minutes.
Ground Yourself.
When was the last time you kicked off your shoes and felt mother nature on the soles of your feet? The benefits of grounding (or earthing) have been known for centuries all across the globe.
Grounding can help shift us from our sympathetic state to our parasympathetic state in our autonomic nervous system, improve Cortisol levels, decrease pain, reduce inflammation and just make you feel happier. Sounds good huh!
So, take a walk on the grass in your backyard, head to the beach and feel the sand between your toes, dip your toes in a creek or the ocean or even just lay on the grass and feel the warm sunshine on your face and grass against your skin. Oh, and a little daily sunshine will also give you a hit of Vitamin D, help strengthen bones and immunity, boost your mood and reduce stress.
Legs Up The Wall.
Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose is a restorative yoga posture that offers health benefits. It’s free, easy and accessible to many people due to its ease and modification options. This gentle inverted pose helps you melt into the floor as you let go of stress, anxiety, and tension. It’s an excellent choice when you have swollen legs or feet, and especially good before sleep.
Some of the health benefits of ‘legs up the wall’ are lymphatic drainage, relax your mind, alleviate tightness, improve circulation and digestion, improve sleep and improve circulation.
Best of all you just need a wall and a few spare minutes. Just sit with your right side against the wall, with bent knees and your feet drawn in toward your hips. Swing your legs up against the wall as you turn to lie flat on your back and place your hips against the wall or slightly away. Hold your pose for 5-20 minutes and when you are ready to release the pose, gently push yourself away from the wall. Easy peasy!
Move Your Body Because You Love It, Not because You Hate It.
Find an exercise you love that makes you feel good and is easy to fit into your day. It’s important to do low-impact exercise when you’re feeling fatigued so as not to increase stress and inflammation. High impact exercise is another form of stress on the body, making it harder for your adrenals to repair themselves.
Exercise doesn’t need to be complicated, a walk around the block, an online exercise class or walking the dog will all benefit you and are quick, free and easy.
Sip Your Stress Away.
Coffee is one of the biggest culprits of adrenal fatigue, it causes your cortisol levels to rise forcing your adrenals to pump out too much cortisol which leads to adrenal fatigue. Don’t despair, you can drink Decaf or just take a break from regular coffee for a while until you feel well again.
In the meantime Find some inner harmony amongst the chaos, try Ceremonial Cacao, Lunar Lattes, Adaptogenic mushroom drinks, herbal teas or fresh juices. Replacing your morning coffee with Ceremonial Cacao will create a calming morning ritual. Amp up the benefits by adding a collagen protein and some fibre supplement and save the coffee for mid morning, your adrenals will thank you!
Find Healthful Wellness integrated wellness clinic at 4 Milton Street Glenelg. You can sign up to their weekly Healthful newsletter and learn more about what they offer via their website.
Website: healthful.net.au
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Phone: (08) 7084 2366