What can we do?
Looking after your physical and mental health is more important than ever. Coping during this stressful time can be challenging. Here are some practical tips:
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Nutrition
Eat a healthy, balanced diet. Boost your immune system. Reduce your intake of sugar as this can cause inflammation.
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Keep moving
Whether it is a walk, a run, a gentle Pilates or Yoga session, stretching out when you get up. Movement has the ability to heal, it keeps the living environment of your cells healthy, it makes you feel good. Just keep moving.
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Stay hydrated
Drink plenty of water. Movement will help your body absorb water better.
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Structure
Have a schedule of stuff to do, do it even if you don't feel like it. Having a sense of purpose is one of the most valuable things in life. Get up, wash your face, get out of your pyjamas.
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Hygiene
Personal hygiene and cleanliness have never been more important. Even if it's just you at home.
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Boundaries
Create healthy boundaries for yourself, and with others. Monitor how much time you spend on social media, how long you indulge negativity from others, how many things you say 'yes' too, even if you don't feel like it. If others are sharing your space or several of you are working from home, define clear boundaries. When and where you work, when you take breaks, what you communicate about.
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Communicate
Talk with your loved ones, your friends, your extended family, or a talk therapist. Create a community. When communicating with yourself and others, observe your language - is it helpful? Is it possible to use a more positive word? Is it kind?
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If you are feeling overwhelmed reach out and talk to someone.
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Mindfulness/Meditation
Whether you sit and meditate, meditate through mindful movement, walk or eat mindfully, simply focussing on your breath for just 1 minute, this will make a huge impact on your mental health.
Why meditate
''You are not stress...you are experiencing stress.
You are not anxiety...you are experiencing anxiety.
You are not fear...you are experiencing fear.
You can regocnise the fact that you are not your emotions and simply accept the experience of that emotions and move right through it.'' Mike Basevic
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Meditation gently invites you to note sensation and emotion. To recognise them for what they are, just thoughts, emotions and feelings. Meditation can help you to change your relationship with feelings. This empowers you to move through difficult situations.
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In the same way we can train and exercise the body to make muscles stronger we can train and develop the mind. Training the mind with meditation can make the area of the brain associated with happiness and wellbeing stronger.
Benefits of meditation
Induce deep relaxation throughout the body and mind
Reduce stress
Overcome insomnia
Improve relationships
Can assist in resolving trauma
Overcome anxiety, fear, anger and depression
Mindful movement
Slings Myofascial Training classes offer not only a great flowing movement experience but you are invited to really tap into what you feel and sense and you learn to interpret these feelings. Both the Slings Myofascial Training and Yogalates sessions conclude with a guided meditation. I offer private and group classes.
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Guided meditation
I offer guided meditation private sessions where we follow a script that has body sensing, breath and awareness at the heart of the practise. You will be invited to be with what you are experiencing, to observe, feel and sense things as they are for you. It is a deeply relaxing and restorative experience based on the teachings of Richard Miller and the iRest® 10 step protocol I have trained in.
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Prefer to try meditation on your own first? I recommend the Headspace app.
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