Happy Hump Day

April 11, 2018

So Wednesday has been christened “hump day” it’s the middle of the week so I guess this is a logical name for it.

If you imagine a hump shape it is the top of the hump inferring that Monday and Sunday are the bottom of the pecking order for days of the week. Arguably this is a negative view of the week as each day is what you choose to make it so there shouldn’t be a need for a hierarchy. Every day is a new day – treat it as such!

It is a great day for reflection on both the past and the future so take a moment to think about how the week has gone and what the next few days hold.

What do you think of Wednesdays? Let me know in the comments or join the conversation on Facebook

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Tuesday – the in-between day

April 10, 2018

In a traditionally structured week Tuesday is the second day – not quite the beginning not quite the middle.

As I said in my Monday post every day is unique and filled with new challenges and opportunities so why treat the day any differently?

Sure its the day between Monday and hump day but that shouldn’t be its downfall – it’s the bridging day carrying us through.

Its also a great day to do something new – go to a class, meet up with friends, whatever you wouldn’t normally do, do it.

How do you feel about Tuesdays? Do you loathe them or love them?

Leave a comment below or come join us on Facebook

Getting the week started properly

April 9, 2018

So Monday has come around again, I hear many of you groan. It’s a new day, the start of many peoples week and truth be told its not that bad. Your weekend is brought to an end so abruptly but really its a new beginning for you to grasp with both hands.

Sunday night has you dragging your feet – but why? Ask yourself one thing – is it different from any other day of the week? What does it have that Tuesday through Sunday doesn’t?

Everyday is unique and full of opportunities. Everyone gets the same 24 hours it’s what you choose to do with them!

Let me know what you think in the comments or join us on Facebook

5 things you need to know today

April 8, 2018

So these lists are endless but I thought I’d have a go at my own so here goes

  1. You are amazing – no really you are and keep remembering that!
  2. Gratitude is key – being thankful and grateful for things is a given, acknowledging them can only be a good thing.
  3. Wear sunscreen – my stretch teacher used baz lurhmans classic everyone is free to wear sunscreen to remind us how special we are when she couldn’t speak, check out the song and listen to the words carefully.
  4. Appreciate your body – if you have scars and tattoos touch them scratch them, rub your arms and legs encourage your circulation, enjoy every moment and remind yourself what it’s like to feel good.
  5. Eat something that makes you feel good – I’m a firm believer in not cutting foods out as it only encourages bingeing.

I hope you have enjoyed my 5 things – what would you add? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments to let me know or come chat on Facebook

February – Detoxing January – Part 2

February 10, 2018

Last week we concentrated on detoxing the body, this week its the mind’s turn to be cleansed.
The concept of change can be a difficult one for some to follow, some people prefer (whether consciously or not) to re-brand their ‘change’ whether it be through acknowledging mental health issues, using the term missions instead of goals or indeed detoxing your mind. As I have said its not an easy process and something to be considered carefully. You want to be at your best, you are starting to wonder why you just ‘just don’t feel up to it’ most of the time. Again – you need to ask yourself why you are doing it and what you would like to achieve whether it be food related or a particular annoying habit you cant seem to get rid of or even removing your barriers and opening up more.

Apps – there are so many ways of making changes to your life, there are probably now more apps for meditation and encouraging/learning good habits than we will ever need in a lifetime. If you feel like this method would work best for you and that you can commit to the process then I recommend an app called Fabulous. Its a free app with the option to pay for additional services (like most apps nowadays) but it does have some very good habit suggestions and allows you to start small and build up rather than over committing and wearing yourself out.

Reiki – an interesting process which some struggle to believe in but having had the treatment myself I can say for sure that there you will learn things about yourself that you may not have known before. Find a local practitioner and discuss your needs with them and they can suggest a course of treatment to suit you. Facebook has a multitude of different groups recommending people worldwide.

Counselling – like reiki practitioners it is best to try and find a recommended certified counsellor who can create an individual treatment plan for you. This is good for assessing potential PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder or some kind of specific event which you feel has affected you in a particular way) or if you suffer with depression and anxiety – talking can be much more productive than the drugs your doctor may prescribe.

A life coach – if you are the kind of person who needs verbal prompting and encouragement but not from an automated device then a life coach is probably your best bet. There are costs to consider but in my opinion you cant put a price on happiness and if you really feel it would benefit you then go for it.

Self-help books – we all have at least one on our shelf when we got distracted by a title that promised the world – you may have even read them. Did it work? If it didn’t then that’s not problem – everyone learns and responds in different ways so it may have not been the book for you. If it did work – ask yourself why are you reading this article?

Next week we will be bringing all  the suggestions together so you can get started.

Please feel free to comment and leave feedback – I always appreciate it.

 

February – Detoxing January

February 3, 2018

January – the new year month, when you promise to make changes to your life, detox your body or even your mind. The month you probably end up with the most toxins just through trying and failing various methods. Your mind is probably a jumble since you are still trying to make a start on those new years resolutions you vowed you would uphold this year.

February – when you think about it – is actually the perfect time to take stock and start cleansing the mind and body anew. You could of course argue that its too soon to review but if you are struggling then the logical thing would be to stop and review the situation.

Most people think of detoxing as a physiological (body) process rather than a psychological (mind) process, in my opinion there is an argument for detoxing both body and mind to ensure you can maintain your ‘cleansed’ state. Cleansing the mind can be similar to the religious ‘cleansing’ or ‘confessional’ process of having their sins forgiven. You could class the negative thoughts as sins but I think it would be an odd association as they are not always thoughts you have complete control over, your subconscious can have a habit of playing with your thoughts.

Ask yourself one question before you start – what do I want to achieve from my detox? Is there a particular part of your body that is causing you discomfort? or is it an underlying thought/fear? The former being very much physiological and the latter very much a psychological. Depending on the answer you have a plethora of options to achieve your goals.

Detoxing Your Body – Top 5

The 21st century has brought a wealth of methods to detox your body – water, teas, colonics, supplements, elimination diets you name it you can probably use it to detox yourself in someway.
Some people use saunas to sweat the toxins from their body plunging themselves into cold water to close the newly cleaned pores. A lot of gyms and most spas have a sauna room – there even different types – its not for everyone so don’t feel bad if you don’t fancy it.
Elimination diets are something to be used when you are feeling physical symptoms they are primarily used to work out what you are allergic/intolerant to without impacting too heavily on your current diet. Having said that cutting out things like dairy and gluten can be a large part of someones diet – lattes and paninis anyone? You can buy kits where you send off your blood and they test it for you – it is also possible to discuss these tests with your medical practitioner – I strongly suggest if you are suffering to consult them and ask for the tests to be done do not spend time doing elimination diets – coeliac disease can be serious if left unchecked.

Detox tea – so there are loads of versions of ‘detox’ teas and I cant speak for many of them as I have only tried a few brands. The Pukka Herbs Detox blend concentrates on the digestive side of detoxing. The tea is also said to make you feel more ‘balanced’ through the ayurvedic blend of herbs rejuvenating the body to quote the ingredients list:
Aniseed (40%), sweet fennel seed (20%), cardamom pod (15%), licorice root, coriander seed, celery seed. 10% licorice by dried weight. The herbs they list are all said to assist the digestive system and some even ‘improve’ weight loss. It certainly feels warm and comforting when drinking it the aniseedy flavours calming an unsettled stomach, the cardamom serving as a strong antioxidant – helping ward of a wide variety of symptoms and encourage weight loss.
If you are looking for something more for the antioxidant function – eliminate those free radicals – there are a wide variety of green tea blends but in my opinion a good quality matcha or white tea will serve you well.
As for a pure weight loss teas there are plenty of ‘skinny teas’ which claim to boost your metabolism and make you burn fat quicker. I’m not convinced that this is a healthy way to lose weight but they could be used good effect with a healthy eating and exercise regime.

Whichever method you choose be sure you speak to your healthcare professional and ensure you have chosen the right method for you, they may be able to suggestions based on your current physical state.

Hope you enjoyed this post – tune in next week for some psychological detoxing.

Home Improvement

October 10, 2017

They say there are signs you are becoming an adult. Puberty and age aside one could argue that you don’t ever have to actually grow up but then there are mortgages – houses, kitchens, bathrooms and bedrooms.

Once you have these things, you are now in a position to make them your own. This is the next stage of adulthood (in society’s eyes).

Now I am a firm believer of never growing up but I do acknowledge that there are certain responsibilities which most of us will end up with. Hence the mortgage etc – I have had these things for a while and now its time to make them my own.

The kitchen was in an okay condition when I moved in hence it being left for 5 years before I finally decided to give it a face lift.

Money – the root of all evil some say – now I had to find funds and a budget, with my track record I was not relishing this idea as I knew from past experience it wouldn’t be easy. Still after a fair amount of research and several long telephone calls I found a solution. I felt a million dollars – the future is starting to look up for me and my kitchen project will be realised sooner rather than later.

And now the journey continues making decisions on finishes and collecting quotes lies.

PS the picture isn’t my kitchen but definitely something to aspire to.

firmly in my horizon.PD