Balance is one of my favourite ways to remember to focus on wellness.
This #WorldMentalHealthDay we're all reminded how to do more for ourselves and others.
Balance is a great hack for health and happiness as the 7 steps could be taken once a day, over a week, once an hour over a working day or condensed into 7 minutes.
Take 7 minutes to explore one step to balance a minute, now.
B reathe. Notice your breath or count it.
A ctive. Move. Stand. Stretch. Walk.
L augh. Try saying 'ha ha ha' like a cartoon villain
A ctively. Make a date for something that is good for your wellbeing.
N othing. Take a minute of absolutely nothing.
C ommunity Connection Compassion. How can you improve connection to someone through one kind act?
E at and drink well. Go on grab a glass of water and sip it gently.
Take 7 hours (over a working day) to find balance - or spread this out with one action a day over a week.
B reathe. Count your breaths over one minute. Reduce this to a count of around 5 breaths per minute, by breathing in (count 1,2,3,4,5) and then exhaling (count 1,2,3,4,5) and repeat 5 times. Make sure that you are breathing - and not just holding your breath. Invite your posture to straighten up, and allow your breath to flow deeply into your belly rather than shallow breathing into your chest. Steadying your breath has a direct link to our autonomic nervous system and a breath cycle of around 5 to 6 breaths a minute will trigger your body into a cycle of rest and digest, helping release a little of the stress building up.
A ctive. Can you meet your 10,000 steps challenge? Can you move in between tasks? Can you move every 20 minutes, even if just a straightening of the spine, a stretch of the arms or legs. Can you arrange a walking meeting or phone call? What activity do you love and how can you bring this back to your day? Movement and exercise has a direct link not only to physical health improvements but also to fight depression and anxiety.
L augh. Can you bring more laughter to your day? You can try smiling and laughing even if you don't feel like it. Observe the feeling of a smile, physically on your face and how this makes your body feel. Observe a fake laugh, the breaths you take and the movement in your body. How can a more playful approach help you with problem solving or anxiety at home? Can you invite friends and family to plan some playful activities that support you, relax you and make you laugh and smile?
A ctively. Do you actively make time for your wellbeing? Get out your diary and plan a wellbeing date for you - time for you for that round of golf, that coffee with a friend, that night out with a loved one, a relaxing uninterrupted bath, that online class tha caught your eye, that yoga class, that meditation experience. Look at the rituals and regular activities in your schedule and see how you can make small changes to actively bring more good things for your health and happiness into your week. That might mean less box sets and more boxing, or switching off the device or TV and choosing time reading a book, chatting to a friend instead. Those with good habits for wellbeing have better health results.
N othing. When is the last time you did nothing? Can you switch off your device and just daydream looking out the window for 5 minutes? Can you bring your bedtime forward by 5 or 10 minutes to invite more sleep into your schedule? Can you have a social media/news detox for an hour/ a day? Do you have phone free time in meetings and with family? Do you ever have an office day with no meetings? Can you just take 10 minutes to just sit quietly with no agenda and no device? Pausing is one of the most underestimated tools for wellness. Creativity strikes when we pause and daydream. Sometimes the team will resolve the problem themselves if the manager pauses before rushing in to help. One in three people don't get enough sleep because they find it so hard to switch off. Can you start to change your routine to include down/quiet/reflective time?
Community Connection Compassion
Kindness is good for you - helping others and boosting our happiness levels at the same time. Can you think kindly, speak kindly and act kindly - just for today? If you feel disconnected from someone or in conflict - see how kindness can help - from a kind word, to a positive thought about them, to not reacting when they say something callous. Are you connected? Who supports you - is it time to fix a call with them? Are other relying on you - do you need to make time for them? How about your community - at work, at home and in the place where you live, what compassionate act can help you feel more connected. From donating to the food bank, picking up litter around where you live, to bigger charity projects and commitments. And remember, support goes both ways - is it time for you to reach out and ask for a helping hand?
Eat and drink well. Dehydration is the main cause of workplace tiredness. Can you have a drink of water and cut back on the caffeine and sugary drinks. A balanced nutritional diet will give you more energy. Are you getting your '5 a day' (fruit and vegetable portions). Do you start breakfast with one (or more) of your five a day. Can you go European and increase this to 7 a day or as one nutritionist once suggested - aiming for 30 tastes of fruit, vegetables and fresh herbs and spices (here a glove of garlic, or sprinkle of chilli flakes are one - this reminds us to add flavour, variety and colour to our plates which can help with a good balance of vitamins, minerals and nutrients.
May finding BALANCE help you look after your health and happiness and take (7) steps to your wellbeing.
