Just a few ideas to support your practice of wellness every day:
MEDITATION - I cannot stress the importance of mindfulness and meditation enough. Even 5 minutes a day is helpful. If you can manage 5 minutes twice or three times a day, even better. Join my Group Meditation or download Headspace or as a wonderful tool.
ABSTAIN FROM NEWS FOR AT LEAST 3 DAYS A WEEK - The purpose of news is to get factual information which is vital these days. Know the sources from where you get your news so you are operating with actual facts rather than theories or opinions. Unfortunately news also continues to become a source of extreme anxiety and/or addiction for those whose “fight or flight” stress mechanisms have not had a rest for months. It is not only our physical immunity that we need to support and keep healthy, the strength of our mental immunity is also critical.
SALTS BATHS RULE! By now, all of you who know me understand the untold physical, mental and emotional benefits that salts baths bring. Whether you are enjoying one of my Therapeutic or Ritual Salts Blends or simple Epsom salts, please spend 20-30 minutes in the tub at least one or two times a week. Enjoy my Ode to Ritual Salts Baths for details on how to make the most of your time in the tub. Remember to hydrate before and after your tub, as salts baths tend to decrease blood pressure.
GET OUT IN NATURE - The increase in virtual living is not without its cost! Everything is energy and the particular electromagnetic energy of our devices is imbalanced and depleting on so many levels. When we disconnected from our devices, and reconnect with ourselves, our community and with nature we rediscover what happens when we truly nourish our mind and body with life. Plant or work in your garden, take a walk outside or a hike - even better, make part or all of it a walking meditation for 20 minutes, quiet and mindful. Best yet, build a morning altar as gratitude for your day.
EAT WELL - The first few weeks may have been filled with fear and uncertainty and the comfort foods that go with it. We are in a time now where the consequences of what we nourish ourselves with are real - this is true for the air we breathe, the fluids we drink, the thoughts we think, the words we speak and the food we eat. As we move through the phases of this pandemic, it is critical to get our gut health in check as inflammation is key to healthy physical immunity. Choose whole organic foods where possible. Eliminate completely or limit added sugar intake to once a week, including alcohol and processed foods. This is part of the practice of wellness that is about enjoying and being grateful for our days rather than coming from a place of fear.
DIGITAL DETOX CHALLENGE - This is an amazing and effective way to strengthen our mental immunity as individuals, couples and families. A Digital Detox is not about white knuckling it because its supposed to be “good for you, “ it is about reconnecting with the deeper parts of ourselves and strengthening our ability to communicate, truly listen to others and to make choices based on thoughtful consideration as adults rather than falling prey to the inherent addictive design of many apps and games. Yes, of course the creativity we have seen during this time is priceless, wonderful and has strengthened our connections to each other in many ways. This is about creating balance. In this time of learning our limits, technology is no exception. When we are in charge of our device usage and we understand the extremes of too much and none, we are that much stronger and grounded for it. For those that live on their devices, I invite you to choose one or all of these suggestions to discover exactly how dependent if not addicted you are to your device.
Limit device usage to no more than 2 hours per day. Whether for news, communication or games be decisive and choose your time wisely. Who’s the boss of you?
Leave your device at home when you are out walking. Be present to the sounds around you. In this time of sheltering at home, our city has not been this quiet for decades. Enjoy it! Listen to nature sounds, imagine what the birds are hearing of us humans, listen to and observe the way people are now interacting with each other. There is a lot to discover.
Device time ends by 8:30 pm. The light from our phones interferes with our sleep and wake cycles. Use it during the day for what you need and put it down.
Do not use your device when you are alone. The time sucking wormhole is limitless. Let your imagination roam, pick one thing on your never ending “to do” list and work on it. Find a cozy place inside or out and read the books you have piling up. Make something in the kitchen or make music or dance or hand write a letter or journal or card. You were a bored kid once without a device, challenge yourself to think of something constructive.
Keep your devices out of the bedroom. Let your sleep/wake cycles come from natural sunlight and natural dark. If you need it for an alarm make it loud enough that you have to get up to turn it off. Humans up to this point are not built to be chronically staring at devices especially in bed. Aside from being a complete buzzkill to partnership and marriage, it's just awful from a postural perspective. If your neck hurts, this is at the top of the list of habits to consider to get to the source of pain.
Make digital rules for EVERYONE in the family. As parents, the sooner you start the easier it will be. It is especially crucial now that kids are learning virtually. If parents are not able to temper their own device usage, how will the kids learn to temper theirs? Parents are the example and understand the problems associated with extended exposure to digital devices. Share your wisdom with your kids. Make it fun and have consequences for breaking the rules. Let your kids set parents' consequences for breaking the rules just as you as parents set theirs!
Ban all devices for one day a week. Keep a journal as you go and write about how you feel, what you experience and what you learn. Again, this is all part of a mental immunity workout. Choices make us strong and motivate growth. Do this for 4 to 6 weeks and share what you learn!