When life chucks you lemons, its time to make lemonade

Life is a process of ups and downs and it is easy to neglect the balance of selfcare at any stage. However when we need to take stock, re-evaluate or simply recover from a significant change, we have an opportunity to look at our self-care balance.

Sleep is one of the single most important factor in our wellbeing and yet, we are the only mammal in the world that actively neglects this area.  You never see a lion in the Serengeti staying up to watch David Attenborough!

The importance of sleep goes hand in hand with the importance of correct nutrition and hydration, especially at this time when fast food and additives are a daily part of our diet.  Poor nutrition and hydration can perpetuate a cycle of fatigue, as you will often reach for caffeine (in the form of coffee, tea, diet coke, energy drinks, green tea, redbull, chocolate, etc) to help you feel energised to deal with the day, however after 2pm in the afternoon can contribute to the mind racing and poor quality sleep, as (it is reported by some experts) it takes up to 5 hours to reduce by half in your blood stream and 8-10 before completely clear.

The additional importance is to get some sort of daily exercise in your day to day routine.  Whilst a simple walk (30 mins is government daily guideline,) can seem like a chore it is essential.  Not only does it aid our cardiovascular, respiratory, and digestive system, (which helps with weight management), it also strengthens our bones and boosts immunity.  Additionally, it helps us with our hormonal balance in particular reducing cortisol (our stress hormone), insulin sensitivity (essential for supporting our diet) and our serotonin, dopamine and endorphins, which in turn lifts our mood, spirit and helps us boost our energy. It literally is the gift that just keeps giving.

“30 mins!”, I hear you cry! Don’t have time? Think again, if you are awake for 16 hours a day, 30 mins is only 3% of a day. Health is Wealth and this is a small price to pay with your time.

No one ever truly has enough time, but we prioritise and MAKE time for what’s important to us. 

So to smooth out the rollercoaster of life, go back to basics and look at your sleep, nutrition, hydration and daily activity, choose to prioritise your self care, and use life’s lemons to make some ‘lifestyle’ lemonade.