Prevention is the most effective tool when it comes to safeguarding your wellness. A “natural” lifestyle is all about incorporating daily practices and products that support health and well-being.
Those practices include eating nutritious foods, being physically active, getting enough sleep, and minimizing stress. They all can have positive affects on your immune system for the long term.
Eat as many whole, unprocessed plant foods as possible. They can help you feel better and may even help you avoid or reverse disease. Changing what you eat and your relationship with food is extremely beneficial to your physical health.
For optimal health incorporate both aerobic activity and strength training into your fitness routine. Increase your heart rate by performing moderate to vigorous activity, at least three times a week for 30-60 minutes.
Get 7-8 hours of sleep a night to maintain a healthy body and mind. Put these practices in place to help you sleep:
- Go to bed and get up at the same time every day.
- Turn off the TV and electronic devices 1-2 hours before going to bed.
- Design your environment so it is conducive to sleep. Quiet and dark.
- Maintain an aerobic exercise program.
- Use essential oils to promote a sense of calm and relaxation.
Actions you can take to handle unwanted stress:
- Perform an intentional breathing practice.
- Manage your emotions.
- Schedule quiet time into each day.
- Participate in a relaxing activity.
- Use essential oils to support your mood and emotions.
A couple of my favorite things to incorporate daily are an antioxidant drink and essential oils. Once I started incorporating these two things, my well-being shifted dramatically.
Thanks to my favorite antioxidant drink, I feel more energized—and I don’t remember the last time I saw a doctor for anything other than a routine checkup! Essential oils help calm and relax my mind after a busy day so I fall asleep more easily.
If you haven’t yet, click here to get my guide, 4 “natural” ways to support your immune system.
It is typical to think only of your physical body when it comes to health but balancing your emotions is crucial to your overall wellness. Be aware of how situations and circumstances affect you. Be intentional with how you react to them. Take measures and implement strategies to support your mind.
Ways to Support Your Mind and Emotions
Meditation
Meditation is a great way to clear and reset your mind. To get started, try guided meditation. It may work the best. Use an app such as Calm or Head Space or watch a You Tube video by Light Watkins. Sign up for a free introduction to Heart Based Meditation online with Dr Paul Dugliss. When you first begin it’ll be hard to sit still and settle your mind but just like anything else, the more you meditate the easier it will become.
Stress
Stress relief and relaxation. Stress is natural and impossible to eliminate. Identifying what causes you stress and implementing ways to manage or reduce it are key.
Deep Breathing
Practice deep breathing to create a sense of calm. This technique is great because you can use it anywhere. Breath in through your nose for 4 seconds. Hold the breath for 4 seconds. Exhale through the nose for 4 seconds.
Gratitude
Adopt an attitude of gratitude. Think about and acknowledge all the things you are grateful for. Keep a journal and write them down every day, say them aloud or run through them in your mind. Recognizing all you have can have very powerful results.
Personal Development
Make positive affirmations out loud in front of the mirror every day. Read self development books. Listen to podcasts. Practice visualization of goals and dreams as though they have already happened.
Have Fun
Make a concerted effort to do things you enjoy. It is super important for your state of mind and physical health. Plan and schedule fun activities in a weekly, monthly and yearly basis. Fun doesn’t have to be elaborate. It can be simple things.
Sleep
Many adults suffer from insomnia. As we age it seems harder and harder to get the quality and quantity of sleep necessary. To maintain a healthy body and mind and promote a state of overall wellness, it is recommended that adults receive 7-8 hours of sleep a night. Get my guide, 5 Ways to Promote a Good Night's Sleep, here.
Eat a Healthy Diet
In a recent podcast, Dr Michel Greger shared that, Good Food = Good Mood and a Good Mood = Good Food. Research shows that consuming 7-8 servings of fruits and vegetables a day will put you in a better mood. The effects that result last into the next day. And, when you are in a good mood you are more likely to eat a healthier diet.
Use Essential Oils
What are essential oils? Essential oils are distilled from the leaves, stems, flowers, and roots of plants. They are the plant’s natural defense and protection mechanisms. When distilled and bottled, they are powerful tools to support health and wellness. They provide natural scents that can affect your mood and emotions.
Be Active
Rather than thinking of all the things you aren’t able to do, why not focus on activities you can take part in. Consider the following:
- Spring cleaning - you’ve got no excuse to put it off. :-) You’re home and can’t go anywhere. When your house is clean and tidy you’ll feel better. It’s a fact!
- Cooking and baking - try new recipes. You most likely have more time than usual to prepare meals. Take advantage of that. Make meal preparation a family affair. (Try the recipe below from the Forks Over Knives magazine.)
- Get outside - regardless of where you live, practice social distancing while you’re outdoors. Go fo a walk, enjoy a hike in the woods, go for a bike ride, fly a kite, or whatever. Fresh air and physical activity will help you feel better.
- Go for a drive - take a joy ride and go see the sights via car. Order take-out to pick up while you are out or pack a lunch.
- House project or renovation - tackle a project you’ve been wanting to do and have been putting off.
Be creative. These activities, as well as many others, can help take your mind off what’s going on and all the things you can't control.
Reduce Stress
You may be experiencing an abnormal amount of stress. It may take a more concerted effort to alleviate anxiety if the current state of affairs goes on for a long period of time. I urge you to take action now and continue daily practices until life gets back to normal.
- Meditate
Meditation is a great way to clear and reset your mind. Try guided meditation if you are just starting out. It may work the best. When you first begin it’ll be hard to sit still and settle your mind but just like anything else, the more you meditate the easier it will become. - Deep Breathing
Practice deep breathing to create a sense of calm. This technique is great because you can use it anywhere. Breath in through your nose for 4 seconds. Hold the breath for 4 seconds. Exhale through the nose for 4 seconds. Repeat several times. - Practice Gratitude
Think about, and acknowledge, all the things you have to be grateful for. Write them in a journal every day, or say them aloud. - Personal Development
Make positive affirmations out loud in front of the mirror every day. Read self development books. Listen to podcasts. Practice visualizing your goals and dreams as though they have already happened. - Have Fun
Make a concerted effort to do something you enjoy. It’s important for your state of mind and physical health. Fun doesn’t have to be elaborate. - Sleep
Get eight hours of sleep every night.
Other considerations
In these uncertain times it may be more important than usual to:
- Limit the amount of news and TV you watch
- Unplug from electronics
- Eat healthy foods - Good food = Good mood
- Diffuse or topically apply essential oils to help support and balance emotions
Engage in a relaxing activity:
- Take a bath
- Read a book, preferably something uplifting
- Watch an old movie or sitcom
- Listen to music
Stay connected
With most everyone quarantined and unable to leave the house, it’s critical to stay connected with family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, church members, and etc. Use technology to your advantage. Texting and email are okay. Better yet, call, Facetime, Skype, or utilize Zoom so you can see one another or a group of people all at once.
“Get together” with people that have a positive outlook and who make you laugh. Reach out to those who you suspect may be struggling and need to know that someone cares and is thinking of them. Little gestures really do mean a lot.
Wishing you peace and good health in the days and weeks to come.
