Kick off your #yearoflivingwell with these top tips
for a centred mind, body and soul.
Move over New Year’s resolutions – here at the Lake House we’re all about developing long-term goals and routines for living well so we can feel good no matter the date. Want to join us? Here are our top 10 things to get your health and wellbeing in check.
Start a journal
It’s one of the easiest ways to relieve stress and gain a little clarity, plus it’s completely free. Journaling involves penning your thoughts and feelings down on paper. Whether it’s once a day, once a week of once a month, regular journaling is a great way to clear your mind and help you prioritise. There are plenty of different ways to journal, and none of them are wrong. Your journal is yours, so write/draw/scribble whatever you want and please. If you’re stuck on where to begin, start with how you are feeling right now and why. List the tasks you need to do and how you plan on completing them. Write down anything you’re struggling with, and on the flipside, anything you’re grateful for.
Set yourself some goals, then tell a friend
Goals give you direction, help you focus on the important things in life, challenge and inspire. Friends give you someone to hold you accountable for reaching those goals, help you stay on track and support you (even when things get tough). Start with an easy goal – going to the gym more, completing an online course, detoxing from technology – then mention it to a trusted friend and even get them to join/help. Don’t forget to break up your goals into smaller tasks/milestones, which will make your end game easier to achieve. Before you know it, you’ll have completed your first goal for 2020, and your whole list by 2021.
Practise Shinrin-yoku.
Shinrin-yoku is a feast for your senses, one that will leave you feeling rejuvenated, reinvigorated and reenergised. Japanese for forest bathing, this nature therapy is about surrounding yourself by nature. It’s easy enough to practise – go for a walk through the forest, between Lake House vines or even by our lake. Listen to the rustling of leaves and chirping of birds, breathe in the fresh, crisp air and watch nature in action.
Reduce anxiety by finding some zen.
If you’re feeling anxious, stressed or overwhelmed, do an activity that helps you find zen. Think anything from making pottery and knitting a scarf, to meditating, playing golf, going to yoga or taking a stroll along the beach. These activities can give you a much-needed break from whatever is causing you stress, and can help you get back on the right track.
Exercise
Fitness resolutions are easier to achieve when you’re already fit and healthy. And you don’t need us to tell you the benefits of maintaining an ongoing fitness regime. So… get exercising! If you’re struggling to find the motivation, try something new. There are plenty of options out there – we love boxing, spin class, ballet and pilates, but there’s also hula hooping, aerial yoga and trampolining, too.
Treat yourself to monthly good things
Like lunch at the lake. A block of Vinofood Rocky Road. A cooking class or salsa lessons. Taking time out to enjoy what you truly love does wonders for your wellbeing and gives you something to work towards each month. Plus you get the added bonus of receiving small niceties that you actually want. What’s not to love?
Build a nest egg
Christmas and New Year celebrations left your wallet bare? Now’s the time to lay the foundations for a solid nest egg designed to help you avoid the summertime money blues. All you need to do is set aside a nominal fee each week/month, and by the end of the year you’ll have a pot of funds to see you through the silly season. But don’t feel like you need to stop there – the longer and the more you save, the more you’ll have for that Europe holiday, new car or early retirement.
Detox from technology
According to RescueTime, we spend on average 3 hours and 15 minutes on our phones every single day, while most people check their phones 58 times a day. Think about how much time you spend using technology (for the person writing this blog, it’s well in excess of 8 hours a day) and what you might be sacrificing because of it. Maybe it’s a nice conversation over breakfast with the hubby or wife. Playing with the kids after school in the park. Catching up on sleep. This year, put your phone down. You’ll notice a change both mentally and physically, we promise.
Socialise
We love a good yarn with a bunch of friends. Not only does a good chitchat boost feelings of wellbeing and decrease feelings of depression, but it also allows you to get things off your chest, which in turns help you to destress and relax. Book in a regular catch up with friends (we know the perfect place) for a therapy session like no other.
Be brave
“Brave” isn’t just about saving someone from a housefire or climbing Mount Everest. It’s about standing up and speaking when something doesn’t feel right. Changing when others won’t, and improving yourself or your situation no matter the hurdles or barriers. In 2020, be brave. And if you’re not happy with your circumstances, move. You’re not a tree.
Looking for simplicity in this digital, fast-paced world?
Enjoy Lessons from The Lake– a series of blog posts focussed on mindfulness, reflection and wellbeing.
