I wanted to use this blog to call out people who can help you meet the needs of being a human.
A directory to showcase simple amazing advice. You don't need to do them all. Choose something which reflects your current need.
Because you absolutely cannot fill from an empty bucket. Your health and wellness is the priority.
Sending you lots of love
Love from Andrea
Maslow's hierarchy of needs
Maslow identified these motivational factors of human needs. The lower part of the triangle MUST be satisfied before individuals can move further up the triangle i.e. breathing, food, water, sleep etc are essential for human life.
But even those essential needs can be significantly impacted, and so this blog is borrowing from experts in their fields to give you some tips on how to achieve a more balanced life.
Sleep
Dr Rangan Chatterjee is a British doctor who has wonderful resources and a podcast on a wide variety of issues and conditions.
If you sign up to his newsletter you will receive a guide to sleep but below is a quick excerpt of ideas for those times when you cannot sleep from his recent podcast interview
Don't count sheep, visualise going for a walk
Get up if you cannot sleep. This stops negative connotations of bedtime.
18 degrees is optimal temperature
Start a wind down routine that suits you.
Remove all clock faces from your bedroom.
Nutrients
Professor Tim Spector is working on the COVID data and also the PREDICT study into the gut microbiome.
The PREDICT study results have just been published and what we now know is:
~ your gut microbiome is unique to you, which is why the food you eat needs to be individual to you.
~ eating a diverse range of food is best for your gut.
~ organic meat, fruit and vegetables are best.
~ vitamin D could be useful to take as a supplement.
~ your gut health will impact your overall health.
Tai Ibitoye is a powerhouse dietician with readily accessible advice on nutrition. This post dispels the myths around 'immune boosting' foods, in a time when we are getting bombarded with lots of messages about how we can help ourselves.
Feel Good
Two places I always turn for simple advice to help me feel good.
Carly from Zen Flow Yoga - she runs a yoga for anxiety course and also comes up with little gems like this eye pillow trick for activating the vagus nerve. Carly also now has a At Home experience so you can enjoy yoga on-demand for £15 a month.
Claire from Mind Blossom who also gives guidance on using the vagus nerve. She has a way of seeing deep into your mind and validates experiences.
(and if you didn't know what the vagus nerve does it is the main component of the parasympathetic nervous system, which oversees a vast array of crucial bodily functions, including control of mood, immune response, digestion, and heart rate)
Consumption
Try and be mindful of what you are reading, watching and listening to.
Notice your behaviour when listening to the news report. If you are tense, jaw clenched or shoulders tight, then it is time to turn it off.
The same can be said for emails, TV, social media and radio noise.
Go and search out the Happy Newspaper, which only takes good news stories and is a warm and uplifting respite from the world.
Move
Take a moment to walk outside. Get some fresh air. It doesn't need to be a run or power walk.
A leisurely stroll (without your phone) to take in the sights and sounds of your neighbourhood is a powerful way to press reset on how you are feeling.
You can also try Qigong with Hay'ou Fit. Qigong is a powerful breath and movement exercise without breaking in to a sweat.
Connection
I miss hugging my friends and family members. To help maintain a connection perhaps send them a handwritten note?
Or some beautiful dried flowers?
The Posy Sisters create these amazing letterbox gifts which will last long enough that when you can finally see your friends / family you can admire them.