When we think about health and well-being, diet and exercise are typically the first things that come to mind. However, good health isn’t just about the physical body. Our mind and body are interconnected and affect each other tremendously.

As an example, a stressful situation causing negative thoughts can lead to fatigue, lethargy, physical pain or illness. It’s important to maintain a healthy balance between your mind, body, and soul by nurturing your whole self, including your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual needs.

Here is a list of just 8 Simple things you can do to find more balance:

Exercise.  You do not need to hit the gym to exercise.  Walking, even for 15 minutes outside in nature makes a significant difference to how we feel.  A natural pick me up.

Be Grateful.  At times when I feel negative, it's best to stop, take stock and count your blessings.  Pick up a pen and start writing.  The more you verbalise the things your grateful for, you allow more to come into your life.

Get plenty of sleep. If you find it difficult to unwind at night, drink herbal teas, turn of the TV and remove electronic devices from your bedroom. Lack of sleep can affect mental health.

Ground yourself.  Take off your shoes and walk on the grass or sandy beach. This is incredible and something so simple we can take for granted.  You can feel the earths energy be drawn up through your feet and into your body.

Diet. Dark, leafy greens are rich in vitamins and minerals. It is good to start every morning with a healthy green smoothie, and feel your body thank you for it. Kale, banana, orange, coconut water blitz - takes 2 minutes to prepare. Supplementing with Magnesium and B Complex provides supports for nutritional gaps.

Calm the Mind. We have heard 'stress kills', this is because the flight or flight response suppresses the immune system. Finding strategies to cope with stressful situations is important. Deep breathing slow for just one minute can make a huge difference, and also helps us make better decisions from a place of calm. Meditation is a great strategy to calm the mind.

Meditation. Set some time aside each day to rest your mind. You don't have to do it for long, just 10-15 minutes—the most important thing is to just set a routine so it becomes a habit. When we start the day from a calm, focused state of being, sets us up for success and assists to be able to deal with stress throughout the day. We are better prepared.

Smile more.  When you smile, your brain releases tiny molecules called neuropeptides to help fight off stress. Then other neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin and endorphins come into play too. The endorphins act as a mild pain reliever, whereas the serotonin is an antidepressant. Fake smiling will cause you to feel happier, just 1-2 minutes.  It works, try it.

Amy Cuddy from Harvard University conducted a study on the impact of body posture on how we feel, the results were astonishing. Our physiology (our body, posture) affects our psychology (our mood and how we feel). Could it be that simple to feel better and gain more confidence? Well the research is clear, so yes we can.

TIP: stand up straight, arms in the air for two minutes. Smile! Sounds funny, but the results will shock at how quickly you can arrest any mood or feeling, or gain more confidence in less than two minutes. I will post a copy of Amy Cuddy's video teaching "Power Poses" down below.

I am Not Enough

One of the biggest diseases affecting humanity is the disease of "I am not enough".

Have you at any point in your life suffered from anxiety, poor self-esteem, or simply feeling low about yourself?

I certainly have, and if you are human, then you have probably too.  I was looking for ways to understand why I was in so much pain.

Was there a common demeanour to all my problems?  What habits of mine are responsible for me feeling this way?  What thought patterns were responsible for the results, or lack there of?

Or in short, I was curious to find out what the hell was wrong with me.
In my quest of deconstructing my life, I was looking for patterns, habits, and circumstances to stay away from.  

According to Marissa Peer, British therapist and best selling author, a root cause of anxiety, depression, lack of confidence, alcoholism, addictions and mood disorders is the feeling of I am not enough. 

These feelings can trigger all sorts of behaviour such as binge drinking, binge eating, or starving yourself, creating conflict and sabotaging relationships.

Finding true inner peace and self acceptance is one of the most beautiful gifts you can give to yourself. So how do we cross the bridge of change when it seems so damn difficult?

A few strategies.  Firstly, it is important not to judge yourself.
Write down in a journal the patterns or behaviours that you would like to change. Self reflection.

Then write down the opposite of what you would like to create for your life, different patterns and behaviours.

This is the first step.  Know what you want.

How to get there. Make a decision, and stick to it.

Be aware of your thoughts, daily. Thoughts can be habitual, we are not aware of the negative dialogue that we have with ourselves.  When negative thoughts come up, make a decision to not buy into the ideas and beliefs any longer.
The reality is, they are only thoughts, but can impact your life greatly.
What you focus on, expands, so if you can continue to think a certain way, then before long it will show up.

Ever heard of the saying "be careful what you wish for, or you become the person you hate"?

Focus and attention on anything can show up, so watch your thoughts.

Step 2.

Meditations and Hypnosis

When we were a child, 0-7 learning was automatic download to the subconscious mind. Learning for an adult is through repetition, riding a bike, driving a car.
If you want to change anything in your life, it starts with a decision then through repetition plant new seeds or suggestions to change the pattern.

Marissa Peer

Marissa is a hypnotherapist who assists people in change work.

Let's face it, most of us have something that we would like to change we would like to see improvement or change in our lives. 

But why can change be so difficult? The unconscious mind resists changes.

The New Years Resolution

Who hasn't made plans to go on a diet, lose weight, get a new job, save for something special and then by the end of January, we gave up!

The reason, the conscious mind makes the plans, however it is the unconscious mind that is driving the bus and directs the decisions of our lives. Therefore lasting change can be very difficult.

So how do we work with our unconscious mind and achieve lasting change, in the short term?

Hypnosis is also referred to hypnotic suggestion, is a trance-like state in which you have heightened focus and concentration. Hypnosis is usually done with the help of a therapist using verbal repetition and mental images. When you're under hypnosis, you usually feel calm and relaxed, and are more open to suggestions.

Hypnosis can be used to help you gain control over undesired behaviors or to help you cope better with anxiety or pain. It's important to know that although you're more open to suggestion during hypnosis, you don't lose control over your behavior.

Interestingly, we are in and out of trance often throughout the day. Trance is a state of 'auto' pilot. Driving the car and not thinking about where you are going, because you have been there many times before.  Just like when learning how to ride a bike, before you know it, you are riding without thinking about it.

This is trance - auto pilot.  The reality, from 0-7 a child's brain is taking in everything, good or bad, positive or negative.  Taking in the instructions from the environment.

When we become adults, we may raise questions about certain behaviours, beliefs about our body, relationships or beliefs about money. They may negative beliefs, and if so they may no longer serve us and its time for an upgrade and to let them go! 

Why It's Done

Hypnotherapy can be an effective method for coping with stress and anxiety. In particular, hypnosis can reduce stress and anxiety before a medical procedure, or fear of flying.

Hypnosis has been studied for other conditions, including:

• Pain control. Hypnosis may help with pain due to burns, cancer, childbirth, irritable bowel syndrome, fibromyalgia, temporomandibular joint problems, dental procedures and headaches.
• Hot flashes. Hypnosis may relieve symptoms of hot flashes associated with menopause.
• Behavior change. Hypnosis has been used with some success in the treatment of insomnia, bed-wetting, smoking, and overeating or over spending or gambling.
• Cancer treatment side effects. Hypnosis has been used to ease side effects related to chemotherapy or radiation treatment.
• Mental health conditions. Hypnosis may help treat symptoms of anxiety, phobias and post-traumatic stress.

 Marissa has been a hypnotherapist for many years and teaches people how to gently provide suggestions to yourself, in the comfort of your own home, and it's free.

It's incredibly relaxing and effective.

I have provided some links if you are interested in knowing more about Marissa:-

The Most Powerful Way to Reprogram Your Subconscious Mind To Get What You Want | Marisa Peer

Learn Self-Hypnosis TODAY - Rapid Transformational Therapy®️ | Marisa Peer

 

Meditation For Self-Love | Marisa Peer

 

Meditation To LET GO of Fear, Anxiety & Overthinking (Guided Meditation) | Marisa Peer

 

Amy Cuddy - Your Body Language Affects Your Psychology