Hi *|FNAME|*,
As November is just around the corner, have you thought about how crazy the next couple of months going to be in the lead up to Christmas? Does it make you feel stressed just even thinking about it? What if I told you it didn’t need to be that way?
You can learn to do things differently, to slow down and still get everything you need to do done. Although completely counter-intuitive, when we slow down and do things more intentionally, we are much less likely to feel the stress of the silly season with all its force.
It’s a tall order, dialling down the mayhem when there are so many demands on so many of us, especially women, and especially mums, particularly those who work! And unfortunately, just deciding you’re going to slow down isn’t going to cut it. You need to learn to do things differently and to think differently.
If you’re not already doing this, the time is now for you to get much more organised and intentional, and developing awareness is king here, as in most areas of life. Even five minutes of meditation, preferably more and preferably first thing in the morning is ideal. I know you think you don't ahve time, but truth be told,
Here are a few other easy things you can do right now to help set you up for a less stressful silly season this year:
- Get your self-care rituals and routine firmly in place, anticipate that they are likely to be derailed – and plan for it
- Reflect on systems for shopping and food prep that are going to serve you over this period, make a plan and execute it. Get it delivered or maybe even prepped if you can.
- Take the time to reflect on your plan for pressies, get as many of one thing as possible for all the different groups of people in your life (PT or yoga teacher, kinder or school teachers etc) and keep it simple stupid. 😉 Ten minutes of planning will save you hours of dithering and surfing.
There’s no question that mindlessness and autopilot are the enemies of clarity and efficiency which are what’s needed to cruise through this time.
So, if you’ve arrived at the time in your life you want to give it a go, or you used to meditate but it’s dropped off get back to it and meditate at every given opportunity.
If you want a less stressful Christmas but don’t know where to start, that’s where we come in. Our workshops and coaching programs are the perfect places to start to turn things around.
Schedule a free phone consultation here if less stress this Christmas sounds like a good option to you. Or you can email me at susie@lilowellness.com.au to request more info.
| | Want to be happier? Dance!
On another note, for those of you who don't know me personally, I am a massive boogier. But getting out for a boogie when you parent solo can be tricky, to say the least..
So, for the last two months or so, every morning that I don't have to be somewhere pronto, I have spent between 20 - 30 minutes doing a combination of dancing and working out with my five-year-old son Harry to some seriously loud dance music.
Having worked out in group classes a lot over the years I've come to know a lot of fitness moves and as I was finding it just too hard to make it to classes often enough I decided to take matters into my own hands - and living room.
I was also aware that I was holding too much weight around my middle and was determined to shift it. So I combine a few hundred step-ups, high knees on Harry's mini-tramp, a heck of a lot of lunges and skating moves, some planking and resistance work using a band on the balustrade of the stairs, and most importantly, we dance our butts off!
I couldn't help but want to share this article that looks at the research behind the benefits of dancing - though it's not rocket science. It just confirms what we already know, dancing makes you feel good! Physically and mentally, and the science absolutely backs this up.
Towards the end, we slow things down and also do some yoga poses and find three things each we're grateful for. Today's Harry's three things were the moves he comes up with, how much of a beautiful morning it was, and music.
And, not surprisingly, it hasn't taken me long at all to feel so much fitter I'm happy to say my belly is nearly gone! But much more importantly, both Harry and I are also happier.
We were already focused on movement and gratitude a lot, but having it as a permanent feature on our schedule in the morning has definitely made a difference.
Rituals are powerful and are essential for self-care. So how are yours coming along? Maybe it's time as Spring has well and truly sprung to make sure your healthy habits are fixed in place. What can you schedule in daily or weekly to help you feel happier and healthier?
| | And finally, check in on your team's health with some health checks
Lately, we've been partnering with the awesome team at Engage Health and doing confidential health checks with various clients such as Tetrapak and the Coroner's Court. Some of you may not realise that I am a Registered Nurse - so it's great to keep these clinical skills up!
And it really is an incredible way to prick people's interest in their wellbeing, to get a clear idea of how your team is travelling, and the health checks we do cover mental health and physical health including blood pressure, cholesterol levels and blood glucose levels.
The feedback has been amazing, so email me at susie@lilowellness.com.au if you'd like to get a quote for health checks for your people.
It's the perfect time of year to encourage your team to think about their wellbeing, with overindulgence over the coming months likely to escalate!
With warmth,
Susie (and the Lilo team)
| | Lilo Wellness
susie@lilowellness.com.au
www.lilowellness.com.au | | | | |
