Bonitas Member Magazine B-Living Issue 1, 2019 | Page 19

Set realistic goals and change your attitude Perform regular self-care Ask yourself what you did well last year, what you failed to do and what you still want to achieve. Take stock of the lessons you you have learned and the moments where you had the most fun. This will give you an idea of what you need to do to make 2019 a memorable year. Schedule activities and track them in your calendar to help achieve your goals. It's about progress, not perfection, and having a ‘can do’ attitude. When the month has passed, reflect on your progress and adjust as needed. Try spending an hour or a full day without your cellphone or computer. Set aside 10 minutes for yourself each morning. Use this time to meditate, for a morning workout, to note the things you are grateful for or to read for pleasure while enjoying your coffee. This sets the tone for your day to be more restful. Eat well Fuelling your body with healthy, nutrient-rich food is essential for your wellbeing. Draw up a menu at the beginning of each week to to decide on your meals and snacks. You should also make a healthy grocery list and prepare your own food from nutritious ingredients. Choose greener home and beauty products Over the past few years, there's been more interest in more natural alternatives for home and beauty products rather than those filled with toxic chemicals. Every month, choose a healthier alternative to your current products. Deciding to gradually swap products for healthier, natural alternatives, can lead to a lasting change. Use our wellness benefits Get enough sleep Ensuring you get enough sleep is important in achieving your wellness goals. Without proper rest, your body can't function optimally. Aim to get seven to eight hours of sleep a night. Start moving It is also important to include physical activity in your daily routine. Try to include 30 minutes of moderate- intensity exercise, five times per week. Consider an activity you enjoy, such as gardening, brisk walking or dancing. Help a friend Supporting another person on their wellness journey will inspire you to stick to your plan. You’re more likely to succeed if you share your goals with someone who is also committed to a healthier lifestyle. You can send each other daily messages of encouragement, set exercise dates and make plans to prepare healthy dinners together. You may even engage in a little competition such as tracking each other's steps or seeing who can go without dessert the longest. Bonitas offers a wellness screening on all plans and a wellness extender on all plans, except BonCap, to help you lead a healthier life. These benefits are in addition to your savings and day-to-day benefits so you get more value for money. The wellness screening is a free annual checkup including a blood pressure test, cholesterol test, BMI test, blood glucose test and a waist-to-hip ratio measurement. You can do your wellness screening at a Bonitas wellness day or a Dis-Chem, Clicks or Pick n Pay pharmacy. You will need to do all the tests in one session. Once all tests have been completed, your wellness extender will be activated and you will be able to access it (except for BonCap). You can use the wellness extender to pay for extra consultations and treatment with a GP, biokineticist, dietician or physiotherapist or for a programme to stop smoking. Page 18