HEALTH+WELLNESS
THE 2020 W E L L N E S S R E V O L U T I O N
Being grateful is a fantastic way to boost your
mood and wellbeing, reminding you of all the positive
things in your life. Banishing negative outlooks and
appreciating what you have can have a profound
effect. Of course this can be done at any time –
you can say it out loud, say it in your head, or write
it down. Gratitude diaries are increasingly
popular lately, allowing you to jot down a few things
every day that you feel grateful for - simple but
effective, it really can change your outlook on life.
Some studies have even shown that those who are
habitually grateful are happier than those who are
not, and that keeping a gratitude diary can relieve
depressive symptoms.
Breathing is something we do every day – 20,000
times a day in fact. Yet how you breathe can have
a significant impact on your physical and mental
wellbeing. Breathwork is the term given to any
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type of therapy that uses breathing, such as yoga.
Whether it is deep breathing, the 4-7-8 breathing
technique, or even the alternative nostril breathing
technique, they all pretty much follow the same basic
rules: Breathe in through your nose, exhaling strongly
through your mouth for a long time (think blowing
out birthday cake candles), then pausing before
taking another deep breath through your nose.
And the result? You will feel more relaxed, your
mood will be boosted, and some even claim it can
improve your flexibility and lower your blood
pressure. So next time you are feeling stressed, angry
or upset, or simply to start your day in the right way,
breathe yourself calm and see how much better your
mind and body will feel.
Smartphones, sat navs, laptops, tablets…we live in
a world full of screens, and they are always nearby.
Whether in your pocket, by your bed, in your car,
at work, we never switch off from the screens. Studies
show that the average person checks their phone
200 times a day - that’s once every six and a half
minutes! So it is perhaps unsurprising that experts
keep warning us that this constant exposure could
be damaging our health. So what can you do to
give yourself a break from the screens? Lots of
people undergo a digital detox.
Taking a complete break from all gadgets and screens,
will mean that you gain back hours of time to do
things that you will find more meaningful and
rewarding. In reality though, we can’t just turn all
of our screens off at once. Technology is useful and
many of us have to use it for work or to communicate,
so another way to improve your wellbeing is to give
yourself an allowance of time. Not only does this
mean you aren’t going cold turkey, it also means
you are more likely to stick to your detox. Restricting