Most of us don’t feel we have much control over the time we have, and what we do have never seems to be enough. Rest and self-care are essential, they need to be consistent and grounding, like an anchor, but the practices we choose get to be personal and seasonal.

When you take care of yourself physically, mentally and emotionally, life feels better. You feel healthier, you sleep better and you have better relationships with the people around you. This blog explores five simple principles for cultivating a daily practice of self-care to support your nervous system and relieve symptoms of stress.

Knowing something is good for you is not always enough to form a habit. However, through experience and exploration, you can get a deeper understanding of the physiological and emotional benefits and begin to integrate that knowledge into your body. 

Stress is a natural state we are designed to move through although our capacity to ride the waves of life can fluctuate. With modern life a mishmash of emotions and distractions it’s easy to detach from how we are feeling. Learning how to lower your cortisol levels and improve your mood is how you can turn a healthy habit into a mindful lifestyle.

I’m not one for New Year's Resolutions, instead, I tune into how I want to feel and the person I want to be, and I use those intentions as stepping stones to guide me towards my aspirations and goals. These are the two most important things to focus on if you want to stick to new habits, achieve your goals, and create the change you wish to see in your life…

Not only are these tips for everyday wellness, but they are also tools for days when life is challenging as f*ck! You are the foundation of your life. These simple steps will support but also sustain your health and well-being...

Stress is an everyday process your body is designed to flow in and out of, but that doesn’t mean it’s any more pleasant when it does show up! Learning to recognise your body’s unique nudges allows you to consciously (and compassionately) respond to what you’re feeling and rebalance rather than unconsciously reacting to your experience.

If you want to change how you are feeling; your emotions or the stress cycle you are experiencing whether in trying to fall asleep at night or at any other time of the day you need to change your physiology. The best and simplest way you can do this is by altering how you are breathing because your breath has a direct impact on your nervous system, they are linked.

We unintentionally hold tension in our bodies for a few reasons… For the most part, protecting and guarding happens around the delicate parts that we want to keep safe or away from harm. Think about your heart, lungs, and sexual and reproductive organs; often, this will be apparent in your shoulders and hips (surrounding areas) causing tightness or stiffness.

Creating tension in our body is something we unintentionally, or unconsciously do all the time.

Where you place your awareness is where you place your energy. If you are in pain where are you placing your attention? On your pain.

When you focus on the pain you are feeling, the feeling of pain gets amplified.

This can be exhausting and suddenly your pain is not only physical, it’s emotional too.

Two of the most important things you can do to help yourself create and stick to your intentions and new habits are to reduce your stress levels and get good quality sleep. For some of you, me included this is going to pose a problem because getting a good night’s sleep consistently and feeling less stressed day to day are two of the biggest challenges you might be faced with right now.

Are you feeling festive or frazzled? When you are so busy it can be hard to wind down and de-stress because your body is fired up and not able to fully rest and recover. This is where mindfulness can be helpful and has been proven to reduce stress. Mindfulness gives you time to reset and rebalance and helps shift your perspective. Here are three simple ways you can practice mindfulness over the festive period to help you feel calmer and more centred.