Getting back to great health - Blog
What a wild ride the past two and a half years have been. Lockdowns, financial hardship/uncertainty, stress of not being able to be with close friends or family, stress of juggling home schooling, job losses or changes, covid infection, long covid health impacts…the list of stress points could go on and on. As we come out the other side of this global pandemic, we are now being presented with the additional strain of all the myriad of viruses and bacteria that we were somewhat sheltered from for two years that are now out in abundance. Phew, it’s a lot to deal with! Many people are finding that it is in fact too much to handle, and our once strong and resilient body is getting knocked around with one bout of illness after another.
So, what can we do to strengthen our health and move through this transition back to normality in the best shape possible? Well, it’s a lot of the usual things really, eating well, exercising regularly, getting good sleep and managing your stress levels. Natural, nutritional supplements can play an important role here, but they are just one part of the work that you need to do, their effect will be very limited if you are not doing all the other good lifestyle things too – you can’t supplement away a poor diet. Ideally you need to look at addressing the factors that may be causing you to feel a little less resilient.
Many people are now working back in the office, the kids are back at school, events are starting up again, you can go visit loved ones overseas again, you’re trying to get outside for more exercise now the weather is improving – you’re keen to get back into life full swing. In the excitement to do it all, don’t forget to schedule in REST. Rest is one of the most important things, and frequently one of the trickiest, to get enough of. This is especially important if you feel that your reserves are a bit low due to any of the factors discussed earlier. There is no supplement, no pill, no diet that will substitute just taking a break. Resist signing up for ALL the things that are now available, schedule in time out everyday if you can – even if it’s just for 15 minutes. When we’re go-go-go all the time we can deplete any physical, emotional and mental reserves we have. If you’re already low on those reserves than the next step could be the body forcing a rest through illness.
The ultimate rest for us of course is a good night’s sleep. There can be so many factors that impact our sleep quantity and quality, while there are a number of supplements and even prescription medications that can help, it’s vital to look at your habits around sleep too. It’s common to not give sleep the priority it deserves. Are you guilty of watching just one more episode of your favourite show? Or perhaps you’re getting to some work you didn’t have time for earlier in the day or maybe you’ve got young children in the house and you’re grabbing some well earned ‘me time’. Whatever the scenario, could you prioritise your sleep and go to be a little earlier? Your future self will thank you for it.
Establish a good sleep routine where you go to be earlier, you haven’t had stimulants (caffeine, sugar, alcohol) for at least a few hours, you’ve turned off all screens at least 30 minutes prior, maybe you’re doing some gentle stretches, journalling, meditating, reading a book or listening to some relaxing music. Find the practices that appeal to you and try to do them regularly to set yourself up for a good night’s sleep. Read ‘Recipe for a good night’s sleep’ here https://www.abouthealth.co.nz/blog/post/recipe-for-a-good-nights-sleep.html
If you are struggling, especially with emotional or mental tension, make sure you have trusted people you can connect with. These can be friends, family or independent counsellors. These past couple of years have been traumatic in many ways for many people, there is no shame in reaching out for help. You can read more about stress and anxiety here https://www.abouthealth.co.nz/blog/post/stress-and-anxiety.html
It might sound like a lot of areas to cover, but that’s the reality of looking after our health, especially as we get older. Take the time now to make the good choices for your body, mind and emotions and you will likely be rewarded with better health on all fronts.
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We use a variety of authors from both naturopathic and medical backgrounds. We also have in house researchers that compile the latest information into an easily digestible format.
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