Picture this: Saturday night, snuggled up on the soft couch with candles burning, computer at hand to pen my first health and wellbeing column for the SBS website. On the table beside me: a bowl of strawberries with amazing pecan nut caramel ice-cream and a glass of Pinot Noir. Nothing wrong with this…
The problem is, this is not me. It's simply not what makes me feel healthy and well. But before you tune out and write me off together with all the other extreme health evangelists who prescribe their individual solution to the masses, let me be very clear here.
I like being healthy but I'm no health nut. I've tried different extremes, from anti-inflammatory diets, to clean living and even chanting weekly with the Krishnas to purify. I've also indulged - heavily - in the past. These days, I find my balance swinging between quite healthy and very healthy somewhere, leaving some room for error and being human. The problem with writing is that it seems to unleash my inner Sarah Jessica Parker. And let me tell you, it did not stop at the bowl of ice cream and glass of red.
Cue my mind and operating pace speeding up. 50 hours of teaching fly by in a flash. Moving house. Done in 24 hours. Speedy Gonsoles can no longer make healthy choices. Caffeine and sugar become part of my daily diet for a week - I've fallen back into a spiral. Sound familiar?
It's these kind of loops that draw us back to old habits that dampen our enjoyment of life. Being in the moment is gone. The world around us is a whirr. We're caught in a world of 'being busy'. How do you break the cycle? I follow these three steps:
1) Warning signals. Know when you must slow down.
2) Fallback options at the ready. What helps you tune in?
3) Detox. Remove what feels toxic to you and your life.
When I've noticed my adrenals screaming like sugared up kids with ADD on their way to Disneyland, I know it's time to slow down and pull over if I can. A busy mind likes simple, organised solutions which burden it with less thinking. Making life simpler works wonders. By drawing your attention back to your physical body and nurturing yourself, you'll feel more grounded and present in a flash. (I normally take 48 hours to see amazing changes.)
Enlist others and give your digestive system and mind a break.
Caffeine, sugar, alcohol and stress spell death to mental calm and clarity. I'll be expanding on this in my next column. The Lucky You Cleanse (juices only) and EatFitFood detox program both offer a nice variety of healthy food/ juices brought straight to you. The only addition I make are probiotics.
Get physical.
Energise and revitalise your body with movement. No time? Rubbish! I stick with short bursts of whatever wherever I can find time. Remember: you always can! For me, accessibility and ease are key. My go-tos are short walks, 10 minute Solutions Pilates DVDS, Blogilates high energy videos and Yogaglo. It's hard to say no if the instructor comes to your lounge room! (You do have to have a high tolerance for a Jane Fonda style approach to motivation though.)
Be boring.
Take time out from social events and work whenever possible. Schedule downtime with your body and mind fully at rest: meditation, yoga nidra, watching the ocean or restful sleep. My house can turn into sanctuary heaven with laptop and phone curfews, pranamat at the ready, bath time before bed - essentially, I treat my busy mind like a naughty child not wanting to sleep. You can find my favourite healing meditation here.
Blow up the circuit.
Finding what caused you to disconnect and get really, really busy in your mind is the last step. Examine that inner Sarah Jessica Parker and find what's beneath the surface. It requires a clear mind and real honesty with yourself, so I'll get to the cleansing process that can help you in my next column.
Sorry to leave you on a cliffhanger! See you next week when I chat with the experts on how to "detox" your life. There's hope for my adrenals (and yours) yet.
Goodbye to busyness, hello mindfulness.
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