So we are well into the New Year and for many of us the commitments we made are already beginning to be forgotten in the bedlam of work, global mayhem and, well, Life as it is!
So take the time to pause, to reconsider those commitments – what still feels right, what still feels worth the effort. And to help you refocus, here are a few top tips that Will make a significant difference to how you feel in the months ahead as you barrel your way through 2020.
1. START YOUR DAY WITH 500ML OF WARM LEMON/LEMON AND GINGER WATER
A whole lemon juiced and zested and a thumb of finely chopped ginger in a jug. Add 250ml hot water and allow to brew for a few minutes. Then top up to 500ml with room temp water and drink it all down in as short a time as possible. This will flush and hydrate and provide essential micronutrients for liver and kidney cleansing – every day!
2. WALK FOR AT LEAST 20 MINUTES A DAY
Brisk as you like, do not dawdle. This should be the bare minimum of exercise each day – you are welcome to do more. This helps to reduce stagnation of body and mind.
3. CLEAN HOUSE
A la Marie Kondo… the importance of this tip cannot be overstated. We carry everything we own in the subconscious spaces of our mind – the good and the bad, the neat and the cluttered. It weighs on us and is one the choices we actually make every day – we choose to carry it all. The only way out is to de-clutter, to cleanse our spaces viciously and lighten the load. If you have done this before – even on a micro scale – you know how good it feels. Make a few rules (such as “I will only keep what brings me joy”) as to how you go about it and get it done, yesterday!
NB: begin by creating a recycling area (A couple of cardboard boxes) so that as you throw out you can separate the common recyclables. The whole process will feel even better if you declutter with minimal impact on the landfill
4. MEDITATE
There is a reason why everyone is talking about this top tip – it has the power to change everything and is certainly a great place to start the process. Even if you do nothing else, the rest may flow from here… Most of my patients will know how I am an incessant promoter of disciplined Diaphragmatic Breathing to slow the breath and calm the farm! This is a practical form of meditation and generates almost all the benefits of the discipline, but there are many ways to skin this cat – you can even use your mobile phone app if that suits you better.
5. CLEAN UP YOUR DIET
Try to focus on adding healthier things to the diet rather than paying too much attention to cutting things out – unless that thing is sugar, obviously. Reduce your meat and dairy intake (best contribution you can make as an individual to a healthier climate), avoid processed and tinned foods, and ADD greens and yellows and reds and oranges and blues to the diet, preferably organic home grown veggies if you are able.
6. FAST
Find Fasting routine that suits you – the options are legion – but do it regularly. Rest the gut, reduce the carb intake over time. Your immunity and energy availability will be rewarded by the practice.
7. MAKE TIME JUST FOR YOU
Unplug from your device and make space in your schedule to spend time with yourself – planning, learning a new skill, rediscovering an old hobby, exploring your talents, doing yoga, decluttering, meditating, taking a good long soak or just DOING NOTHING. You will find this becomes a time you really look forward to and is a great way to reward yourself for getting some of the other Top Tips done!
8. SORT OUT YOUR FINANCES
Set a budget and clear your debts and save as much as you can. However hard it seems and however much this item does not seem to belong to this list, if you think about it, it may well be the most important thing on this list being as it is that Financial worries are probably the greatest source of stress for each and every one of us. The Goal is simple – get out of the red and into the green. How you get there is up to you – just do it with integrity. Integrity is light and ill-gotten wealth is heavy. See www.mrmoneymoustache.com for some interesting ideas in this regard.
9. CLEAN UP YOUR RELATIONSHIPS
The people we have in our lives have a massive impact on our health and on how we feel about our lives and about ourselves. Put effort into the important relationships and remove the toxic ones. Learn how to identify the relationships that heal and those that harm. Become discerning.
10. CLEAN UP YOUR TECH
Clear out everything that’s clutter or contributing to negative thoughts in your life. Everything on your phone, tablet, computer, and your social media. Clear out apps, contacts/people/photos, etc. Unfriend, unfollow, and unlike pages and people that are negative – give them a thorough cleansing.
Give these a try and you wont regret it.
BY: Dr Bruce Thomson – Registered Acupuncturist and Doctor of Homeopathy
dr.bthomson@gmail.com / Whatsapp or SMS 0837899328 for consultations. Medical aid rates.