A Holistic Wellness Approach
What to do to live more holistically? Spend a few minutes each day to take care of yourself. You have no time, you say? It can be just 5 minutes, but do take the time to practice mindfulness and rituals that re-center you and bring you closer not only to your own wellbeing but to nature. Here’s how:
How to Live Healthier
Taking care of our health on a daily basis should be a mandatory routine. That includes eating healthily, avoiding stress (although probably as likely as finding gold in our backyards, we still recommend doing our best to minimise it), practice some type of sport, sleeping well and more! The list could be endless, yet due to our jobs, families, and multiple duties and distractions we leave our self-care aside. Often saying, I have no time for self-care, but if you think long and hard, deep down you know that you can find 5 minutes for yourself, you just need to realise that you deserve some me time.
In addition to that, we live in a fast paced society, polluted cities and surrounded by unhealthy food options that are all too convenient and hard to escape. Even when trying to make healthy choices, we run into artificial sugars and preservatives in things we least expect. One has to constantly remain vigilant when taking care of themselves, which is why we argue for a holistic approach to wellness. It is not enough to just eat right, for example, organically, if the things we put on our skin are full of preservatives as both end up in our bloodstream.
Don't Forget Nature
Renew your body and soul with a forest bathing, the cornerstone of Japanese healthcare.
Have you ever experienced “mental fatigue”? A significant contributing factor is the lack of nature. Forest bathing, known in Japan as shinrin yoku, is an ancient Japanese practice, which is about the simple act of being calm and quiet amongst the trees. The best way to do it is walking barefoot (known as ‘grounding’), because the direct contact with the electrons on the surface of the Earth can produce physiological changes and a significant improve on your well-being, that at the same time can help a better sleep and reduce stress.
Why is it important to spend time in nature? Nature has been celebrated for being able to heal the mind, body and spirit. Many hospitals around the world are now ensuring that they have areas with access to nature for their patients and their loved ones, such as gardens. Nature and its tranquil surroundings, delicate sounds of ruffling leaves, smells of plants, chirping of birds and the humming of insects, helps us cope with stress and mental fatigue. Being in nature heals us on a unique level and we desperately must try not to lose our connection with nature.
If you don’t have the chance to be in a forest that often, try wellbeing natural products made from real natural ingredients, which at a small scale, can help you reconnect with nature. In 1001 Remedies we have developed PurAir™, an organic aromatherapy spray with 19 exotic plant oils, that have strong antiviral and immunity boosting properties. Just one spray makes you feel like you are outside amongst the plants, the smell re-centers you and is very zen-like. It’s like having a personal little spa moment from the comfort of your home.
Play Sport
Gain in happiness and positivity with a sports routine
Being in a good physical state and practising sport triggers chemicals in the brain that can make you feel happier and relaxed, and helps reduce stress. Try feeling very angry or stressed after a brutal or taxing workout? It is really difficult. Not only because of the endorphins that get released, which help relieve pain and stress, but also dopamine, the hormone that is released as a reward for achieving something, and serotonin, the happiness hormone. Also you can always say, “if I just survived this, what can’t I do!”
Apart from doing sports for all its hormonal and mental benefits, it is also very good for your heart, and regular exercise is the best way to do it. Having a healthier, trained heart can prevent many, many illnesses related to the cardiovascular system.
But watch out! There are different ways to practice sport, and each one of them is suitable as a stress reliever for the different type of people. The first thing you need to do is determine the sources of the stress that is causing you anxiety; depending on how you deal with it, you will need more of an endurance sport or maybe a relaxation one.
Eat Good Food
The steps to a 100% organic food diet
Nowadays, people like you are more and more aware about the benefits of eating healthily, especially when it comes to organic food. It is a fact that eating food that is as close to natural processes as possible contributes more to your health, so when going shopping, make sure to check the labels and packaging of what you’re buying. Try to stay clear from preservatives, artificial colours, additives or fragrances. To learn more about things you should avoid and why choose organic, click here.
But, depending on the need of your body, you can try different diets, like the keto or the paleo ones. Keto is a low-carb and high fat diet, while paleo is a way to go back to our roots from a feeding perspective, that guarantees that we take natural products, the ones that we really need as humans.
Also, the problem for your skin problems and acne breakouts may be found in food. Try to avoid dairy products, breads or sugary cereals for example.
Don't Worry, Be Happy
Laughter and passions to have a healthier lifestyle
Laughter relaxes the muscles, increases the levels of serotonin and endorphins in the brain, and reduces tension in the body, as well as stress hormones. Yes, all that from laughter! So let's incorporate a little laughter and joy into our self care routine.
Start by writing down a list of the small things and activities that make you feel happy and good about yourself, aim for more than 10 things. Get as crazy as you wish, it’s your personal list and the one that will bring you that little daily (so much needed) joy. Then get to work and do them!
And don’t forget to try something new every week! Our customers love to treat themselves with the 1001 Remedies Magic Skin (LINK) gel. It will work on giving you that outer glow by nourishing your skin, while the list and your actions will make you glow from within! Shine bright like a diamond.
Practice Mindfulness
It’s a fact, mindfulness and meditation helps a better sleep
The constant worrying and distracting, stressful thoughts we can have during the day are one of the causes of bad sleep and the dreadful insomnia, but, even though you have tried meditation and mindfulness to have a very good night's sleep, it is not giving you results. Here you have a basic tip:
The technique consists in grabbing a yoga mat, closing your eyes and start breathing deeply and slowly, feeling the air filling your lungs, and giving lots of attention to it as you inhale and exhale. When your thoughts start distracting you, just take your attention back to your breath. This way, you will be able to release all your daily distractions in a very peaceful way, and sending your worrying thoughts very very far.
Take the chance of practising a popular activity among mindfulness practicums: the 'The 10-finger gratitude exercise'. Simply count on your fingers 10 simple things you’re grateful for before going to sleep.
“Keep your thoughts positive because your thoughts become your words. Keep your words positive because your words become your behavior. Keep your behavior positive because your behavior becomes your habits. Keep your habits positive because your habits become your values. Keep your values positive because your values become your destiny.”
Mahatma Gandhi