Getting enough sleep is an essential ingredient to staying healthy and happy. Sleep deprivation causes disruption to our circadian rhythms. These are the patterns of being tired and awake driven by our internal body clock, influenced by light and darkness – humans tending to sleep at night and awake in morning light. Circadian rhythm disruption (even for just a few days) can affect our health and wellbeing. Here are some great tips we discovered from FoodMatters which you can implement at home, to help you switch off and get a good night’s sleep:

• Exercise: Studies have found moderate bouts of exercise lead to improvement in the following night’s sleep. Even just a short amount, such as just 10 minutes each day of yoga or light exercise, will make a big difference when it comes to increasing the quality of sleep.
• Darkness: Modern electrical lighting has been found to disrupt the body clock, sending signals to your brain that indicate it is time to be alert. Blue lights from computer and smartphone screens are particularly stimulating, so it is wise to avoid switch off for a period of time before bedtime. If you find it difficult to do this, there are computer programs available that can adjust the colour of your computer’s display to adapt to the time of day, warm at night (reducing stimulating blue light) and like sunlight during the day.
• Reserve your bed for sleeping: Designating the bed as a space for rest only will assist in the wind-down process. Avoid overly mentally stimulating tasks in this space, such as work or using technology, to help the brain kick into sleep mode. No more Facebook in bed!
• Establish a bedtime routine and go to bed as early as possible: Sticking to a similar bedtime and waking time each day has been found to assist natural circadian rhythms and make it easier to go to sleep deeply and wake more easily.
• Mindfulness meditation: The calming of nerves and reduced anxiety that often follows meditation assists psychological and physiological preparation for sleep. Some useful meditations can be found here to help you quiet your mind and prepare for quality sleep.
• Diet: Diet and nutrition can affect your sleep quality. Along with reducing or avoiding overconsumption of alcohol, nicotine and caffeine, reach for protein-rich foods. Most protein-rich foods are a common source of tryptophan, which is an amino acid that helps to promote sleep.
• Drink a ‘sleepy tea’ as part of your wind down routine before bed: Tea ingredients such as chamomile, lemon balm and passionflower have been found to improve sleep through helping us to regulate nerves, calming us from stress and anxiety.

You should also be aware of some of the most common sleep disruptors found to negatively impact on sleep:

• Noise
• Stress
• Alcohol
• Nicotine
• Caffeine

Read the full article on FoodMatters here to find out more.

One of the biggest afflictions of modern day life is the “busy-ness” of it all. Hectic work and family schedules are commonplace, digital technologies keep as always connected and our brains received little downtime. If you are feeling a little overwhelmed by your busy lifestyle and find yourself struggling to keep up, take a look at these practical tips shared by the team at Food Matters to help you stay sane.

• Hydrate

Did you know that 85% of the brain tissue is water? Because of this your mood can be easily affected by dehydration so it’s important to drink plenty of water. Not sure how much is enough? Everyone’s body requirements are different and factors such as temperature and exercise also play a part, but one easy way to assess if you’re drinking enough is to check the colour of your urine – it should be pale yellow if you are adequately hydrated. If it’s dark yellow, drink up! Water quality can also be a factor, so it’s a good idea to get a quality water filter to keep your water clean and pure.

• Eat nourishing foods

We want to aim to be giving our bodies foods that will nourish and add benefit. A good rule of thumb is to avoid packaged foods as much as possible and try and consume more fresh fruit and vegetables. Avoiding packaged foods will help reduce sugar intake and upping the vegetable intake will make sure your body is getting access to all the important vitamins and minerals it needs to function at its best.

• Get moving

Exercise is one of the best ways to get those feel-good chemicals released into the brain. Try and move your body every single day (a gentle walk will do it). If you want to be in peak condition aim for three vigorous exercise sessions a week, along with daily movement. Mix it up and do what you find fun – surfing, hiking, dancing are all great ways to move your body.

• Schedule in some fun

Speaking of fun – it helps to schedule in some weekly “fun time” when planning out your week ahead. Think about what puts you in a good mood and schedule some time to do that activity at least once a week. It might be a trip to the beach, relaxing with a good book, a coffee catch up with good friends –just make sure it doesn’t get overlooked when life gets hectic – put it on the schedule!

• Set some goals

Goal setting can help define purpose in your day. Why am I doing this? Where am I going? Three areas of your life to set some goals around might be fitness, work and personal life.

• Meditate

Meditation has been around for thousands of years, quite simply because it works. Meditation is a fantastic way to calm your mind and “tune out” when life gets too hectic in a few simple steps. When you tune back in, you’ll feel much more able to carry on with life. It’s now super easy to meditate in your own time with lots of online resources and apps around to help you. Here’s a great article from the Food Matters blog with some basic mediation techniques. 

• Affirmations

Using affirmations can be an effective way to rewire your brain, purify your thoughts and restructure your mind to begin to think nothing is impossible. Just like exercise, they raise the level of feel-good hormones and encourage our brains to form new clusters of “positive thought” neurons. They can help eliminate patterns of negative thought, transferring your energy to focus on the potential in you. If you have a recurring negative thought or worry such as “I don’t have enough money” –  try come up with an affirmation that will combat this – for example, “I am abundantly wealthy”.

• Practice gratitude

Gratitude is a powerful emotion, one that can make your life better in so many ways. Rather than comparing yourself to others, practice gratitude for everything you are blessed with and if someone seems to be succeeding around you try being happy for them. Gratitue helps us put things and situations into perspective, realise what we have and ultimately be happier.

• Give Back

Similarly, when you make a positive impact on the world around you, by giving back, you also fill your own cup with good feelings too, so everyone wins! It’s not about the big gestures, any help you can give could turn someone’s day around. Practicing kindness to strangers, offering help where you can, and donating your pre-loved items rather than throwing them away are some simple ways to start.

The start of a new year usually brings about a mix of reflection and planning. It’s the time of year when most of us resolve to do better in certain elements of our lives, whether it’s health and fitness, money management, self-care, business or personal growth. Feeling optimistic for the new year ahead we enthusiastically make resolutions about what we want to make happen. Unfortunately, when the buzz of the New Year wears off, some resolutions can seem like big changes that are difficult to achieve and may quickly be brushed aside. This is because often resolutions can be too rigid e.g. “I’m going to stop drinking alcohol”, with no flexibility to adjust if it’s not working out, or alternatively too broad i.e. “I want to get fit” – with no steps planned to get you towards that end result. A far better method is to set goals which can be tackled in steps and increase in difficulty as you begin to form new habits. Goals provide direction that you can aspire to and you can choose to move towards them using small steps or bigger steps, with plenty of opportunity to adjust when elements aren’t working out as intended.

Goal setting 101

Goal-setting should be a fun and inspiring activity, dream big and be sure to tap into what your heart tells you as well as what’s in your head. Choose goals that matter to you, that you actually want to accomplish. It helps to keep in mind your ideal future life – be it in 2, 5 or 10 years’ time and set goals which set you on the right path towards that vision. Once you’ve got the big end goals in mind, then you can break it down into smaller goals that are realistic and attainable in the short term, and can be easily monitored. These goals should map out the steps which need to happen to get you towards the end result. These types of goals are often explained as “SMART” goals, in that they are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound. For example, you might have a long-term goal to improve your health and fitness. This can then be broken down into smaller goals which can be measured such as:

• Wake up early and go for a morning walk, three times per week
• Attend one pilates class per week
• Meal plan on Sundays to allow you to cook dinner at home Monday to Friday
• Drink a maximum of two glasses of wine, on weekends only

As your fitness increases, you might reframe these goals to include some more intense physical exercise, or some harder to achieve elements such as eating sugar-free for a week. Try and ensure your goals have a positive spin – frame your goals by what they are adding to your life, not what is being taken away. For example, instead of saying “I will stop eating junk food” you could instead say “I will eat healthy, home cooked meals Monday through Friday”. Mentally, this will feel less like you are depriving yourself. Continue to review your goals, update them and don’t be deterred by setbacks. As you move through the year it is likely you will need to make adjustments. New goals may pop up or existing ones may require more time than you anticipated. If something isn’t quite working out as you planned, re-frame it, or break it down into even smaller steps to set you on the right path to getting there. Goal setting is a powerful way to help transform your life. With the right execution, goals can help produce gradual, long-lasting changes in all areas of your life. Want to take your goal setting to the next level? Our Life Coach Alisa, based at Live Well Currambine, can help you on your journey to a healthy mind. Find out more here.

TED Talks are a great way to add some inspiration to your day. These short live recorded talks usually last no longer than 20 minutes, and feature experts in their field providing education and valuable insights on all aspects of life. If you’re new to TED talks, we’ve pulled together a list of ten of our favourites from the wellness sector covering topics such as food and nutrition, mindfulness, stress management and exercise. Read on for today’s inspiration! 1.    Jamie Oliver – Teach every child about food Jamie Oliver discusses the impact of diet-related disease and how the importance of educating our children about food and inspiring families to cook for each other again. 2.    Christopher McDougall – Are we born to run? Christopher McDougall explores the mysteries of the human desire to run. How did running help early humans survive — and what urges from our ancient ancestors spur us on today? 3.    Andy Puddicombe – All it takes is 10 Mindful Minutes According to Andy Puddicombe, cofounder of Headspace, 10 minutes of daily meditation can transform your mind. 4.    Dan Buettner – How to live to be 100 Dan Buettner shares 9 common diet and lifestyle habits that will help you reach record-setting age, based on his findings from studying the world’s “Blue Zones,” communities whose elders live with vim and vigor to record-setting age. 5.    Ron Gutman – The hidden power of smiling Did you know your smile can be a predictor of how long you’ll live — and that a simple smile has a measurable effect on your overall well-being? Ron Gutman reviews a raft of studies about smiling, and reveals some surprising results. 6.    Laura Vanderkam – How to Gain Control of Your Free Time As a time management expert, Laura Vanderkam has spent years looking into how successful people tend to spend their time. She says the key to time management is learning to treat priorities like they’re non-negotiable. Find out how. 7.    Amanda Cuddy – Your Body Language may shape who you are Amy Cuddy’s research on body language reveals that we can change other people’s perceptions — and perhaps even our own body chemistry — simply by changing body positions. 8.    Brene Brown – The Power of Vulnerability Brené shares deep insight from her research into human connection — our ability to empathize, belong, love. 9.    Kelly McGonigal – How to Make Stress Your Friend Psychologist Kelly McGonigal urges us to see stress as a positive, and introduces us to an unsung mechanism for stress reduction: reaching out to others. 10.  Julian Treasure – How to speak so that people want to listen In this short, fascinating talk, Treasure shares five ways to re-tune your ears for conscious listening — to other people and the world around you.

New Year’s resolutions can serve as powerful propellers, moving us toward achievements and new experiences. But what if we used intentions as well? Whereas a resolution is “a firm decision to do or not to do something” an intention is a gentle reminder to get back on track. Where goals focus on achievement and doing, intentions promote a state of being. So if your intention is to be healthier and to exercise more, as long as you keep that in mind with decisions you make and actions you take, you’ll get to where you want to be and most importantly, you’ll become the person you want to be, the healthier, more active version of yourself. While you may not achieve all of your resolutions in a year, as long as you remind yourself of your intentions, fill your body with them and let them influence your decision making, no matter how far off track you get, you can never fail.

Young woman on field under sunset light Have you ever heard the expression "a smile can go a long way"? Smiling at others can not only impact their day, but make a huge difference to your own physical and mental wellbeing. When we smile, our body reacts by releasing endorphins which can help us to relax, destress and provide pain relief. When our facial muscles relax into a smile they can calm the nervous system and make us appear more friendly, trustworthy and empathetic. In comparison, when we frown our body responds with tightened muscles, increased sweating and a faster heart rate. Even if you don’t feel like smiling, doing it anyway will force your body to respond in a positive way, producing all the benefits of a smile. Have you ever tried to not return the smile from another person? It’s almost impossible as our body reacts naturally. A quick two second smile to another human being can produce a mini relationship and make you both feel good!