Take Time...

There is much in the news about "Mindfullness" - it has been shown to improve well-being, quality of life, happiness and even productivity.  If it all sounds a bit new age to you, don't panic. There is no hocus pocus, simply having the time to draw breath and value what is there.

Here are some mindful tips to those trying to make lifestyle changes to improve health and well-being :)  Please feel free to add comments if you have any tips yourself. 

The first moment I want you to focus on is the natural pause when we are eating. When we are hungry, we will eat until we feel that there is enough food to sustain us, and then we will stop momentarily – maybe to have a drink, or simply to put down our knife and fork.  These pauses are a response to when we are getting full –they are not to be ignored – no matter how small. A starving person will continue to eat even if you are trying to have a conversation with them. If you pause in your meal – take your time. Put both your knife and fork down (not just your knife when having a sip of water).  Notice how full you are feeling. Ask yourself, “do I feel full?” or “am I still hungry?” Try to lengthen the time that you remain in the pause section. The longer the pause, the less you will eat. It is also helpful to think about the food itself. Enjoy the taste and the flavours. Try not to gulp it down. Chew properly so that you get the first enzyme break down to work properly.It takes about 20 minutes to feel full after eating – and you know that this is true when you get a full bloated stomach after eating too much about 15 mins after a meal!  Being mindful of what quantities we are eating is good for us. Try it for a week and see what happens.

For fitness, I would like an anti-pause please! It is the pause when you are thinking about running/exercising/going for a walk and you consider all the options such as, it is cold, raining, the fires one, my fav programme is on the box....blah blah blah. Push them to one side and just get on with it. You will feel better for doing the exercise and happier that you not only did it, but you managed to do it in the face of some, possibly, “better” alternatives.Take a moment during your class, or run, gym workout and pause to have a look around. See the other people in the area, look at the scenery.  Listen to your heart beat, feel the muscles working. Focus.  Own it.

Finally, have a thought about you. How you are getting on with the changes. Feel proud of what you have achieved. Tell other people how well they are doing.  Be kind to others. Enjoy life. None of us know what is in the future, so enjoy the now x