Self Care Tips from The Sages’ Sanctuary — Day 7 — Happiness and Exercise
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Happy Days Are Here If You Create Them
When you’re having a bad day, or are feeling down, the best way to increase your happiness, may be to exercise. There is a strong link between exercise and an improvement in mood and well-being. Give it a try. Go for a 30 minute walk whenever you’re feeling depressed and unhappy. You’ll notice your mood starting to increase throughout the walk. As you get back, you may notice that you’ve feeling even happier. At least having a walk is not excluded from the lockdown conditions at the moment. It’s important to make the most of it even when the weather is challenging.
This increase of happiness and wellbeing after exercise is caused by two different mechanisms in our body. The first is that exercise causes the release of brain chemicals like endorphins and other mood enhancers. This happens just a few minutes after you exert yourself a bit and the effect can last for a good 12 hours. The second part to the equation is that exercise also helps reduce the levels of stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline in the body. That means you’ll instantly feel less stressed. This one-two punch can have a powerful effect on how you feel.
So now we know why something as simple as a brisk walk can help you feel better almost immediately. For best results you want to exercise a few times per week. Take some time during your lunch break to go for a walk, or work a quick workout or stretch break or sun salutation in before you head to work in the morning. It doesn’t matter what you do, as long as you start moving around and get that blood pumping. Pick activities you enjoy that you will stick with of course.That is really important.
In addition to the everyday mood booster you get from exercising regularly, there are quite a few additional long term benefits. Exercise is good for getting fitter and even slimmer and more toned if you stick with it. This in turn will improve how you feel and how you feel about yourself. That added confidence can be a great additional mood booster. I have been combining this with a gentle intermittent fasting routine recently and the results are striking. I feel more energised, I enjoy food more, my clothes are getting looser and I’m losing the bloated feeling so that when I do my yoga routines my body flows easily. It is really nice.
For best results, try to get as much exercise as you can outside. Fresh air and sunshine add to a feeling of wellbeing. Come up with some simple things you can start doing right now. Maybe it’s going for a walk each afternoon. Maybe it’s taking up jogging. Maybe it’s signing up for a yoga or Pilate’s class online. It doesn’t matter what you choose to do as long as you make it a goal to get more active and move around. Switch it up and plan a longer walk if possible at the weekends or dust off your bike. There’s a lot of fun ways to move around and enjoy the world around you.
Watch out for the Sages’ Wisdom tips every Friday as we make Fridays the start of our Self care weekends. By the way you can reach out to us anytime. :)
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This is a series for people who support other people such as coaches and therapists, pastors and carers.
People who are passionate about their work and their clients but struggling to find a way to feel as positive as they want to in our Covid world.
People who have realised that they need support too.
This is a time when most of us are scared. Nothing is known or predictable and we need to call on reserves of creativity, energy and hope to get by and get on no matter what.
We can do that — but we need to do it together. This is not a time to be a Lone Ranger, coping and getting by on your own. It is a time to reach out and ask for help, get help and give help — the foundations for flourishing and thriving.
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If you want quick and straightforward steps to build your levels of happiness and energy join us for these free webinars. They give you a step by step roadmaps to move forward, take care of yourselves and others and find the nourishment that exists in life — no matter what is happening.
They, on their own will have an immediate effect on your mood and your outlook on life and work. Get off the hamster wheel and take some time for yourself with the webinars, learn, act and refresh, learn, act and refresh — that’s the way to start flourishing and thriving.
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“Just imagine if the next 5 years is like the last 5 years? How are you going to flourish and thrive every day?”
The Sages Sanctuary specialises in helping you do this. We are dedicated to giving people who help people support, care and nourishment as the foundations for flourishing and thriving in life.
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