Category: Wellness

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Self coaching Tip: Tend Your Garden, Visit Your ‘Wells’

This afternoon I finally spent some time in my garden. I have been meaning to get out there to remove the dead plants and replace them with beautiful living ones for weeks, but given that we are currently experiencing a rather ‘rainy drought’ it hasn’t been very conducive to getting down to work. However, today was perfect: sunny, warm and bright 🙂 I really enjoyed being outdoors and actually felt hot while I was working! (For my international readers, it hasn’t been very summery yet, even though it’s May!)

In all I was out there for about 2 hours, and it felt lovely to feel the outdoor air in my lungs and the sun on my skin. Even though I go out for walks regularly, it made me remember how much I love being outside in the garden, looking after my plants.

Here are some of my freshly potted plants:

 

It reminded me of something I learnt long ago about ‘wellness’. I was on a course about Circle Time (which is when teachers and their classes sit in a circle and talk about personal or social issues e.g. bullying) – run by the Circle Time guru Jenny Mosely. In amongst all of the ways for teachers to support our pupils’ wellbeing was something, which at that time I did not think was mentioned enough – the wellbeing of the teachers.

The idea is that we have many ‘wells’ where we go to explore and enjoy life. Gardening is one of the activities that covers many of these wells, and the idea is to find a balance between them and visit each of them regularly. Teachers in particular tend to work flat out in term time, only taking a break (and visiting the wells) in the holidays. As some one who has lived through that job and has come out the other side, I can safely say, that is not conducive to living a healthy lifestyle. 

 So what are these wells, and what do they include? I’ll describe them here:

The Cognitive Well:

This includes reading, watching plays, films, theatre,debating ideas, planning or structuring ideas and thinking things through. Using logic to form arguments or understand information. These are traditionally thought of as more left-brain activities. Just like a muscle, the mind shrinks if it is unstimulated, so use it or lose it!

Cognitive Well: I always have a book or Kindle in my bag for journeys

The Emotional Well:

This is filled when you make time for fun and enjoying the company of others through stable loving relationships with a partner, family or friends. This well provides opportunities to express feelings in supportive relationships. (I would add to that, it is important to surround yourself with positive people. If people in your family or friend circles bring you down, it’s time to meet some new people to redress the balance.)

Emotional Well: Having fun in the sun

 The Creative Well

The purpose of this well is to enjoy all of your senses and imagination; a place to appreciate all of the arts -writing, drawing, singing, dancing, playing with colour, texture, sound, scent, taste and movement. In NLP the representational systems that we experience life through are known as VAKOG – visual, auditory, kinesthetic, olfactory and gustatory. If you are stronger in one sense than another, it is likely that you function in that sense a lot e.g. A creative person is likely to be predominantly visual. The key to improving your overall experience of life is to work on improving your other senses e.g. Taking dance classes to experience more of your kinesthetic side or cookery classes to improve your olfactory and gustatory senses.

Creative Well: Watching Poi being performed in Thailand

The Physical Well

In order to enjoy good emotional health, it is important that you are physically healthy too. Exercising regularly, learning relaxation techniques including deep breathing and stretching, having massages, eating well, drinking more water and ensuring that you get enough sleep are all good ways to improve the life of the body you are living in. I think physical closeness and human touch are important too.

Physical Well: Secret kisses

The Spiritual Well

This is about renewing your sense of wonder and awe with the world. You may reach this level through your religious beliefs, through meditation or by taking time to be in nature or by just sufficiently stilling the mind so you can experience energy, beauty and grace. I find that travel, seeing new places and learning about the extraordinary achievements of others remind me of how tiny I am am how huge the universe is!

Spiritual Well: Looking out into The Atlantic Ocean, Madeira

  • Which wells do you visit most often? 
  • Do you tend to stick to certain ones and neglect others? 
  • Are there areas of your life that you could explore to improve your quality of life?

    • Find the balance within yourself and visit all of the wells on a regular basis

    Looking at these now, I realise how much progress I have made over the last few years. There was a time, not so long ago, that I hardly visited any of these wells at all, as I was living a different (unfulfilled) life. I’m happy to say, that I am now living every day to the full and will never neglect my own well-being again.

    I’d love to hear what you think about this post, so as always, leave me a comment below or on Facebook or in the Twitterverse!

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    Weekend Walks – Hampstead

    I recently signed up to a website called ‘Me and You Health’ which is an  online community site for promoting better health and well-being. So I was pleased when my daily challenge for today was to go for a walk with someone and chat on the way. This was music to my ears – walking and talking are amongst my two favourite activities, so inspite of the rain, I went for a walk around Hampstead – a beautiful and historic suburb of North West London. I have been to Hampstead lots of times before, but have mostly stuck to the main roads, and Hampstead Heath. To guide me through the historic village, I used a book called ‘Walking Village London’ by Andrew Duncan (you can find it listed in the shop).

    Hampstead Tube (built in 1907) is the deepest station on the underground network

    The walk started at the tube station, and before long I found myself (mysteriously) in a cafe drinking very luxurious hot chocolate…

    After sheltering from the rain, I began the walk which was lovely and quiet because by its very nature, it takes you down back streets and away from the main drag. I loved the Victorian architecture and the mix of buildings, many of which are now private apartments. The proximity of Hampstead to Central London (4 miles to Charing Cross) makes it a very expensive place to live (and looking in estate agents windows certainly proves this). Despite being so close to Central London, Hampstead still has a village air about it; it has markets, winding narrow streets, tons of cafes and lots of communal green spaces. 

    Back lane, London NW3

     Further along I noticed this plaque on the side of a building which reads: ‘…Thank almighty God for his special mercy in sparing this parish during the visitation of cholera in the year 1849…’

    Looking down from New End towards New End Square, I noticed The Shard which is due for completion in May 2012. It already became the tallest building in the European Union in December and when it is finished it will be 310m tall. 

    View of The Shard of Glass from Hampstead

    I loved this second hand bookshop down Flask Walk.

     And right next to it was this Banksy-style artwork…

    It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog

    Looking down Flask walk

    I then arrived at the Antiques Emporium and wandered through the shops. There were objects and pieces from various eras, but I particulary loved these antique quilts.

    Antique quilts and furniture

    Walking out onto the main road for a few minutes, I noticed this huge ghost sign on the front of this building:

     An earlier part of the walk took me to St. John’s church and the burial tomb of John Constable, painter of The Hay Wain.

    Constable came to live in Hampstead in the 1820’s to escape the pollution of Central London, and breathe the clean air. As his wife suffered from tuberculosis, and he loved to paint on Hampstead Heath, it was a good place for both of them. Constable painted numerous studies of the heath.

    John Constable lived here from the 1820’s to his death in 1837.

    Well, that concludes my weekend walk from today. I learnt lots of new things about a part of London I have always admired from afar. As my guide book says the only way to really get a feel for a place is to get out there and start exploring. So what are you waiting for? Get those walking shoes on and get out there!

    You can read about other walks I have done here:

    Lastly, you know I always welcome your comments, so drop me a line below 🙂

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    Visit to Edinburgh and Climbing Arthur’s Seat

    I have always wanted to visit Edinburgh, so I took the opportunity to do so when I was last up in Northumberland, just before Christmas. However, the idea of walking around the shops three days before Christmas was the last thing I wanted to do, so instead the day was spent exploring Holyrood Park and climbing Arthur’s Seat, an ancient volcano.

    Beautiful lake on the climb up. It took me 30 minutes to climb to this bit.

    View of Edinburgh from Arthur’s Seat (still a climb to the top)

    The top of Arthur’s Seat! 251 metres up in the air!

    Doing this climb was quite a challenge for me, being rather unfit! Luckily, it was a dry and fair day, although it was pretty cold. Climbing up was hard in terms of breathing (I was huffing and puffing a lot), but climbing down was tricky because it looked a lot steeper in real life than it does in the photos! There was one bit which where it was hard to get a firm foot hold, so I just wriggled down on my bottom 🙂

    This may not look steep, but it felt like it at the time!

    I was really chuffed that I managed to complete this climb. It’s something that I would have been too afraid to attempt in the past, given the history of my arthritis. It took me longer than most people, and there were people jogging near the top (!), but this was still a good achievement for me. Everytime I do something new which I have never done before, I feel great.

    If you liked this post, you might like Self Coaching Tip – Do Something Difficult, which is on a similar subject. As ever, please leave me a comment below or click ‘share’ to post on Facebook or Twitter!

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    Self-Coaching Tip – Take Short ‘Fun Breaks’

    “Fun is good.” – Dr. Seuss

    When was the last time you took a break during the working day for some fun?

    I often start the day with a long ‘to do’ list, but I always throw in a couple of ‘fun items’ too – these are things which I enjoy and don’t consider to be work (even though I do actually enjoy most of my work too). Quite often though, the ‘fun items’ get scrapped from the list, because other jobs have taken longer or new work has come into the equation. Obviously, that happens sometimes, but this self-coaching tip is really for those who are not allowing themselves to have a break – and are constantly working, resulting in them feeling stressed and actually not being able to relax, even at bed-time. 

    So, to benefit from this tip, make time for a fun activity – it doesn’t need to be long, and it needs to be something which you like, preferably something which means you have to move around a bit. It could be as simple as throwing paper balls into a bin or making a mini golf course in your office or living room.

    It doesn’t matter what the activity is; the onus here is on getting into a playful state – one which is curious and excited.

    Write your fun activity onto your list and make sure you do it! No scrapping it from the list – it only has to be for a few minutes. Focus fully on the activity while you are doing it and when you’ve had a little fun, go back to work, knowing that you will have some more fun soon. Do this regularly to increase your productivity and improve your ability to relax after you stop working.

     In NLP terms, this is called a ‘break state’ where you are shifting from a work-state to a play-state, for example. Regular breaks like these will keep you feeling refreshed and energised. It’s as much to do with moving to a new physical position as it is to do with toggling between left and right brain activities. And it works for me.

    As ever, please share your thoughts or ideas by leaving me a comment here or on Facebook or Twitter 🙂

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    Winter Sun

    I was an extremely lucky lady this month, to have been taken away for a week of winter sun, to the beautiful island of Madeira. The trip coincided with a) one of the drearier weeks of the year and b) with my birthday! In case you’re trying to place in your mind’s world map where exactly Madeira is, I’ll help. It’s north of the Canary Islands, in the Atlantic Ocean, and therefore closer to Morocco than Portugal (which it is part of). So although Madeira is in the EU, it is blessed with beautiful sunny, warm weather all year round. Which explains how I ended up there! I have to say, having a blast of sunshine in January really does lift your spirits. I know we’ve had a mild winter in England (compared to the last few years), but it was just wonderful to feel the sun on my face again 🙂 I will be sharing lots of my pictures in up-coming posts, so you will get to see a bit of what it’s like.

    On my actual birthday I really wanted to visit Garajau, a seaside town near the capital Funchal, because of the beautiful statue which stands at the headland. It is a miniature version of the Christ The Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, which I have always wanted to visit. 

    Christ the Redeemer statue, Garajau, Madeira

    Ponta do Garajau, Cristo Rei, Canico, Madeira

    Sunshine + statues = enjoying my birthday!Incidentally, I just heard a report on the news today about the possibility of London having its very own Christ the Redeemer statue placed at the top of Primrose Hill to mark the end of the London Olympics and welcome the 2016 Rio Olympics. The idea is still being discussed, so we will have to wait and see what happens!

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    Weekend Walks – Trent Park

    The obelisk was brought from Wrest Park, by owner Sir Philip Sassoon in 1934 I had a lovely walk in Trent Park on Saturday, which is in Oakwood, North London. The park has been home to a Middlesex University campus since 1992, before which it was part of Middlesex Polytechnic. The grand house and its grounds have a rich history, daing back to the fourteenth century, which you can read more about here. 

    Two sphinxes flank the stairs down to the grounds, at the back of the mansion

    As you may know, I am very interested in statues and can’t resist staring at them at every opportunity. Luckily for me, London has more statues than any other city in the world. Most of the time, I find myself rushing past them like everybody else, trying to get to the next place. Occasionally I make the time to stop and look at them properly. I think it’s brilliant that we have such beautiful art on public display for everyone to enjoy.

    I haven’t yet been able to find out more about this particular statue, but hopefully I will, because in a few weeks time I am going on a Trent Park History and Mystery walk! I find it fascinating – who are the characters and what does the lion at the bottom symbolise? In the picture below you can see a close-up of the lion’s open mouth – perhaps it’s roaring?

    My favourite statue in Trent Park

    The vast park is home to hundreds of trees. I remember when I studied at Middlesex Uni, finding out that a new tree is planted to commemorate the life of the university’s lectureres after their death. What a lovely way to be remembered.

    This statue depicts Venus, and stands to the right of the mansion house

    This fallen tree is almost completely hollow in the middle

    The Mansion Building, Trent Park

    You can read more about the statues outside St Paul’s Cathedral which I blogged about earlier.

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    Relaxation Party

    Last month I held a Relaxation Party at my home with a small group of friends, to introduce them to some simple relaxation techniques and to share the Relax Kids CDs which I had been raving about. I wanted to create an arena where I could allow people to listen to the cds and experience them first hand, so as such I made a little listening station complete with cd player and headphones in the kitchen. I chose my music, aromatherapy oils, lighting and seating arrangements carefully in order to create the right mood. As ever, space was an issue but we had just the right amount of people to make it feel full, but so that we could still fit. My lovely neighbour kindly leant me a few chairs which did the trick.

    A selection of Relax Kids cds and books

    More Relax Kids cds

    The guests were either primary school teachers or mothers of young children (or both), and to make the evening even more relaxing, the ladies were able to book massages with my guest Mary. Again, I spent time making the ‘treatment room’ (my bedroom) as welcoming as possible, with fairy lights and candles. Almost every lady had a treatment – hand, foot or neck and shoulder massages, so by the end of the evening we were all completely relaxed.

    One lucky guest won a Relaxation Gift Bag in the raffle!I shared all manner of massage books and paraphernalia I have amassed over the years too. Finally I taught a little self-massage and we did a short group meditation. 

    I was really pleased with how the evening went, because I hadn’t really talked to my friends much about meditation or relaxation before. Many of my friends are teachers, and as a group we tend to be quite wound-up and cynical (or maybe that’s the cynic in me talking)! I had spoken to individuals about my NLP and coaching work, and I’ve led some training sessions at my old school to do with new-agey type stuff, but I was still nervous about sharing this part of my life with some of my friends. I suppose because it was in a group of people as opposed to talking to individuals about it. So, to those who were there, I’d like to extend huge thanks for your support. I felt the whole experience was very succesful and has also spurred me onto have some new exciting ideas, so watch this space for updates!

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    My Yoga Challenge

    I first started learning yoga around ten years ago. Not in a big way, just on my own with a dvd. Even though I did not realise it at the time, I made progress slowly and was becoming more flexible over the months. Having arthritis and being flexible just don’t go together; it’s as though one part of me craves to be able to bend and stretch with ease and grace, but the other part just wants to be very still – usually to avoid causing further strain or pain. For anyone who is interested in reading more about living with a chronic illness, I would urge you to read The Spoon Theory, by Christina Miserandino, which my friend Little Miss Delicious shared on her blog. In the article, Christina uses an analogy to explain what it’s like to live every day, constrained by an illness. As much as I like to focus on my wellness, when things are bad, I do get a little down.

    Fortunately after a few months of feeling very tired from being in lots of pain, my consultant has reassessed my medication and now I am now somewhat back on track. Hallelujah! That means I have had more energy this last week to dedicate to the things I love – my blog, my relaxation classes, coaching, teaching and thinking up new challenges for myself! So my new challenge is that I am going to dedicate 20 minutes of my day, every day to yoga and to regaining some of that energy and flexibility. 

    I will let you know how I get on 🙂

    Tree is my favourite pose at the momentShown above: Yoga Pretzels: 50 Fun Yoga Activities for Kids and Grownups by Tara Guber, Leah Kalish and Sophie Fatus

    I would love to hear from anyone with arthritis who could share some yoga tips with me. Or anyone who teaches yoga and can give me any advice. Thanks in advance!

    As always, feel free to comment, send me an email or chat on Facebook or Twitter. And if you’re feeling kind, subscribe to more updates!

     

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    Self Coaching Tip – Spend Time in Nature

    This is one of the easiest ways I have learnt to relax. 

    I often find that when I get engrossed in my work I can find myself sitting in my seat for hours. This is not good for me! Luckily (sort of?) my body does not respond well to hours of sitting still, so I naturally want to move around. I also find that my brain functions better when I have been out for some fresh air. I recognise this when I start to think in a loop or I feel ‘stuck’.

    Going for a walk outdoors is a great way to shift your state by moving your physiology – the stretching, movement, breathing and use of large muscles brings oxygen into the system and allows you to have a different perspective on something you might be working on. 

    I recently read that it is great to be able to take on the habits of smokers, without actually smoking – deep breathing and frequent breaks outside. Try it yourself and notice what difference it makes to your productivity.

    In NLP terms, this is known as a ‘break state’ – where you change your physiology/environment in order to alter (and improve) how you feel. It is also a great way to reset your stress levels and refresh your body and mind!

    I was luck enough to spend time on the beach over Easter, reading and snoozing 🙂

    Being in Nature – This does not have to mean a weekend away, (although of course those are wonderful too) – it can be as simple as taking a break from your computer screen and walking outside for ten minutes.

     

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    Vegetarian Experiment Day 16 and Review of Goals

    Stuffed field mushrooms topped with parmesan cheese served with mixed vegetable wild rice

    This is the last post from me for a while as I am getting ready to go on holiday, and although the beach, the pool, lots of relaxation and an abundance of wonderful vegetarian food will be featuring, my lap-top will not! In any case I thought around half way is a good time to review my goals and consider the impact of my vegetarian diet so far.

    When I started thinking about a vegetarian diet these were my goals:

    1. To increase my energy levels
    2. To feel less fatigue and tiredness (Not the opposite of 1, but linked to 3)
    3. To reduce the symptoms of my Psoriatic Arthritis
    4. To reduce my intake of tea from 6 to 3 cups, plus herbal tea at night
    5. To increase my intake of water gradually over the month from 0.5 litres to 2 litres
    6. To avoid processed foods as much as possible

    I would say that I have achieved 1 and 4 definitely. My energy levels been up; I have been working very hard and have been raring to go most mornings. Re-discovering Jasmine tea has made number 4 easy to do!

    I have made good progress with 6 – avoiding processed foods. I have cooked from scratch most evenings, and I have only eaten processed foods when I have been out and could not avoid it.

    I have not achieved number 5 – I am still terrible at drinking water! I will practise this on holiday.

    Numbers 2 and 3 are to do with the effects of my Psoriatic Arthritis – I would say this is inconclusive. I have still had aches and pains, swellings, stiffness etc all over my body and at different times. I think it would take a very long time for me to be able to conclude that this sort of diet has a healing or positive effect on a chronic disease. However, I think there are many other positive effects which are not as easy to measure – like the strength of my nails, hair and skin (which are all looking and feeling super healthy). My whole digestive system has felt as though it is working more efficiently and I have not felt bloated or gassy (which surprised me)!

    I would also say that the psychological effects of this diet have been very positive. It gives me the feeling that I am in control of what goes into my body, (so why not choose good things?) and that the fresh food can get to work straight away as it’s being digested easily, without lots of synthetic ingredients getting in the way.

     A colourful side dish of seasoned raw vegetables – I would not eat this as a whole meal, but as a little side dish, it is a crunchier version of a traditional salad

    I hope you have enjoyed reading my posts. As always please leave a comment and let me know what you think. I promise to keep working on my goals whilst I am away and will bring back some photos to share 🙂