Sleep
- Aim for eight hours of sleep each night. The sleep cycles for physical and emotional health and for memory regulation happen at different stages, so when you lose out on sleep, you lose out on the effects of these important sleep phases.
- Don’t keep digital devices in your room, and do keep the room dark and cool.
- Switch off all electronic devices by 8 p.m. to reduce blue light exposure before sleep, or invest in blue-light blocking glasses if you must use your device.
- Multiple factors can impact sleep quality, so identify and address the underlying causes with simple tests and lifestyle tweaks.
Diet
- Aim to consume seven to nine servings of vegetables and two of fruits every day.
- Up your intake of healthy fats like olive and avocado oils, avocados, nuts and seeds — these are proven health boosters.
- Avoid eating sugar, processed foods and fried foods, all of which are known to cause inflammation.
- To effectively flush out toxins from your body, drink at least 30 millilitres of water per kilogram of body weight each day.
Movement
- Movement stimulates the flow of blood and qi, and helps to release happy neurotransmitters, while sweating detoxes. Incorporate at least 30 minutes of exercise into your daily routine. Even fast walking counts.
- Aim for a healthy combination of yin and yang exercises every week. Yang exercises include cardio and weight training; yin exercises include stretching, restorative yoga, tai chi and Pilates.
- Avoid sitting for longer than 30 to 60 minutes at a time, and aim to do at least a little light activity every hour, even for two minutes.
- Identify opportunities for movement in your workspace, like standing up while on the phone or incorporating desk exercises.
- Make plans to exercise with family or friends so that exercise becomes a fun activity.
Mental health
- Take an integrated approach to mental well-being by sleeping, eating and exercising well.
- Include a mindfulness or meditation session in your daily routine.
- Make time to be with friends and family, and connect with positive, uplifting people.
- Nervine herbs like oats, lavender and lemon balm can help strengthen and calm the nervous system.
