Reflections: With Caroline Hurley

WELLBEING PRACTITIONER, HEALTHWELL SOLUTIONS & BECALMED SPA By Caroline Hurley I.I.H.H.T. ART(Reg)

REFLECTIONS

Many people dread the winter, even more so after the year we have all had. Are you wishing away the days until the warmth of the sun returns?

This year why not try and embrace the season? Use this time of year to reflect on changes you have made and areas you would like to improve. Take time to enjoy the simple things such as a warming cup of coffee in the morning, a home cooked meal or lighting candles in your home to create the perfect mood. Have you been trying to make changes to your health and lifestyle? Why not take this time to reflect on your journey? Often, we can get caught up thinking about everything we still need to change and forget where we started. The most successful way to make positive changes is by small baby steps, so every so often it is good to reflect and see how far you have come.

If you are just starting out and want to make 2021 the year you begin a new health and wellbeing journey, here are a few tips: 1. Identify what you want to change. For some this is easy, for others more of a challenge, but once you identify and understand what you want to change, it can be your starting block. 2. Try and rid your life of negativity. If you are surrounded by negativity, it is much harder to make positive lifestyle changes. It is interesting to observe that the more positivity you give out, the more positivity you attract, making your journey more enjoyable. 3. Exercise more often, even an extra 10 minutes of walking a day will add up and help create positive changes. 4. Be kind to others. By thinking of others, it lifts you away from what is holding you back. 5. Build a support network of those who can help you in a positive way. 6. As mentioned earlier, take baby steps. Long term changes take time to become a habit, so just take it slowly making small changes permanent. 7. Write a journal. According to the Centre for Journal Therapy, it is the “the purposeful and intentional use of reflective writing to further mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual health and wellness.” You can use your journal as part of the reflection process to help you monitor your progress. 8. Treat yourself. Make sure you reward your baby steps of progress with something that makes you feel good. Catching up with friends, a walk by the sea, curling up with a book or a massage. Don’t forget the many benefits of a massage, it reduces muscle tension, improves circulation, stimulates the lymphatic system, reduces stress, improves skin tone… the list goes on. There are many ways to improve your health and wellbeing, let us all make 2021 the year when we make this happen.