C. S. Lewis once said: “Affection is responsible for nine-tenths of whatever solid and durable happiness there is in our lives.”
Yet sometimes in our daily lives, we get so caught up in looking after our loved ones that we forget about caring for ourselves. Or perhaps, we don’t make enough time to give ourselves the attention we deserve. So our resident wellbeing massage, beauty and nutrition expert Vanessa Gruninger Dip ND, Dip NT, CMT, MBANT has put together some simple tips to bring more love and abundance in our lives, from the inside out. Practice daily to notice the effects.
Positive Affirmation: All of our inner dialogue is a stream of affirmations. Our beliefs are learned thought patterns that we have developed since childhood. Positive affirmations actually reprogram our thought patterns and are a proven way to increase inner peace and happiness. Why don’t you start now by repeating this sentence in your mind: “I love and approve of myself” (big sigh of relief!!). Benefits:
- Increases inner strength
- Releases the “cuddle hormone” oxytoxin
- Creates feelings of wellbeing and trust
Be Colourful: Colours are certain wavelengths of electro- magnetic energy seen through our eyes. The colour we see is the part of the visible spectrum that is reflected back by a certain object. Colour therapy dates back to 1550BC, but became more widely used during the 20th century. By wearing colours we love, we support our individual art of self- expression. Benefits:
- Red exerts a warming, stimulating and energizing effect
- Orange stimulates creative thinking and enthusiasm
- Yellow helps strengthen the nerves and awakens mental activity
- Blue calms down strong emotions like anger and irritability
Make Time: Adopting a healthy work-life balance is essential to enhance productivity and an overall positive experience of our existence. The long-standing workplace stigma “whoever leaves last is the best employee” can be considered as old fashioned. Research has highlighted the importance of making time for living, time for our passions and time for ourselves in order to be a able to give our best in all areas of life. Benefits:
- Improves relationship with our loved ones
- Hobbies such as painting, cooking, running are therapeutic
- Sense of achievement, resulting in the release of dopamine (relax hormone)
Get your zzzz’s: The cheapest and easiest way to practice self-care is to ensure we get plenty of sleep every night. One way of doing so is to switch off all electrical devices at 8pm (the latest), reading a book or having a bath until 9pm, accompanied by drinking a small cup of either lavender, skullcap or passionflower tea. At 9:30pm we should then feel rather tired and relaxed- ready for bed! If we manage to fall asleep around 10pm and sleep through the night then we are practicing true self-care! Remember the hours before 12pm are the best for quality sleep. Benefits:
- Relieves physical and mental stress
- Gives plenty of time to process experiences from the day
- Makes you wake up fresh, ready to take on the world
Spread the love: Now that we have practiced plenty of self-care we are ready to spread the love to create a happy family as well as an inspired community. The best example I can think of where I truly made someone or actually many people (little children) happy was Halloween. As soon as our lovely pumpkin was sitting outside our house in full glow, the doorbell wouldn’t stop ringing. We treated the kids to fruits, beads and German coins. One little boy was lucky enough to receive a little toy animal. His face lit up and the joy he experienced was brighter than the sun.
Spreading the love doesn’t always mean spreading material gifts; often a sweet smile, a comforting hug or a thank you alone can work a treat. Benefits:
- Increases feelings of self worth
- Reminds us of the importance of compassion
- Creates a feeling of oneness
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