Reduce Stress with Wellness

February is coming to an end and we are making our way through 2020.

Unfortunately many of us are falling into the habits we swore off at the beginning of January.  We are back into the habit of being busy. We live in a society where this is the norm, if not the celebrated way of life.  We are all so used to the constant pressure to be “everything” to everyone.  Many of us are feeling our most tired, most stressed, and even at the end of our rope. 

This is where we all need to agree that enough is enough and there must be a better way.

Here’s the thing.  Most of us have others relying on us. Our children, partners, ageing parents, colleagues or other people that hold a special place in our life.  Many of us take too much on,  feeling like we can’t say no.  This leads our overall wellness to suffer.   And frankly a lot of this is our own fault. Yes, some things are an emergency.  But most of what we are running ourselves ragged over, isn’t.

So what are we to do?

How can we course correct two months into this New Year? If you are like most of us, you do everything because you can.

You may even (secretly) be proud of your never-ending To-Do List, like a badge of honour.  But if you are at the point of Burn-Out, is it really something to be proud of?

This might be the time for a little introspection and realization that just because you are capable of doing a task doesn’t mean it’s your’s to do.

Time is a non-renewable resource.  Every time you commit your time to one thing it will always be a trade-off for something else. For every “Yes” you give, there is a silent “No” to something else.

Let’s be honest.   It is gratifying to get things done and to “achieve” at work, at home and in life.   

However, if you are completely spent and you aren’t doing the things that bring you joy like:

• yoga
• meditation
• socializing instead of “networking”
• spending unscheduled time with loved ones
• trying new things (like a Rope Wall Class)

you will eventually come to an existence of feeling resentful, bitter, exhausted, unfulfilled and all around miserable.

How do we change this?

We change our priorities.

If we don’t prioritize and pay attention to our wellness, it will get our attention through other aspects of our life falling apart.

You cannot burn a candle on both ends. You need to slow down.

This can be scary for most of us.  But Breathe is here to help you make the transition and improve the overall quality of your wellness.

Here are our Top Five Tips for Overall Wellness:

1. Make Time for YOU. If you can’t take care of yourself, you won’t be able to take care of anyone else. This can feel near impossible to do for many of us (especially women) because we are so used to putting ourself last.  Begin by making gradual shifts, week by week to move yourself closer to your bigger commitments of Wellness.  Schedule a Yoga class and make it non-negotiable.  Pre book your Osteopath, RMT massages and acupuncture and ACTUALLY use all of your company benefits this year.
2. MOVE. EVERY. DAY.  The key to making this commonly failed resolution a reality, is to start small. Book one yoga class this week, two next week.   Get off a TTC Stop early and walk a bit further. Commit to the exercises that you were assigned from Osteopathy or Physiotherapy so that movement can become easier. The trick is to get moving and to find little ways to incorporate non-time adding activities so you can have more movement into your days.
3. Eat for Energy and for Wellbeing. Are you eating the best way possible for you? Or are you just following the latest food trends? Book a session with Marissa, Breathe’s Registered Holistic Nutritionist and learn to eat in a way where you can enjoy the food you consume, gain vitality and stop seeing food as an anxiety of calories. Food has so much to give us when we are eating in the most healthful ways.
4. SLEEP. Sleep is essential for our wellbeing yet many of us fail to get enough of it. Sleep needs vary for all of us however, the average adult between the ages of 26-64 needs 7-9 hours. This may seem impossible for you between work, kids and “life” but once you commit to a hard lights out time, healthier sleep hygiene (no smart phones in bed) and stick to it, we can promise that you will immediately begin to feel better and be more productive in life and work.  See more great tips on sleeping optimally 
5. STRESS-less. If you are already in the cycle of a stressful, busy, constant go-go lifestyle, then following the steps above are going to help diminish your stress levels through improving physical, mental and emotional health. However, having a coping mechanism and plan in place for when circumstances beyond your control drive up your cortisol levels is necessary. Acupuncture and Massage are proven stress relievers and are covered by most insurance benefit plans. Also, attending one of our Meditation classes, Yoga for Anxiety, or Mindfulness and Meditation Workshops allows you to build your tool kit for when things get tough.