Creating a Daily Practice for Mindfulness

So many of my gorgeous clients have inspired me to write this blog and you will know who you are!

More often than not, I see my clients experiencing stress in their lives. I don’t mean obvious stress (such as having a car accident or just finding out they have lost their job). I am talking about the feelings and experiences that can occur at any time of the day and night. I’m sure most of us can relate to these stressors, which can include…

  • Being overworked 
  • Times of uncertainty 
  • Exhaustion
  • Diet: being overfed but undernourished
  • Gut issues
  • Sleep deprivation or lack of quality sleep
  • High intensive exercise training
  • Environmental factors and pollution
  • Rushing and the pressures of everyday life 

These factors can cause your body to turn on the parasympathetic nervous system. In a nutshell, this directs the body’s rapid involuntary response to a dangerous or stressful situation. A flash flood of hormones boosts the body’s alertness and heart rate, sending extra blood to the muscles. The issue with this is that, over time, the body becomes exhausted with being in a constant fight or flight response.

This is where our mind/body connection comes into play. Being in a constant stressed-out state can contribute to hormone imbalances, gut issues, insulin issues including diabetes and PCOS, high blood pleasure, and inflamed skin disorders like acne, rosacea, eczema, and dermatitis.

Stress is a huge contributing factor to a lot of (if not all) skin conditions we treat.

 

So, what can you do about getting out of your ‘bad’ nervous system and into your ‘good’ nervous system?

Now don’t get me wrong we all need our sympathetic nervous system occasionally, especially if we are in danger. But the comparison between when we are actually in danger to when our bad nervous system is switched on is significant. 

Let’s look at how we can trigger our good nervous system so that our bodies can heal, rejuvenate, and produce those happy feelings.

  • Meditation
  • Deep breathing
  • Going for a walk outside
  • Consuming a whole-food diet rich in omegas and fiber – get back into the kitchen and ditch the uber eats
  • Drink plenty of water – that is 2-3 litres a day
  • Have a massage
  • Take a long bath

 

Here is my daily practice

I have a daily practice that I share with many of my clients who have also integrated it into their daily lives, assisting with reducing their stress levels and increasing general overall happiness. I find mornings are the best time to practice as it starts your day off with your good nervous system in check and assists you to more positively react to stressors that occur around you during the day. I absolutely notice the difference between the days when I have, and have not, done my daily practice.

Each morning I start off with:

  1. Exercise or yoga
  2. Meditate with the CALM app for 10 minutes – my favourite is the daily calm sessions
  3. Write in my journal 3 things I am grateful for e.g.: The happiness of my family, dream job after nearly 20 years, special friends that surround me
  4. Write down my intention for the day – this can be the same daily for a month or so if you like. E.g I am going to touch everyone I encounter, with kindness.

If I have a more ‘stressful’ day than normal I do another CALM session before bed and that is normally a sleep meditation.

From personal experience, I have learnt how important and beneficial a daily practice can be in everyday life. Give it a go 🙂

I would love to hear how you go!

With gratitude, Nat x