5
Who’s on your team? In your Vitality Journal, make a list of the
people who will support you in your intentions. Let them know of
your goals and share the journey with them. Maybe some of your
friends share the same goal – work on it together and keep each other
honest and accountable. Maybe the goal is different but you can still
draw on each other for encouragement and a kind ear in your pursuits.
There is great vigour to be mined in the feeling that ‘we’re in it together’.6
Find your ‘micro moments’ of nourishment. Self-care needn’t
be grand or elaborate – the cumulative effect of little moments
of replenishment will have stress bouncing off your shoulders
with greater ease. Write out your toolkit so you can be reminded of
something life-giving when you need it the most. It can be as simple as
hearing some bird song, taking a warrior pose to invigorate, savouring
a cup of hot tea, spritzing scent you love or listening to a favourite
piece of music.7
Breathe better, feel better. Try this mudra and feel how it opens
you up to a more complete breath. Sit tall with the back of your
hands resting on your thighs. As you breathe in, open your palms
and fingertips wide like a flower blossoming and pause at the end of
the inhalation. As you breathe out, gently close your hand, making
a fist and pause for a moment at the end of your exhalation. Keep
moving your hands with your breath, feeling how this is mirrored by the
expansion and gentle retraction of your whole ribcage and abdomen.
This is both soothing and energising and you can do it anywhere.8
Use a mantra. Ask yourself, how do you want to feel in this
moment? Create a mantra affirming that quality. It can be
as simple as ‘I am calm’. If the monkey mind gets in the
way, saying ‘No you’re not?!’ simply use the mantra ‘I Am’. That is
irrefutable! Breathe in and say ‘I’, breathe out and say ‘Am’, repeat to
distract yourself from unhelpful thoughts.9
Mental skills training: develop the 3 C’s — cultivate compassion,
curiosity and comedy and you will have a mood alchemist in
any situation.10
Revere sleep. Most adults need 7-9 hours of sleep every
night. Life-giving choices are tough when you’re sleep
deprived. It’s bigger than that: my mantra is ‘sleep for
sanity’ for good reason! Give sleep the priority it deserves, allow
yourself the time in bed that you know you need to function well and
watch those dividends ripple out – head, heart and body.Suzy Reading is a chartered psychologist and yoga teacher and
the author of The Self-Care Revolution published by Aster, £12.99
(octopusbooks.co.uk). Join her Wellbeing Community at: facebook.
com/SuzyReadingPsychologyAndYoga