STRESS MANAGEMENT
Here you’ll find everything about the STRESS MANAGEMENT segment of your Wheel of Health.
But when it comes to your Wheel of Health, the idea of BUILDING RESILIENCE is also included in this section. This is the opposite side of the stress management coin. Because, As you build resilience your stress levels come down.
I’m an advocate for building different forms of stress management that resonate for you into your life as an every day thing This evolves over time for most of us. At the beginning it can be as simple as scheduling time in your diary as you would a session with your personal trainer or business appointment.
In my experience as an AIP Mentor, this is an area that many find challenging which is why stress management gets its own segment!
IF YOUR SELF-CARE PRACTICE ISN’T WHERE IT SHOULD BE AND YOUR STRESS LEVELS NEED SOME ATTENTION,
COME AND JOIN THE BETA CALM THE FAJIZZLE DOWN METHOD
Gain a deeper knowledge of how to decrease your stress and increase your resilience with practical strategies for doing just this,
plus an introduction to the importance of neuroplasticity (How the way you think can make a difference!)
The beta version kicks off on Monday, 27th April. We’d love to see you!
MORE ON STRESS MANAGEMENT
Why is looking into the middle distance better for our eyes?
One of the most unexpected benefits of moving to the country is how happy my eyes are. I had a look into why this is and what I found convinced me of the importance of taking regular breaks from my devices. For the sake of my eyes.
My Favourite Guided Meditation Apps
These are my top 3 favourite guided meditation apps. If meditation is something you find challenging, I’ve done the heavy lifting for you… May the force be with you!
The Importance of Good Breathing
Good breathing keeps your nervous system in check. It’s a great way to manage stress – especially when you know how to do it properly. And when you start a good breathing practice, you may find your anxiety levels decrease!
Two Simple Tricks to Be More Present
At the pointy end of this crazy and weird year, a good time to practice being a smidge more present. Not worrying about yesterday. Not brooding about what’s around the corner. These are two of my simple tricks.
How to Stay Sane Over the Holidays
How to stay sane over the holidays with the tips I actually use myself from my arsenal of healthy rituals and hacks. Especially for this crazy year that is both speeding by and taking its sweet time…
Stress Management Tools: Notice – Shift – Rewire
We’re heading into the silly season. A time of added stress. So today, a nifty little technique that you can use whenever that feeling of overwhelm hits you (and you can do this anywhere). It’s one of my favourites.
How to Practice the Pause
How to practice the pause – a pause is a temporary rest. It’s also a very useful tool to help you manage stress and practice mindfulness. Learning to practise the pause can help to prevent you from jumping to hasty conclusions or making choices that don’t serve you.
Why Self Compassion is NOT Selfish
How do you talk to yourself? Do you talk to yourself as you would a trusted friend or is your inner voice a bit of a b*tch? This idea aof self compassion is an important part of managing your stress
Sleep and the AIP
Did you know that lack of sleep – both quality and quantity – affects your judgement, your coordination, and your reaction times? It can even affect your waistline. No surprises that I think you should be taking your sleep seriously. Here are my tips!
Stress Management: Single Tasking
Without exception, stress management is one of the most challenging areas of adopting a healthier lifestyle.
Single-tasking is a super accessible tool for stress management. You can do it anywhere!
How do you talk to yourself?
How do you talk to yourself? – with love and respect? Or, are you hyper-critical a? Do you need to teach your inner voice some manners?
Embracing the Idea of Stillness (Part II)
Embracing the idea of stillness doesn’t have to be complicated. Rather, creating some space by consciously stepping away from your electronic devices and heading outside is a good place to start. Today I’m sharing what I got up to on my week offline.
Embracing the Idea of Stillness (Part I)
How often do embrace the idea of stillness and give your brain (and body) a break from the stressors and ‘noise’ of everyday life? Me, I don’t think I do it enough – especially after some recent reading on the topic…
What Does Your (New) Daily Routine Look Like?
Your daily routine is one of your best defences against the stress of dealing with this current health crisis. It keeps you focused on the important things.
I’ve been tweaking mine of late…
Learning to Calm the Fajizzle Down in These Challenging Times
It’s a pretty stressful time at the moment, isn’t it? And, you know that this stress shizzle isn’t good for you.
I’m holding a live call to chat about the idea of learning to calm the fajizzle down during these challenging times and you’re invited!
How to stop worrying about what might happen
in this time of uncertainty and questions around what might happen, a few suggestions for how to calm your fajizzle down and slow down that worry muscle. These are some things that work for me.
What’s the Deal with Self-Care? 15 Ideas for YOUR Self Care Arsenal
How about you start treating yourself as you would someone you love?
Finding ways to care for yourself can help you to live in the present; which in turn promotes emotional and psychological health. Great for stress management, too!
The Link Between Stress and Chronic Disease
The bad news is that long-term stress leads to inflammation which increases your risk of developing autoimmune conditions. This is particularly troubling when you consider the level of stress that most of us consider normal in this day and age. Let’s talk about stress and chronic disease…
The Idea of Community and Why it Matters for Your Health
It’s very easy for those of us who suffer from chronic illness to crawl into our respective caves and hide from the world. Especially as we navigate just what our personal symptoms mean. Let’s face it, when you’re deeply fatigued, in pain, experiencing the stress of diagnosis (or yet to be diagnosed) and doing your best to live an AIP way of life – the thought of facing people can just seem too damn much.
Stress Management: The Art of Creative Visualisation
You know me – always on the lookout for a new way to mitigate stress and calm the fajizzle down…
Did you know that in creative visualisation, your brain is training for actual real-life experience? It can’t tell the difference between imagination and reality. Kind of a perfect reason to focus on positive, aspirational ‘stuff’, then.
Turmeric Latte – My Adrenal Enhancing Coffee Alternative (AIP/Paleo)
First published back in mid-2016, this Turmeric Latte number is having a revival at my place as I try to calm a recent flare.
It will have you feeling like you’re indulging. Especially if you’re off coffee and keen to give your wee adrenals a break. And, it’s one of the consistently most popular recipes on my site!
The ginger is warming and the turmeric has oodles of anti-inflammatory benefits. Just perfect for when you need a little pause in your day…
Do You Need to Calm the Fajizzle Down?
I’ve got an exciting bit of news today!
This struggle to navigate our stuff is real. What exactly is this stress thing that everyone bangs on about and how do we combat it?
My Morning Stretching Ritual
We all know we should be exercising and moving our bodies for our health. No news there. But, this can be a bit tricky when you suffer from chronic illness.
My morning stretching ritual has quickly become an integral part of my morning ritual. It’s a great way to start the day with some dedicated self-care that counts towards my weekly exercise quota.
The Importance of a Morning Ritual
Do you have a morning ritual?
The most important thing about a morning ritual is that it isn’t about mindlessly just going about your routine of choice. Rather, it’s a way of building something good into your life. It’s a very deliberate and conscious process that helps to set your course for the day.
What to Do When You’re Having a Bad Day
It’s hugely counter-intuitive, I know, but the very first thing we can do when we’re feeling overwhelmed is STOP. And, by stop, I mean stop the feeling of your terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.
There are a number of ways you can achieve this.
Your AIP Mentor Dictionary
Hello Possum! With all the talk of ‘chickens’ and brain farts and shizzle shovelling – Do you sometimes wonder what I’m talking about? I have you covered!
I’ve put together the AIP Mentor dictionary! A sort of compendium of ‘Jo-isms for when you need a hands deciphering my turn of phrase. Do let me know what you think (or if I’ve forgotten anything!)
Stress Management Tools: Box Breathing
How’s your stress level? If I asked you to rate your stress on a scale of 1 to 10, where would you be, I wonder?
In this week’s post, I’m sharing a prospective technique to add to your health toolbox. And this one is my new favourite because it’s so easy – both to remember and to do. I do it while walking with Bella in the morning. And, walking to the bus. And, in the car…
It’s like a portable secret weapon!
Dealing with Overwhelm – Remember Space, Grace and Pace
What happens when you experience the inevitable overwhelm that hits (often when you least expect…
AIP – Fall Down Seven Times, Get Up Eight
That Japanese proverb – “Fall down seven times, get up eight” could have been written for those of us following an AIP framework. Because life has a habit of tripping us up; causing us to stray from our health goals. But, that just makes us human. Everybody trips up.
The important thing to consider is how often you get back up again…
My 4 Tips to Keep You Sane This Christmas
It’s a crazy time of year, isn’t it? So mad, even the MOST zen and mindful of us can get the speed wobbles. Today I’m sharing my top tips for staying sane this Christmas…
Two Simple Tricks to Be Present (Without Resorting to Yoga)
I wrote the first version of this post on Two Simple Tricks to Be Present (Without…
Stress Management: Go to the Beach and Get Your ‘Blue Space’ Fix
Did you know that a good hit of BLUE SPACE changes the way your brain reacts to its environment leaving you feeling happy, relaxed and reenergized? It’s true!
When was the last time you hit the beach?
Self Care: Be Your Own Valentine!
What would happen if you chose to be your own valentine? Forget about all the commercialism and expectation – instead, finding something to do FOR you.
For 364 days of the year, I have no issue that David is an anti-valentiner. It’s just one day that catches me out…
Do You Make Time for Play?
Do you make time for play? Play is what we do when we engage in…
Stress Management Tools: Legs Up the Wall
When it comes to stress management tools, Legs Up The Wall is arguably my favourite. It’s the perfect exercise for you if who think you ‘don’t have the time for mindfulness’! And, it engages your parasympathetic nervous system FAST.
Embracing Meditation
“The more you rationalise, the more you move farther away from your authentic self.”…
What Kind of Tree are You?
“What an irony it is that these living beings whose shade we sit in,…
9 Reasons You Should Go for a Walk
Solviture ambulando (It is solved by walking) One of the best things about having my sister…
The First Step in Changing Your Behaviour
This list has been doing the rounds on Facebook lately. When it turned up in…
The Autoimmune Protocol: Beyond Diet
I bang on about the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) an awful lot here in my…
Describe THAT Feeling – Changing the Way You Think
Today I want to tell you a story. A story about how one of my…
Essentials: Get Your Support Team in Place
I’ve been thinking a lot about support lately… As in Who’s on YOUR support team?…
What is This MTHFR That I Keep Hearing About?
Are you wondering about this MTHFR gene that everyone seems to be talking about? As…
Heal Your Gut – Random Thoughts and an Update!
I’m currently on the Autoimmune Protocol, a nutrient-rich elimination diet that removes foods that irritate…
Stress Management: Get a Dog!
If you don’t own a dog, at least one, there is not necessarily anything wrong…