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How long do you spend each day trying to find lost things, trying to remember important stuff, or trying to plan? It takes up valuable time, but most crucially, it is quite stressful… which obviously has an impact on health and well-being. One of the quickest ways to well-being is to get organised. It sounds so easy, but it is just like all the simplest things – it’s often the last thing that people think to do, often because their logical brain (the left pre-frontal cortex) is not switched on, as is usually the case in stressful or anxious situations. Getting organised, putting affairs in order, finding a place for everything: all of these measures can really help improve your well-being, as they create healthy patterns for your habit-loving brain. No one ever forgets where their toothbrush is because it’s always in the same place. It can be that easy with other parts of your life too. How do you become more organised? As with most things, it’s different for each person. Here are some general tips that might help: 1. Do one small thing each day that will help you become more organised, like putting a container for your keys near the front door or keeping your to-do list in one place. You don’t need to fix all problems in one go. 2. Rank jobs in order of importance and do the most difficult or time-consuming one first. Then all the other, smaller jobs will be done in a flash. 3. Find a system that helps you, like writing things down on lists, or repeating important information to a tune so that you remember it more readily. And if you’d like a system that is really helpful, fun, creative and engaging, try starting a bullet journal. Don’t know how? Well, how convenient that I’m running a workshop on this very subject on 20th October. It's an analogue system in a digital world, so if you love stationery, lists and being creative, this is the session for you. More details at www.cleanwellbeing.com/workshops. Seamless! 
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Two interconnected things for this week’s blog. Firstly, I had my first gong therapy experience at the weekend. And secondly, on the same day, I found out about something called ASMR – autonomous sensory meridian response. For me, the gong experience caused ASMR. Known informally as ‘brain tingle’ or ‘spine tingle’, autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) is most commonly triggered by specific auditory or visual stimuli. The experience is usually a static-like or tingling sensation on the skin that typically begins on the scalp and moves down the back of the neck and upper spine. ASMR is different for everyone, categorised by a combination of positive feelings and a distinct static-like tingling sensation on the skin. According to the University of Sheffield’s Psychology department, ASMR is a real, physiologically-rooted phenomenon and may even have a place in the treatment of mental ill health and stress. Interesting! I didn’t know this ‘response’ had a name. It’s something I’ve experienced for as long as I can remember and, for me, is usually an auditory thing rather than visual. After some digging around the internet, I found that there is a whole movement dedicated to ASMR, with lots about how ASMR can help you relax and sleep – always like catnip to me. Each to his/her own, so if you’re interested, try a search for ASMR videos. My gong experience triggered a massive brain tingle. I didn’t want it to end. It was like being on the verge of the most delicious sleep, but staying conscious throughout. Apparently, you can become immune to ASMR if you use it too frequently. So, like everything, balance is key. Finally, it’s not something that everyone has, so have a go with some of the online videos and see if you have it.  I heard a couple of things on the radio this week (so they must be true!). Firstly, sitting is known as the ‘new’ smoking: that being sedentary can be as harmful to our bodies in the long term as smoking. And secondly, the average pensioner is more active than the average 35-60-year-old, who spends most of the day sat down at work, or hunched over a screen – sitting for at least 8 hours every day. Regular readers of this blog will know how often I write about moving more. Just doing a little bit more every day counts. But today is different: today is a battle cry for doing more than a couple of calf raises while waiting for the kettle to boil, or some stretches during the adverts on TV. Today, I urge you: if you don’t usually do much, try to do significantly more than you normally would. Double the length of your lunchtime walk; hold a plank for longer than you think you can; run up the stairs rather than amble; grab a skipping rope and jump for two minutes; dance wildly for half an hour; sign up for a new class or do a more challenging online class. Encourage people around you to join in. You know how much you can do, so do it! Your body will thank you for it in the long run. If you need some inspiration, I’ve produced a series of easy-to-use exercise guides with photos. Order them from my website www.cleanwellbeing.com.  A little challenge for you this week. How about choosing one day per week as your time to live simply? Perhaps you could talk less, and listen more, with your full attention. Do something incognito and kind for someone you’re close to. Eat simple and natural food. Switch off devices and screens when you don’t need them on. Create pockets of time for not doing anything - just walk, look around, live in the moment. Open your mind to a more profound and silent way of being. Appreciate each scene and each person as they are. Try it for a day and observe the impact on your well-being.  |
AuthorHi, I'm Joanna from Clean Well-Being. Archives
October 2020
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| Fitness and well-being provider | Clean Well-being blog |
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