Today we are more stressed than ever before, living demanding lives where getting a moment’s rest is not an everyday occurrence. Holistic health practitioner Dr Ron Ehlrich shares how we can build ourselves up and maintain our health in order to live a happier, healthier and more resilient life.
Sleep
A good nights sleep is a daily opportunity to significantly improve and maintain your health. Sleep is the most important part of the day, affecting physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. It’s the foundation for any wellness journey. It’s not just the quantity of sleep that’s important but the quality; how well you breathe while you sleep is the key. What defines a good night’s sleep? It’s both quantity and quality. There are ten steps to sleeping well: prioritise, routine, light and electromagnetic radiation, noise, food and drink, temperature, sleeping position, environmental toxins, be positive, sex.
Breathing
One of the secrets to a longer, healthier life is to breathe well. Breathing is something we give little thought to. What are the implications of breathing through your mouth or breathing through your nose on body chemistry and posture? Breathing well is an important regulator of a healthy body chemistry and central health and wellness.
Nutrition
Everything you place in, on, or near your mouth has the potential to nourish, but equally has the potential to harm – this most obvious source of nutrition is food and water. Drawing on ancient wisdom, nutrition that is free of commercial interests is central to maintaining good health in a sustainable, manageable, ethical and healthy way. Prioritise nutrition to ensure a healthy lifestyle.
Movement
Building movement in your daily life, you have the simplest, cheapest, most accessible and most effective way of improving your physical and mental health, not to mention improving the outcomes of almost every treatment for chronic degenerative diseases you may have developed. It’s surprising how little movement you need to do to make a big difference, from changing your working and sleeping positions to incorporating functional movements and weight-bearing exercise into your daily life. This positively impacts on every health indicator and treatment outcome.
Thought
When you have positive thoughts, it leads to positive feelings and corresponding positive biochemistry throughout the body and mind. Mindfulness and meditation are great ways to encourage thought and promote wellbeing. Consider the PERMA model: Positive emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning and Acknowledgment and remember that the power of the mind is our greatest tool.
Ron Ehrlich is the author of A Life Less Stressed – the five pillars of health and wellness, available from 2 January 2018.