Be your best self for 2020

THE Wellness Industry is booming, and for 2020 and it’s a more fashionable than ever buzz word to bandy about.

Admittedly there can be a bit of ‘faffiness’ about it, crystals, juices and chakras aren’t for everyone; but essentially it’s a measure of your mental and physical health. And keeping a check on that can surely only be a good thing.

Here are a few core wellness activities that have stood the test of time, and some others that are emerging as new things to try this year…

YOGA

Hot, Flow, Laughing  - take your pick, just grab a mat and find a class.  Without a doubt there’s a type to suit you and the benefits are vast including body awareness, body strength, improved posture, blood flow and relaxation.  Lots of classes even include a little nap at the end – what’s not to like about that? Bottom line: it makes you feel better. Still not convinced: yogis also look younger!

PILATES

Not unlike yoga, this is another oldie where the emphasis is more on building a strong core through slow and controlled movements. If you stick with it, the results are impressive and wonderful for anyone recovering from injury which is why so many sports players are turning to it. It’s about building stamina in a gentle and relaxing way.

FOREST BATHING

This is a new kid on the block for 2020 and is all about slowing down and immersing yourself in nature by taking a gentle walk through woodlands. It’s about bathing your senses in what you see, hear and feel. It’s huge in Japan, where it originated in a bid to help strung out office workers. It’s gaining in popularity in Ireland, with a West Cork group launching tours this March. It’s suitable for all adults and is a most enjoyable way to pass a few hours.

MEDITATION/ MINDFULNESS

There’s a massive swing away from thinking that multi-tasking was a good thing, to being told it’s detrimental to our sense of wellness. The focus is now all about taking things step-by-step and being in the moment as much as possible in our everyday tasks. There’s also a realisation that down time is crucial to our good health and not something we should try to fit in when we can.

Taking this a level further, why not consider practicing mindfulness or meditation? They may sound like they’re not for you but essentially, either can be as basic as taking a moment to sit in a chair, close your eyes and take 10 deep breaths before rejoining real life. Like most things, the more you do it the easier it gets and the benefits increase.  There’s a wealth of apps available to get started.

DIGITAL DETOXING

We all talk about this but how many of us actually do it? For 2020 the message to plug out is even louder and is being called Dopamine Fasting. We’re being urged to put away the devices and enjoy what’s being called ‘high vibration experiences’ instead. Basically that’s anything ‘real’ – interacting with real people, having conversations and keeping connected.

If the thought of this absolutely terrifies you, at the very least leave your phone out of your bedroom. Your sleep and your sex life will definitely improve!

SELF-CARE

With busy lives this is often one of the first things that slip. And with so many demands on our money, we think it’s something we have to sacrifice. While self-care can be something like booking a massage, or having a spa treatment it can also be about lighting some candles, turning on some soothing music and having a bath. It could be giving yourself a home facial; treating yourself to an essential oil diffuser and enjoying the benefits on your mood of using different blends. It could even be about treating yourself to new bed linen and pyjamas and demoting to dusters that washed out pair you’ve had forever! It’s whatever makes you feel revived. And yes that could be a 20 minute disco nap.  Remember, if you’re running on empty you can’t help others – keep your own tank topped up. It’s not being selfish, it’s just makes sense.

WRITING A GRATITUDE JOURNAL

This is something that’s emerged over the past while – and is essentially taking a few moments at the end of the day to record what it is you’re grateful about. Some people struggle with the idea, but it does force you to focus on the positives rather than the negative and after a while this can become a new habit.

Posting positive affirmations in places like your bathroom mirror, your fridge, your car dashboard is something similar. It’s like writing mood-boosting notes to yourself. They can be anything from: ‘I know I’ve everything I need to get through my day’, to ‘Less worrying more smiling.’ They are timely reminders to jolt us from any negativity or apathy we may naturally slide into as we go about your day.

KEEPING IT REAL

Forget all those ‘five days to a new you,’ faddy diets and impossible regimes, for 2020 the move is towards real food, real experiences, and consistency in whatever wellness activity you go for.

This article was taken from our popular Get Active magazine which is available to read in full here.