Moving Forward and Making Changes
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t’s been a funny old year so far hasn’t it? So many changes, so much upheaval, so many new things to cope with and, in the midst of all this, it has never been so important to look after ourselves, both physically and mentally. But how do we actually do that? This article is here to answer that question, so grab a cuppa, sit back and relax.
Jo Howarth Jo Howarth is a bestselling author and inspirational speaker. She is an uplifter, an inspirer, a helper and the founder of The Happiness Club. You can reach Jo at jo@ thehappinessclub.co.uk and find out more about the Happiness Club at www.thehappinessclub.co.uk
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Do you ever? Relax, I mean. Do you ever purposely, actively, make time to simply relax? When we talk about physical wellbeing, we automatically think of exercise and nutrition. But relaxation is as vital to your health and wellbeing as eating and drinking the right things are. It’s not a nicety, it’s not a luxury, it’s not something to do when you have the time; it is vital to your health and wellbeing but it’s the thing that gets forgotten because we are so busy. Some of us have been cooped up inside for a while now with lockdown measures in place across the country, some of us have been forced to stop and do less than usual, and some of us have had ‘relaxation’ pushed upon us. Doing less and relaxing are not necessarily the same thing, though; if you struggled to relax when you were busier, the chances are that you will struggle to relax now you have less to do. Whether you find yourself more or less busy than usual, making that time to relax is vital.
So, how do we relax? Start by taking just 1 minute a day. Find somewhere comfy to sit, set a timer for 1 minute, close your eyes and for that 1 minute focus all of your attention on your breathing – on each breath in and each breath out. Every time you notice that your mind has wandered away from that focus, gently bring it back to your breath. Do this for just 1 minute a day. When you get used to doing it for 1 minute, do it for 2, then 3, then 4. When you get to 5 minutes it is officially called meditation, and this is the most beautiful way to practise relaxation that I have ever found.
