Start 2022 with a Happy New You!

With every New Year comes an opportunity for new beginnings and a sense of opportunity as the year starts to unfold. And since January tends to feel almost twice the length of any other month (or is that just us?!) we sat down with our Wellbeing and Lifestyle Advocate, London based wellness practitioner Marc Salmon, who shared his tips to energise and rejuvenate in 2022.

Things to consider and review:

• How adopting different eating, exercise, working, free time habits has affected our sense of wellbeing.
• How navigating the pandemic has left many of us feeling depleted, de-energised and ‘stuck’.
• How living in a constant ‘media cycle’ causes background stress and anxiety.
• How being unable to readily travel / plan adventures further afield, connect with loved ones and places of interest has shrunk our world.

Things we can do to help:

• Check for any ‘background’ issues compromising your wellbeing such as fatigue.
• Consider a gentle detox – try reducing sugar, alcohol, dairy, eggs and processed food and replace with whole grains, a rainbow of vegetables and fruits, fresh herbs, and fish in moderation.
• Mindfulness – we love Headspace as an easy go-to for beginners through to advanced meditation. Meditation undoubtedly helps to quieten your mind, regain focus, avoid ‘covid-brain’ and a by product could be a reduction in endless scrolling on social media.
• Nature! add in time out of doors not just to exercise, but also to enjoy the benefits of fresh air, sunshine, and the elements. Group sports like running and wild swimming are a great way to socialise and exercise…
• Feelings of happiness – focus on simple pleasures: cooking from scratch, creativity, art, music, sport, exercise, time with friends and family.
• Sleep – aim for a minimum of 6 hours – preferably 7 – 8 hours. An Oura ring gives accurate measurements for sleep, readiness and activity.
• Reconnecting socially – going for walks, simple home-cooked meals for a few friends.
• Supplements – the obvious ones that really do help support our metabolism and optimal functionality – take Vitamin D + K2, liposomal Vitamin C, Zinc.
• Activities to increase neuroplasticity – increasing cognitive ability which benefits brain fitness. Simple actions like brushing your teeth with a different hand, varying your school run and taking different routes while doing errands all enhance your brain!
• Exercise – 3 – 5 times per week, combine cardiovascular exercise with strength training to reap benefits.
• Breathwork – The Oxygen Advantage, by Patrick McKewan or Breath by James Nestor are both hugely helpful – benefits of practicing breathwork include balanced blood pressure, more time in deep sleep and better immune system.

Recommend tools that may support your wellness journey:

• Sensate pebble – a palm sized device designed to calm the nervous system. A combination of infrasound, vibrations and ultrasonic waves has an effect on the vagus nerve, increasing parasympathetic activity while promoting calm, reducing the toxic effects of sleeplessness and stress.
• Regular infrared saunas, daily dry skin brushing in a circular motion brushing towards the heart – sweating once or twice per week through exercise – and adding in epsom salt baths (care for those with high blood pressure) are all tried and tested methods to enhance wellbeing.

NOTE – check with your medical practitioner before embarking on any new regime.

We love some of these ideas to help unwind and reset – that nourish mind, body and spirit.

Get ready for some post vacation style rejuvenation and – when the time is right give us as call and let us plan the ultimate wellness retreat for you +44 (0) 1993 824 198/ +1 (718) 878 5850.