The 4 pillars of wellness

When it comes to feeling like your best self, you might start to feel overwhelmed with all the choices or unsure of what to focus on.

Let’s break down what I love to call the 4 pillars of wellness, aka its time to take your MEDS!

Meditation

Exercise

Diet

Sleep

They might not sound exciting, you may feel a little nervous looking at these areas of your life, but I know you are ready to start feeling like your best self. You’ve already taken the first step - reading this blog.

So let’s work together on these key areas in your life to level up with ease.

Meditation:

But I can’t switch off enough to meditate! Oh my gosh I heard this a LOT as a Yoga Teacher and I’m here to tell you - anyone can meditate.

Like with all things:

1 - you have to find the right practice for you

2 - you have to practice!

Mediation is about honouring your emotions and being present with them. Feeling your emotions, rather than suppressing them, is essential for a mindful and present life.

If sitting and meditating doesn’t come naturally then movement can be a form of meditation, as long as you aren’t using your phone as a distraction. Go for a walk and be present with what you notice - sounds, smells, colours of the leaves.

Journaling can also be really help here, especially if you find it challenging to share or express yourself right now. Write how you feel in your mind, your body or what emotions come up. It’s not about being perfect, its learning how to express yourself.

Exercise:

I like to move it, move it!

As a Yoga Teacher, I would often start a class congratulating those that showed up, especially in the winter. Why? Because they had done the hardest part of the class, getting themselves there!

If you feel like you don’t have the energy to move, know this - You don’t have energy, you create it! You are a generator and you need to create energy by moving in ways that reenergise you.

80% of the population have sedentary jobs aka they sit all day! This is not healthy - no wonder you feel tired all the damn time.

To have more energy you need to create it, so get up and walk about.

If you have a step counter check how many you are clocking during your work hours. It’s likely to be lower than you’d expect - less than 5k a day means you are living a sedentary lifestyle.

Start taking the stairs more, park the car a little further away or walk to the next bus stop. These little actions will have a big impact.

Diet:

You are what you eat!

Food affects your mood. Yes certain foods taste great, but for that split second of enjoyment is it really worth it? Because that will be affecting your mood 3 days from now!

I’m not here to tell you what type of diet to eat. As a Nutritionist I’ve tried pretty much every diet there is. Instead the saying I want to highlight here is: garbage in, garbage out!

When you fuel yourself with rubbish, crappy and nutrient deficient foods you feel like crap! You can’t give your best if you don’t feel like your best.

Sadly we’ve made it so easy to get ‘fast food’ that we overlook the value of what we eat for the speed and simplicity of getting food into our bellies.

Are you hydrated enough?

Did you know that when you actually feel thirsty you’re already dehydrated! Being as little as 1-3% dehydrated has a knock on effect on your focus, productivity and even your mood.

Make sure you are drinking plenty of water throughout your day.

Sleep:

Sleep is king.

When your sleep is off, you’ll feel it. If you can prioritise 1 area of your life, start with your sleep.

If you are longing to wake up feeling refreshed and ready for the day then this is the habit to start focusing on.

You probably know that you spend approximately one third of your life sleeping. Some people average more or less, but 6-8 hours of sleep per day is the healthy norm. 

Yet so many people fight against this. With attitudes of ‘I’ll sleep when I’m dead’ or ‘Sleep is for the weak’. However these mindsets are stopping many people from an easy source of energy.

Make sleep a priority - no matter what happens during your day, when life gets busy or you suddenly get a download of ideas, Don’t sacrifice your sleep.

Make your bedroom a sanctuary - block out as much light as possible, get rid of electronics and cool the room.

Not sure where to start?

I can help you work through the 4 pillars during my 90 day signature coaching program The Vibrant Wellbeing Method.

Learn how I can support you, book a FREE discovery call HERE