{3 minute read}

Cold

Brought to light by the Ice Man himself, Wim Hoff has been raving about the positive effects of cold water immersion for many years now. Doctors have also proved the effects of using cold water to improving symptoms of anxiety and depression, and that cold water does indeed boost the immune system! Unlike our ancestors we now live in the luxurious times of central heating, hot water and electric blankets, this, of course is a huge step from 200 years ago. But, could it be having an effect on our health?

• Cold showers have many benefits including: waking up the entire body, boosting the immune system, increasing circulation (giving your skin a glow) and reducing sore muscles. Start with a short burst of cold water after your normal shower and then slowly begin to increase the length of these cold bursts over time, until you (dare I say it) start to enjoy the cold water! Your body and mind will thank you!
• Pouring down with rain? Blowing a gale outside? Get your wellies and rain jacket on and get out there in the elements! Nothing makes you feel more alive than being outside witnessing the changing weather and feeling it on your skin.

Just Be

How often do you spend time just being? Time where your brain isn’t occupied by the TV, phone, books or music. In today’s world I think I can answer for most people “not often at all!”. Giving yourself even 10 minutes to ‘just be’ in this fast paced world we find ourselves in, could reduce stress levels and make you feel more connected to your body and mind. It could give you the thinking space you may need or the clarity you may be searching for. We hold all the answers within us, we just need to set the time aside to listen to our body and give ourselves space to do..well…nothing. See tips below on how to ‘just be’:

• Try sitting in a comfortable position, set a timer for 10 minutes and do nothing else. Notice what you notice, think what you think, connect to your surrounding or even close your eyes.
• Have a bath with no music, no book, no phone or iPad or fancy inbuilt TV in the bathroom (It is crazy that even in the bathroom our brains are still constantly stimulated). Soaking in the bath with nothing but your thoughts will also give you this time to just be.
• Leave your phone at home and head out for a walk. Walking meditations are a real thing, so get your shoes on and give your body and mind a treat!

Hobbies

Trying something new is not just for children and youngsters! Learning new skills can improve confident, self-esteem and may be a way of meeting like-minded people. This is also a great self development tool; finding out what you like and what you don’t like, what brings out your creative side and what doesn’t, helps us learn more about ourselves and our character. Here are some suggestions for trying something new:

• Try a new recipe or cooking class, learn that instrument that has been on your New Years resolution for the last 5 years, volunteer in the community, buy a bike, join a club (or start up your own club), look through your cupboards for projects you bought but never finished, get active, learn chess, learn to juggle, swim, walk, run, sing, write, draw, paint, learn the art of pottery, start gardening or try that online yoga class Dea Dia Wellbeing has on every week 😉
• Make it social: Ask a friend to join you or search for like minded people on the web! There is an organisation out there for pretty much everything, reach out and get information on events for your chosen hobbies and get involved.