In today’s fast-paced society, we can often forget to take a moment to slow down and take care of ourselves. Whether it’s a stressful day at work, unresolved past trauma or social anxiety after spending much more time in solitude over the last few years, self-care is of the utmost importance. Here are some easily-implemented holistic healing therapies to help you revitalise your mind, body and soul in Melbourne.
1. Exercise more
Whether you’re a pet owner or not, you’re surely aware of how much dogs need an active lifestyle to stay physically and mentally happy. Humans are no different. Regular exercise helps us to sleep better, stay in shape, and get our endorphins flowing, which helps with mood regulation. You don’t necessarily have to engage in sports or go running if you’re not into those types of activities – just find something you enjoy which gets your heart rate up and works up a sweat. The more you enjoy it, the more inclined you’ll be to make it a staple of your routine.
2. Make sure you get enough sleep
Sleep is extremely important – your body needs time to recuperate, while your mind needs time to process the day’s thoughts and “hit the reset button”, so to speak. If you’re having trouble sleeping properly, try staying off your phone in the hour before bed, don’t fall asleep with the TV on, and avoid caffeine or alcohol of an evening. Dim the lights around the house in the leadup to bedtime, as this helps you subconsciously get into the “sleep” mindset.
3. Deep breaths
Breathwork has become increasingly popular in recent years, as more research emerges on the benefits of drawing more oxygen into our respiratory systems. It’s good for the mind, body and soul. There are countless different approaches to the process, but even just simply making a point of taking deeper breaths periodically throughout the day will make a significant difference as a start. This can reduce stress, lower blood pressure and heighten concentration levels.
4. Eat less processed foods
Replace the processed foods in your diet with more wholesome, healthy and organic ingredients. Eating more fruit and vegetables is an obvious one, and if you don’t consider yourself to be much of a cook, try taking some classes or choosing some recipes to practice at home – cooking your own meals is a sure-fire way to improve your diet and reduce your dependence on processed foods and frozen meals from the supermarket.
5. Get in touch with nature
How often do you actually feel the natural environment on your skin? Do you dig your bare feet into the sand at the beach every day, or sit down in the park and touch the grass with your hands? As far as holistic healing therapies go, you’d be surprised how important contact with nature is for our health and well-being – for example, trees contain chemicals that can help to reduce our stress hormones, lower anxiety and improve blood pressure, among other things.
6. Explore the great outdoors
Carrying on from the previous point, be sure to get outside and immerse yourself in outdoor activities. Go for a hike on the weekend. Book a kayaking tour. Arrange a picnic with friends. Go camping. Especially after the last few years, it’s more important than ever to make up for lost time and get out of the house as much as possible.
7. Maximise time spent with friends and family
Regardless of whether you’re an introvert or an extrovert, humans are clan animals. We need social interaction, we need to love and we need to be loved. Consider how much time you spend with friends and family, and if you find that maybe you’ve been neglecting these people lately due to being busier at work or other reasons, try making an effort to book in some social time.
8. Try yoga
If you already do yoga, you’ve probably already noticed the health benefits yourself. For those who haven’t tried it, don’t be shy or daunted by the fact that you won’t know what you’re doing at first. Yoga classes are typically a very welcoming and accepting environment, and you will soon learn a whole host of techniques for improving physical wellness, emotional calm and a healthier mind, body and soul.
9. Cut yourself some slack
Many of us put way too much pressure on ourselves to “do it all”. Between full-time jobs, studying, exercise, social commitments, running errands and the rest of it; most people have a lot on their plates these days. Don’t forget to be kind to yourself, be grateful for what you’ve got, be aware of what you’ve achieved, and accept that we’re all doing our best – you’ll literally feel lighter for taking a moment to remind yourself of these sentiments on a daily basis.
10. Treat yourself
In the spirit of cutting yourself some slack, don’t forget to treat yourself from time to time! Why not book in for a relaxing massage, or rejuvenating acupuncture treatment? Perhaps you’d benefit from energy revitalisation treatment or mood balance and sleep support. If you’ve been hunched over your desk a lot lately and it’s taken a toll on your back, see an osteopath. We often neglect these simple solutions, despite the huge difference they can make to our physical, mental and emotional well-being.
