November 2018

The first step in this process is to become aware of the profound influence your mind has on every aspect of your health & your life. Your earliest experiences will carry with them an emotional attachment which will either be positive or negative. The positive ones will enhance your self-esteem & confidence and the negative ones will be the seeds for insecurity & inadequacy. They all have an effect on your body’s chemistry for better or worse so if you have any long term pain, health or unhappiness issues they will most likely originate from your mind. These experiences and influences will continue throughout your life helping or hindering you along your life’s journey so managing your Mind will dramatically help improve your situation. The primary aim of the My Mind Gym is to create feelings of happiness which will ultimately promote mental & physical well-being. That is not to say that your diet and activity levels are not important to but My Mind Gym is just focusing in the brains influence.

Philosophy: It’s really important to understand what you are aiming to do in My Mind Gym so here is the philosophical mind-set to guide you:

• Take 100% charge of your life; ask yourself what can I do?
• Have total faith in your ability to solve any problems that might arise in your life
• Remember ‘What goes around comes around’ so give out love & positivity if that’s what you want back!
• Never underestimate yourself as Inadequacy & Inferiority are your Life Inhibitors!!
• See your life as your opportunity to SHINE & be your best!

Exercise 1: Journaling

At the end of each day get in the habit of writing about your day. If it’s been good be sure to appreciate all that has happened and even if it has been uneventful find some things to appreciate.

If it has been not so good, writing about it will help you become aware of and ultimately release those emotions attached to the event. It’s important to own your feelings as they come from you. We all have different perspectives and sensitivities and this exercise will help you recognize yours. It’s not good to harbour bad feelings about anyone or anything so trying to release those feeling will help your mind release its hold on you and your health. Looking to Forgive, Understand or Accept are crucial parts of this exercise and will help you get on your path to recovery.

Exercise 2: Word reversal

Divide a page into two with a line down the middle. On the left hand side write down all the negative adjectives& phrases (lies) you might say to yourself regarding your behaviour, your health, your job, your relationships e.g. useless, hopeless, failure, no good, waste of time, pathetic, always ill, disliked etc etc.

Now on the right hand side write the opposite word or phrase e.g successful, happy, healthy, capable, popular, fortunate etc

Tear off the left side and keep the right side with you to read regularly during the day; adding to it when appropriate.

Exercise 3: Vision Board

Make a list of all the good things in your life; make a list of all your aspirations & dreams in relation to your mental & physical Well-Being, your work & prosperity, your relationships and finally your connection with God/Universe.

Once you have this list use Google to find a picture representation of the words you have used and then add them to a piece of A4 paper and create a vision board of all the good things in your life. Regularly look at this vision board.

Exercise 4: Speedy Mindfulness

Mindfulness is a crucial part of the work you will do in My Mind Gym so following this simple routine will help your mind switch off and your healing and repair process switch on. This will allow you to achieve your full potential physically & mentally. Mindfulness is the art of just being present in the moment, relaxing and just allowing the outside world to pass you bye.

• • Find somewhere quiet and sit down and close your eyes.
  • Place your hands on your lap and be aware of your feet on the ground and your back & legs against the chair.
  • Take 3 deep breaths feeling the air fill your abdomen not your chest.
  • Be aware of the quietness of where you are (but don’t block out any sounds just acknowledge them).
  • Be aware of any sensations in your body.
  • Let your breath dictate your state and just allow the air to flow in and out.
  • If any thought intrude just increase your awareness of your body & breathing and allow them to go. The same with any intruding sounds.
  • Just stay like this for as long as you can.
  • Repeat as often as you can.

If you would like any further assistance with any Stress Management please feel free to contact me at [email protected]

When you are sitting at your desk or in front of the TV do you think about the consequences of what you are doing?

Did you know that sitting is the new smoking and that if you have a sedentary job you are twice as likely of dying young? That’s not good news for our computer focused world!!

The link between illness and sitting first emerged in the 1950s, when researchers found London bus drivers were twice as likely to have heart attacks as their bus conductor colleagues.

Sitting for too long enhances the immobility associated with back pain and we all know that staring into a computer screen for a long time puts a lot of strain on one’s neck muscles.

Sitting or lying down for too long raises your risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.

Moving throughout the day can help even more than exercise to lower your risk of all these health problems!

Too much sitting can also be bad for your mental health

Sitting also for long periods is thought to slow the metabolism, which affects the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar, blood pressure and break down body fat. Many adults in the UK spend more than seven hours a day sitting or lying, and this typically increases with age to 10 hours or more.

Too Much Sitting Is Killing You (Even If You Exercise)

Here are some further side effects!!:

• Poor Blood Circulation
• Weakened Muscles
• Posture Problems
• Brain Damage
• Anxiety and Depression
• Cancer

However here are some solutions

For children:

• Limit screen time, such as TV and video games, to just one to two hours a day. In children under five, the advice is to limit the time they spend watching TV, travelling by car, bus or train, or being strapped into a buggy.
• consider ways for children to “earn” screen time
• agree a family limit to screen time per day
• make bedrooms a TV- and computer-free zone
• set “no screen time” rules to encourage kids to be active
• encourage participation in house chores such as setting the table or taking the bins out
• choose gifts such as a scooter, skateboard, ball or kite to encourage active play

Parents could lead by example by also reducing their TV time and other sitting-based tasks.

Adults aged 19 to 64 are advised to try to sit down less throughout the day, including at work, when travelling and at home.

• stand on the train or bus
• take the stairs and walk up escalators
• set a reminder to get up every 30 minutes
• place a laptop on a box or similar to work standing
• stand or walk around while on the phone
• take a walk break every time you take a coffee or tea break
• walk to a co-worker’s desk instead of emailing or calling
• swap some TV time for more active tasks or hobbies

Some older adults (aged 65 and over) are known to spend 10 hours or more each day sitting or lying down, making them the most sedentary population group.

• avoid long periods sat in front of a TV or computer
• stand up and move during TV advert breaks
• stand or walk while on the phone
• use the stairs as much as possible
• take up active hobbies such as gardening and DIY
• join in community-based activities, such as dance classes and walking groups
• take up active play with the grandchildren
• do most types of housework

My simple tips are to stand when answering the phone or regularly go & get a glass of water.

For more advice on pain or stress management and other health issues please get in touch.