One thing I've learned is that we can make it super hard to build a balanced immune system and soothe our anxious selves when it’s often so simple.
When we heard the news about the whole of New Zealand once again going to Level 4 lockdown, we rushed out to form robot queues in liquor stores and supermarkets. This made me smile, which was good for my immune system, but also a bit sad.
We have become so dependent on alcohol to numb our pain, dull our stress, or cheer us up.
My point is, we aren’t looking after ourselves properly, needing quick fixes, we are so overwhelmed. I love our locally brewed craft beer or a chunky red wine, but I know when I feel like a drink after work, it's often really a call for self-care sans alcohol. It's a call for me to ease my nervous system.
It’s not just excess food and drinks we self soothe with, it’s overworking, undervaluing quality sleep, overspending, under replenishing, and so on.
These unhealthy culturally steered habits can create excess stress, which leads to anxiety.
I want to encourage you to tap into and utilize nature's gifts, your own body's needs, and to focus on building a happy, healthy balanced nervous system.
Rather than leaving the focus until you’re sick, tired, anxious, or depressed, start leaning into self-preservation, learn to balance your incredible inner system.
“The best six doctors anywhere
And no one can deny it
Are sunshine, water, rest, and air
Exercise and diet.
These six will gladly you attend
If only you are willing
Your mind they'll ease
Your will they'll mend
And charge you not a shilling.”
-- Nursery rhyme quoted by Wayne Fields, What the River Knows, 1990”
Let's take a quick look at effortless, common ways to balance your nervous system.
Fresh Air
Go for a walk outside, or open windows and doors, practice nostril breathing, don’t vape or smoke. We all live in a beautiful world where there are trees and plants. parks, and for many of us oceans and mountains. Go outside and breathe it if. Slowly.
Sunshine
Recent studies have found that vitamin D helps you make serotonin, one of your body's feel-good hormones. Get outside and take off your sunnies.
Fresh Water
There are a ton of benefits, so in short, remember 70% (or so) of your body is made up of water. Your body needs water to survive. It's one of the simplest health habits you can follow to improve energy, flush out toxins, improve skin, aid digestion, promote weight loss, prevent headaches, and so balance your immune system.
Sleep
Just as vital as water, we need quality, regular sleep. Simply put, your body can’t function well without 6-8 hrs sleep a night. Get help if you struggle to sleep well most of the time. But obvs, check this list and see how you are going to balance your body's needs. Poor sleep is usually a symptom of poor habits. https://www.lifecoachnelson.co.nz/product-page/chamomile-sleep-supplements
Exercise
The benefits of exercise are numerous – stress relief, improved mood, it is protective against depression, stronger muscles and bones, a more robust immune system, healthier weight, and higher metabolism, keep blood sugars in check and insulin working well, lowers blood pressure and cholesterol, helps the body detox, and so on. Go for a walk, dance, stretch, make love!
Laughter
We have all heard that laughter is the best medicine, and for good reasons. Laughter is a potent endorphin releaser, it’s our inner healer.
Take yourself a little lighter, focus on what’s fun, recall past events where you laughed your head off, plan to do something silly. Play...
Eat well
One of the fastest ways to boost your immune system is through eating real food when you feel hungry in healthy portions. Most of us overeat, we eat out of habit, rather than to live a long and healthy life.
If you want to live longer, reduce levels of inflammation throughout your body and delay the onset of age-related diseases, most of us should eat less food, say, researchers.
Cut back on sugar, processed foods, eat plenty of fresh foods, proteins, and enjoy every mouthful. Try it for 2 weeks...
Create less stress
Cortisol is a hormone that's created by the body’s response to stress and anxiety, it increases blood pressure and blood sugar, and reduces the ability of the immune system to respond to disease.
What’s your priority? Most of us have Work, Family, Fun in that order.
How balanced is your life, and do you have plenty of time for resting, playing, and resetting?
Take supplements to help soothe the chemistry of anxiety. https://www.lifecoachnelson.co.nz/product-page/good-de-stress
I recommend you find your own groove. Mine is focused on starting the day slowly, meditating, cuddling the dogs, and sipping tea, then I will plan my day.
Foster healthy relationships
In short, we become like the 5 people we spend the most time with.
For me, I've learned to stop people-pleasing, and I’m more inclined to give my quality time to my fav’s, including my Mum who lives 18603 km away 😉. Even though we are far apart our weekly catchups are close at heart and deep in meaning.
This is just a quick look at these effortless ways to balance your nervous system, so find out more about each of them and take charge of your health.
To help you in a delicious way, try these delicious supplements too, I am in love with them.
I'm of course here to help and guide you, so feel free to get in touch, I do my best to practice what I preach, and I know how amazeballs I feel when I follow this path.
Here’s to us all owning our health, mental, physical, and spiritual, we all deserve to feel fabulous…and we can!!
I challenge you to take what feels right for you from this blog and have a personal experiment. I radically cut back on alcohol in Jan 2022, having a drink on just 4 occasions. I feel more alive, more present, and most of all I like myself more! February I am choosing to focus on eating well...
Love Love Love Caron xoxo