Timetable for Health

One of the important steps we discuss with people in our centre is the importance of having a timetable or schedule. Usually we would see many parents and families in our centre, all with busy lives, clubs, work, school, home, exercise and other commitments. A timetable/schedule/planner is a great ingredient when balancing life and health goals. It’s true that as I write this, we are in lock down and not going out to attend regular meet-ups, groups etc, which does mean that many of our usual activities have had to adopt a different format or be postponed. Initially for many people, this understandably bought about a lot of confusion as packed diaries suddenly became null and void (at least to begin with). All schedules and plans were sent into turmoil.

A few years ago, we had a really tense and challenging start to the summer holidays with the boys. We had a holiday planned, but not until the end. We were working up until that point. After about 10 days in I realised what the problem was: I hadn’t thought to timetable the summer holidays. We had the basics in place, but because we hadn’t worked out when we were going to exercise, or who was going to work and when it turned into a free for all, with us trying to entertain the boys and work at the same time. Once we realised this and arranged our timetable, things ran a lot smoother and we got the things done that we needed to whilst having a great summer. Since then I have always ensured that timetables cover holidays as well (to a certain extent). (We even joked last year that I had planned-in spontaneity into our holidays).

I now rely on my timetable and have done for many years. I colour code, draw and include the whole family for the week. It’s how we know who needs to be where and when, who is taking them etc. It also includes, for example, time to ensure everyone gets exercise time. It has the 7 Habits7habitsofhealth.blogspot.com factored in. For the first week of lock down I really missed having this, until I realised I just needed to adapt. I do actually believe though that there has never been a more important time to introduce, or continue to have, a planner.

We are all having to spend a lot more time in the house together and where possible continue about our daily lives. It can be a really stressful time as we are trying to juggle working from home with home schooling and maintain a healthy lifestyle along with our family relationships. Emotions can be challenging at times, but having some sort of routine will help. Trying to keep a routine may seem a little pointless and impossible but actually I feel it is necessary for health reasons. We all like to feel that we are accomplishing something and that we are making the best use of our time, and developing a planner will help.

Usually I would develop our timetable at the start of each school term; that way any changes in after-school clubs can be easily added. It can be changed at any time though.

If we think back to our time at school, we all had to work to a timetable e.g. Monday 9am Maths, 10am Biology and so on. This continues on into higher education and for some of us into our working lives. 

So, what if we were to look at doing the same with our own planners?

1.     List all the jobs/ events etc you currently do each day.

2.     List all the things that you want to fit in but don’t feel you can. This may be reading, Date Night, going for a walk...

3.     Check back to your scorecard from the 7 Habits of Health (found in my blog post The 7Habits of Health 29/03/20). Are they any action points that need including e.g. daily meditation, early morning exercise, daily music practice etc.

4.     Is there anything on list one that you can get someone else to do/ help with?

5.     Place all items onto a timetable. “Fun” stuff first. See over page for example.

6.     Tell your family what you are doing so they are aware and run with this for a week or so. If something needs a slight amendment then go for it, but stick with it. It will make all the difference to your time.

N:B Be aware of logistics such as who needs the computer/laptop and when. At the moment everything is being done remotely and this means more computer time which can cause frustration if everyone needs to use them at the same time.

Tips when working out your schedule

1.     You will find that some tasks have to be done on specific days eg, kids clubs etc. Put these in first.

2.     As much as possible plan the schedule to how you want it to look. If it looks complety different do two then compare and plan to move to the ideal.

3.     Make sure you schedule in a date night as well, even if you don’t go out, which we can’t do at the moment, simply watch a film or attend a virtual quiz.

4.     Don’t be put off by the initial organisation involved, once done it will make a world of difference.

5.     Be prepared to alter it over time as the family’s lifestyle and needs change. It will obviously need changing again soon once the lock down has been lifted and we have more freedom.

I have included below a simple design template that I started out with. Using this design each family member is given a different colour. I also use a diary and journal when planning. Now though my timetable is set to start at 6am each day and finish at 10pm. Please note though I do not always fill every single hour with something. There does need to be an element of flexibility, and you need to be able to adapt when needs- be. Especially when you have children around.

Now I also plan in things like what we are going to eat for the week to save time when shopping and also each day at meal times. Obviously at the moment shopping is a bit more of a challenge though, but it can be done.

	Early	AM	Lunch	PM	Eve
Mon
Tues
Weds
Thurs
Fri
Sat
Sun

So, get organising and creative with your planning factor in your 7 Habits of Health for the entire family. Starting now will give you a great start. Enjoy. And let me know how you get on.

You were born to be healthy

If you have been reading my blog posts over the last few weeks, you may remember that I have spent some time talking about Positive Mental Attitude (PMA), what that actually means and why it is important to our health. Through talking to many of you over the recent weeks, I registered your fears, frustrations and anxieties among many other negative emotions that we are challenged with at the current time. I have seen immense chaos, panic and confusion. What I really need to tell you now is vitally important to your health journey: ‘You were born to be healthy.’

What I mean by the above statement is that every single one of us has our own health potential. Yes, I appreciate that sometimes there are things that are out of our control, but we still have that potential. We still have our own inbuilt healing system, our innate intelligence. I realise for many people this is a new different concept. I say that because I first realised that many of us didn’t fully understand this concept around 10 years ago. I had been giving a series of talks at secondary schools about the spine, nervous system and importance of posture in relation to health and healing. It was the healing part that was causing confusion and not just among the children. The misconception I was seeing was that if you are injured, sick, unwell, you need to either take something or have some kind of surgical intervention to heal. I’m not talking serious illness or injury, please note. At first, I thought I was not clear, and tried out the example of falling and grazing a knee, I got the participants to talk me through what would happen. The general consensus was that if you put a plaster on the cut it would heal the cut. At that point I realised that I take for granted how much we all understand and appreciate the amazing body that we live in.   

A few years after this I spent a short spell in hospital when Isaac was born. During this time, I was able to truly appreciate and deepen my understanding of innate intelligence. I spent most of my stay there consumed by fear. There were a few challenges but my fear kept me from overcoming them. Until I was able to regain control of that fear, I was stuck. I read, I did what I could to shut off the rest of the chaos in the hospital ward, I got access to fruit and vegetables, I did EFT and I meditated. Eventually I was able to listen to the inner voice that said, it’s okay I’ve got this. Call me mad, but I do believe that was innate telling me it was in control, I just simply needed to continue to provide the right environment and let it get to work.

If you are unsure about all this by the way, you only have to look at babies and young children to see it in action. They simply ooze with it. They are constantly developing, learning, growing, healing. Its non-stop innate on display. This was one of the reasons that I then began the Oscar Ocean series. I felt that if we could start talking to children at a young age about how to be healthy how to look after their bodies from the inside out, how to start taking that responsibility from a young age, then they would grow into adults who would could truly achieve their health potential. I wanted them to understand the importance of the 7 Habits of Health and that their choices and actions really do affect their health.

Anyway, back to my story, I then spent some time explaining what this innate intelligence was and how it was the action of this that would heal the grazed knee. How when we have a reaction to dust for example and we sneeze; that is innate intelligence creating that response to ensure that we get rid of what the body does not need, what may potentially be harmful. If we perhaps eat something that we haven’t cooked correctly and are subsequently sick; that is our innate intelligence again removing it from our system. If we touch something hot and immediately pull our hand away, again innate intelligence. All of the above are mechanisms designed to help us to not just survive, but thrive.

Regardless of our beliefs about how we cam to be as a species, innate intelligence in there inside everyone of us doing its thing every day, helping is grow, heal, survive and thrive. There is a catch though; innate can only do the job if you give it the correct environment, if you provide the correct ingredients. Right now, there is so much around us attempting to make us believe that the human body is physically weak, and yes there is a problem, but let’s look at this from a different perspective. This is happening because fear breeds fear and negativity breeds negativity. The abundance of fear and negativity can only do one thing, take our power and keep us in a place of weakness. When we are in a state of stress whether its physical, chemical or emotional, it lowers our immune function and we become more susceptible to illness.

We need to get back to what I said at the start we are born to be healthy. Born to thrive. Let’s start getting back to the basics, and looking to what’s inside us that makes us healthy. We are not flawed or weak. When we have symptoms, it is a sign that this awesome intelligence inside is doing what it does best, taking care of us and working to the best of its ability. And yes, sometimes it does need help. What if instead of fearing our bodies, we looked at them in wonder and awe at what they can achieve. What if we chose a different approach took that power away from fear and instead channeled it towards being healthy and learning to thrive. After all, you were born to be healthy.

The True PMA

My blog last week focused on the 6^th Habit of health- PMA (Positive Mental Attitude), why this is important to our health, and my method for taking back control of emotions. You may or may not have put it to the test, maybe you haven’t needed to. If you have needed to use this method, I would love to hear from you. I hope it has made a difference, and offered you some comfort and empowerment.

I thought I would take some time this week to look into the concept of PMA in a bit more detail. To look at what it actually means. The reason for this is I find there is often a misconception regarding PMA, the idea is often not fully understood and therefore the person practicing PMA can be doing themselves more harm than good. To explain, I have previously had both patients and team members who, when coaching have told me that a positive mental attitude means the following: being happy all the time and/or maintaining that you are okay/ happy/ healthy even when you are not. There are many occasions when I have done the above (I don’t think I am alone here) but this is not PMA. That is creating an illusion to oneself, not wanting to ask for help, not feeling able to ask or discuss or address anxieties. This is nothing to be ashamed of, but it’s a distinctly different concept.

I touched on the real PMA in my last blog, when I mentioned about the relevance of the link between emotional health and physical health. The fact that healthy, happy upbeat thoughts produce neuropeptides and the body’s need for these chemicals for repair and healing. Simply pretending things are okay will not make it so. There is no truth there, you are simply masking over the problem. Saying you are happy without the conviction will not make it so. There is, like everything, more to it. At this point, I want to address the statement about PMA meaning "being happy all the time" because this is not healthy. (Hopefully you will all know that, it goes without saying). It is absolutely normal to not be happy all the time. It is normal to be angry, sad, afraid, anxious or any emotion you may feel. It is completely normal and natural to have  negative emotions and it is my firm belief that you need to feel these at certain points in your life.

Negative emotions on some level are healthy, and perfectly acceptable. The however part though is this, if you feel this way all the time, over a long period of time or every time you have a particular encounter; that is the unhealthy part. That will hold you back and hold you in a place where you are not nourishing your PMA habit. This will affect health as previously mentioned and will hold you in a place where you are not growing.

Last week I outlined my method for taking back control of my emotions so after acknowledging and experiencing, you can take back the power and can move forward and grow. There are other important factors that also need addressing here and that I call the ‘noise.’ The noise is all the other stuff going on around you that contributes to the negative feelings. The noise is tempting, it can come in many forms and it is designed to pull you in and away from your purpose. We can’t control all of the noise, but we can control or dampen down some of it. So, what is this noise? As I said it is many things but here are a few examples:

·        The News- This is a massive bug-bear of mine. It used to be that we would watch the 10pm news before bed (not ideal but anyway!) and that would be it. As if that wasn’t bad enough, now there is no escape. It is everywhere, we can’t even watch television without news interrupting the advert breaks. It’s 24 hours of non-stop doom and gloom, sucking us in, getting us to download apps so we get updates of the doom which we feel compelled to read at all hours. Do you get the feeling that I am not a fan? It’s not great if you are worried, stressed and anxious to begin with. The simple act of avoiding the news can make a difference and is the first thing I tell patients to do.

·        Social Media- The short answer is to avoid, for similar reasons to the above. There is also the pressure to respond to notifications/ posts straight away and it’s easy to lose track of time while trying to find out what is happening in everyone else’s life.

·        Other people’s social lives- It’s so easy to get caught up in what everyone else is doing and what challenges they are facing. Obviously, we need to be there in times of need for family and friends, but often there are things we are concerned about for them that we don’t need. There are times where we are more concerned for others then they are for themselves. This is not healthy.

·        Apps- I again touched on this above, we have apps on our phones and tablets, they are constantly pinging to let us know something. Often, we feel the pressure to respond straight away. We get sucked in and our attention is taken by what else is going on.

There are many more items of ‘noise’ but these are just a few of them. I am also acutely aware that many of us are relying on these at the moment whilst we are working from home or isolated from friends and family or have limited face to face human contact. It’s a challenging and worrying time for everyone. Reducing some of your exposure to ‘noise’ will help, at the very least avoid the news especially before going to bed. You could also have a clear out of your apps, turn off notifications, select what you respond to and start filtering through negative information.

Start protecting your PMA by distancing yourself from negativity and actively seek things, people, aspects that inspire and bring you joy. Listen to inspirational speakers, read inspiring books, create, meditate, whatever you need to do to bring that positive glow back to you. This will boost your positive mental attitude and bring you one step closer to your health goals. This is where you start accumulating the power to control how you react and feel. The power to improve your health starts from within and you are in control.

Taking Control of Your Emotional Health

My blog last week introduced The 7 Habits of Health and how you can use the habits to make positive changes. We all know nobody is the same and we have different needs where health is concerned, so there is no specific order that they are listed in. There is however, one particular habit that I have been especially mindful of this last week. As I write this, the UK along with many other countries in the world have been placed in ‘lock down’. Movements are restricted, personal contact with anyone outside of our own home is forbidden unless at what is considered to be a safe distance (2m). We are all having to adapt and make changes at an alarming rate. I don’t need to go on, we are all living it. 

That is just the issue here though, "living": are we thriving or are we simply surviving? During the first week of lockdown, I had the revelation that I was feeling something that I had not felt since my time in hospital quite some years ago. I felt trapped, afraid, alone, claustrophobic and more besides. I realised I was anxious, not of being or becoming ill, but of the entire situation. When I tapped into those feelings one thing came to mind, and I remembered something important about my personality: I have to be in control. Maybe you can relate to that? If I’m not in control, I panic. I feel lost and all those feelings I mentioned above build up.  There many physical indicators of that too: My chest and shoulders feel tight, and I find it difficult to take a deep breath for example. These are feelings of anxiety and are among what are known as "negative emotions". Negative emotions hold us back, they prevent us from achieving, thriving and can ultimately affect our health and wellbeing. 

Studies are now beginning to show the important link between mind (our emotional health) and body (our physical health). When the mind is regularly thinking of healthy, happy up-beat thoughts, it produces chemicals called neuropeptides. The body is very dependent upon having a regular supply of these chemicals in order to heal tissues and cells. What we choose to fill our mind with is similar to choosing what software to install on your computer.  Function and efficiency of your computer will obviously be affected as a result of this.

Have you ever heard the quote by Paulette Sedgwick (and attributed to others), "Be careful of your thoughts, for your thoughts become your words. Be careful of your words, for your words become your actions. Be careful of your actions, for your actions become your habits."

This is where the sixth habit comes in: Positive Mental Attitude (PMA). Those negative feelings I have talked about above, do not constitute a healthy habit. It is impossible though to simply snap out of it. Things aren’t as easy as that. In my case where the issue is control, I have to recognise that at the moment there is a situation that none of us can control. I just have to accept and choose how I react, and what we do. That is where we all have real control.There are many ways we can look to take back control of our reaction and reframe our mindset: 

• ·        Journaling
• ·        Meditation
• ·        Mindfulness
• ·        EFT 
• ·        Go for a walk, exercise or stretch
• ·        Create/ update your vision board
• ·        Goal setting
  
• ·        Gratitude list

There are many more besides. What I also find works really well with any negative issue is to carry out the following process:

1.     Recognise: Once you have recognised the presence of negative emotions, take some time to experience them. What I mean by this is allow them, recognise them but don’t let them take over. I find a great way when working with people is to do a spider diagram or just brainstorm.

2.     Show Gratitude: Strange as it may seem, say to yourself thank you for allowing me to feel this … Now I can grow and move on from here.

3.     EFT: This is a gentle tapping method I have used in practice for many years now. It helps to clear the negative emotions. It is simple and easy to use and I often coach patients to use this method outside of the clinic whenever they need to. Please see my earlier video or contact me for further information.

4.    Grow: Have you ever noticed in young children that when they have a period of illness, this is often followed by growth? I like to view negative emotions in this way. Obviously, we don’t want them to linger or to control us, but once we have the control back, we are in a place of strength and can grow. We often find the solution for ourselves so that we can move forward to a place of strength. 

It is also important to remember that just because an emotion is referred to as negative, it does not mean that we are wrong in any way to be feeling that way. Whatever it is we feel, that is absolutely right for us, but we need to recognise and take back control so that we can lead a healthier and fuller life; to thrive and not simply survive. Maybe you are feeling or have felt similar feelings at the moment? I would love to hear from you and how I can help you with your 7 Habits of Health.