Hello my darlings! I hope you’re well and you’ve nestled into 2019 with true goddess aplomb! 

The 2111 days of January consisted of eating nourishing food, creating smoothies, writing and taking pics! That’s pretty-much my working life and I love it! Now that February is here, the cogs are turning more freely and the scent of Spring in the air is making me feel lighter and brighter. I love this time of year, the promise of sunnier days (avec maxi dresses and wedges) fills me with joy! All hail the floral maxi!

Don’t get me wrong, I love the cozy nights of winter with all its warmth, homemade soups and hot chocolates! However, by this time each year, I’m thinking “okay, Spring, I’m ready for you!” I bet every person in the Northern hemisphere has the same exact thought. Then as if by magic, those beautiful spring bulbs reach for the golden sun and dot our world with bursts of vibrant colour. And breathe. 

With this in mind, I thought that I’d share my thoughts, well, Top 5 amazing tips to de-stress actually as might all need an extra nudge to push us into the next bountiful season.

1) Breathe. Yep. This may sound very obvious but so many of us don’t take our breaths deeply enough into our diaphragms. With such a huge percentage of our toxin release being carried-out via the breath, it’s really important to take some lovely deep lung-fulls right into the bottom of our bellies. I like to sit for 5 minutes each morning and evening and simply breath. It’s such a beautiful way to reconnect, relax, unwind, calm the nervous system and sooth the mind. This is my numero uno, go-to method to enable a great sense of tranquility to permeate through our bodies.

2) Have a cuppa. Oh yes, this has to be one of my favourite past-times! I don’t think that there’s a minute out of the day when I don’t have a cup of something in my hand (usually gin, lol), jokes, only kidding. Seriously though, whether it’s herbal, builders, green, chai, peppermint, whatever its guise, I don’t mind. I’ve found some really delicious non-dairy mylks too which elevate the humble cuppa to new heights in my eyes! The benefits of drinking tea for me are far-reaching. To keep caffeine intake to a minimum, I mix things up with the aforementioned dream team. One full-strength traditional cup of steaming tea is possibly my favourite moment of the day. Tea helps to reduce cholesterol, lowers blood pressure, it helps hydrate the body, it is basically a lovely way to take 5 minutes to take stock of your thoughts and let your mind wander; so important as we have so many things to contend with in every day life. If I’m feeling naughty, I’ll add a side of vegan brownie too. Why not hey! 

3) Get your blood pumping. Being active can have a hugely positive impact on our overall sense of wellbeing. Skin looks brighter, toxins are released through sweat, the liver and kidneys work better and the heart strengthens. The suggested amount of exercise is 30 minutes 3 times a week. This can vary from person to person but as a general rule, working-up a sweat thrice weekly will make you feel pretty good. If you an take this exercise outside, even better! Even though it may be sunny outside, the amount of light actually reaching us indoors through windows etc is dramatically reduced. We all need vitamin D for many things so get active outside is key. If you are unable to run for instance, a short walk is a great way to start.

4) Do something creative. ‘Creativity is intelligence having fun’ – Einstein. I absolutely concur with this and to let our creativity run free can be both invigorating and soothing for the soul. Using our hands to make, knit, draw, cook, write, create; whatever floats your boat, do that! I love to write (as you know), paint, draw and I absolutely love making cushions! Fabric makes me smile and to create something from scratch that can then be used to make my home look beautiful is a really rewarding exercise. Even if it’s for half an hour or an hour per week, small changes and additions to our routine can make us feel really amazing.

5) Reach out. Oh yes. But easier said than done, right? Opening-up and speaking about our emotions can seem like a huge hurdle. How will I get over it? What is this wall I keep encountering? Allowing ourselves to talk through tricky and gnarly thoughts can be such a cathartic and worthwhile exercise. Sometimes, when thoughts whizz around our minds with nowhere to go, it’s difficult to grasp them and make sense of them. If we can talk through them with someone close, it can relieve a lot of the pressure associated with them. You don’t have to suffer alone or in silence and it’s perfectly okay to not be okay. We all have ups and downs and this is a part of life to don’t be so hard on yourself.

With my love and encouragement.
Holly.