We all get excited planning the next great trip to be able to relax and spend more time with family and friends, but just because you are on the road doesn’t mean that your health needs to suffer. In fact, we believe that you should have more time than you usually do in a busy working week. So now is the time to cement that healthy lifestyle into your daily routine.
According to Dr Ron Ehrlich author of the book ‘A Life Less Stressed’ – there are five pillars to health and wellness that you should adhere to.
- Sleep
Sleep is without a doubt the most important time of the day. It is our built-in life support system and is essential to good health. The quality and quantity of sleep is also of equal importance. For 90% of the population that means 7-9 hours’ of sleep each night and breathing well while you are asleep. However, achieving a consistently good night’s sleep can be tricky for many people.
Routine – Our bodies love routine, having a regular routine helps your circadian rhythm (natural, internal process that regulates the sleep-wake cycle and repeats on each rotation of the Earth roughly every 24 hours). find its groove. Going to bed at the same time and waking at the same time is key. So, when you are out in your motorhome or caravan try to go to bed at the same time each night and get up at the same time.
- Breathe
Deep breathing is a powerful tool that should not be underestimated, especially when it comes to its impact on the nervous system. It can calm down your stress response, improve restorative sleep, increase concentration, and support good digestion. If you can incorporate it throughout your day you will see huge benefits.
Try making it a habit. For example, every time you wash your hands spend 1-minute practicing deep breathing. Or before every meal, sit and practice a few minutes of deep breathing. A great place to implement deep breathing is when you lie down to go to sleep. Spending 3 minutes with your eyes closed and focusing on your breath will help put you to sleep and support your body in having a truly restorative rest. And what better way to stop, relax and breathe in some good country air.
- Thought
Thoughts are things that influence how our genes express themselves for better or for worse. Having positive emotions; feeling engaged and finding meaning in what you do; and valuing and nurturing the relationships you surround yourself with have all been shown to be the greatest predictor of health wellness and longevity. Expressing gratitude has also been shown to be a powerful tool, empowering for you and the people you express gratitude to… it is also free. On your travels why not extend a thank you to the local shop assistant, help someone – it will make you feel good and for the person that your doing your good dead to too. Win, win for everyone!
- Movement
We all know we need to exercise. By building movement into your daily life you have the simplest, cheapest, most accessible and most effective way of improving your physical and mental health, not to mention also improving the outcomes of almost every treatment for any chronic degenerative disease. With diabetes, heart disease, depression and cancer on the rise, there has never been a more important time get moving. We need to focus on functional movement, flexibility, strength, and core stability. Why not park just a bit further away from the shops or the sights. Schedule yourself a morning or evening walking routine so that you truly get to see the sights of the areas you are visiting.
- Nutrition
It is all in the planning when you set out in your caravan or motorhome, make sure you have at least a weeks’ worth of meal ideas ready and a couple of readymade meals flat packed in zip lock bags in the freezer – just in case you get stuck where you are unable to buy fresh food. Ensure you have a list of items (such as accompaniments, salads etc) that you can pick up at your local farmers market as you travel. Buying local is fresher and in season and you will be helping support the economy that you are travelling through. Fresh is best, try to avoid packaged foods!
While tempting as it may be, to be on the lookout every day for the best vanilla slice – it doesn’t do a whole lot for your waistline – sure does taste good going down though 😊
After all you are what you eat, and considering we share our bodies with ten times more microbes than human cells and they are critical to our mental and physical health, the question you should be asking is, are you feeding your friends or your foes.
A Life Less Stressed will help you develop a broader understanding of the challenges we face today and empower you to take control, build resilience, and be the best you can be. Take control of your own health, it is too important to leave to somebody else. Make small steps that are sustainable and work for you. Start with focusing on getting a good nights sleep and go from there!
