June Midlife Monthly

Welcome back to Midlife Monthly, issued in the Middle of the Month. For ideas on 5 Fundamentals of Mindfulness, Energy, Nutrition, Sleep & Relationships.

Mindfulness

Have you ever considered that you may be holding on to trauma, that could be creating anxiety, or stress in you? This is the work that Dr Russell Kennedy has been focused on. His book, podcast and website might be a great resource for you.

Russell insists?anxiety isn’t a disorder of the mind. Our worries are merely a symptom – and one that keeps us in our heads and away from the real problem. He favours the term ‘alarm’ and says we need to find where the alarm is in our bodies. This alarm is a physiological pattern that’s been left by events in our past, usually in early childhood. Discover some of the tools that might help you here.

Energy & Exercise

Struggling to get motivation? A great way to get an exercise habit moving is to enter an event. I've noticed this personally as I have the Castle Howard Triathlon coming up in July.

Suddenly I can feel there's a need to step up my cycling, and swimming.

I know a number of people that have entered an event and have found the commitment to the date deadline has pulled them in to new levels of routine and higher levels of intensity. What will you enter? When have you thought "I might"? Let's focus on "I can, I will".

Nutrition and Inflammation

(From BBC Good Food) Inflammation is usually a short-term reaction to something that our body interprets as harmful, whether that’s a bacteria or virus, an injury from a cut or burn, or exposure to a toxin. A series of complex chemical reactions takes place and results in the classic signs of inflammation – swelling, redness, heat, pain and possible loss of tissue function at the wound site or injury.

But when our immune system fails to switch off the inflammatory process, problems may occur. It is then that an acute, fast-acting reaction is at risk of becoming a chronic, long-term condition with a damaging impact on our health and wellbeing.

An anti-inflammatory diet can help manage symptoms by reducing the effects of the inflammatory process. The diet restricts certain foods while encouraging others, and recommends eating at specific times to influence inflammation. An?anti-inflammatory diet?focuses on eating whole plant-based foods and fish – rich in healthy fats and phyto-nutrients – while stabilising blood sugar. In doing so, the diet aims to influence the control mechanisms that manage the inflammatory process.

Why not try a Turmeric Latte instead of your normal cuppa?

Sleep

Struggled to get to sleep this week? Or, woke up in a hot sweat. Try some of these tips to keep you cool at night:

Get a Fan

There will be a run-on fans in the next predicted heat wave... get yours in early.?Having air circulating around the room automatically helps you cool off.?

Stick your feet out

Pop them out from under the sheets, and you'll automatically lose some heat, and feel the benefit.

Ditch the clothes

Don’t be scared to strip off. Just you and a lovely light cool cotton or bamboo sheet draped over you. Heaven!

Have a warm shower before bed

If you're feeling hot before heading to bed, have a warm shower.?A warm shower will increase blood flow to your skin and increase heat loss from your body.?

A damp cloth

An oldie but a goodie to help your body shed some extra degrees at night is to simply moisten a towel or cloth. Put it on your forehead or body. Just don't saturate the towel. You don’t want to soak your mattress and sheets!?

Use breathable bed linen

Lightweight, good quality bed linen is breathable which means that it won't trap your body heat.?The less heat that gets trapped beneath your sheets, the easier it is to feel cool and comfortable as you drift off to sleep. Try cotton or?linen.?

Think Innovatively!

• Pull out your hot water bottle, but fill it with ice cold water and have it in bed with you.
• Try putting socks in the fridge and wear them in bed – cooling your feet lowers the overall temperature of your skin and body, ideal during a hot summer's night.
• Cool a pillow case in the fridge before bedtime or try one of the new cooling pillows that are available to buy – both will help you keep a cool head!

Relationships

The power of connection to others is something that is part of our past. We lived in tribes, and in the modern world, we may be more "connected", but in fact, feelings of loneliness are increasing.

Look around the next time you wait for a train, or perhaps in an airport departure. We rely on our phones, with faces down, looking at screens.

Take responsibility and make sure you are interacting with others. Some ideas:

• Book Club
• Netwalking event
• Join a club (Running, Triathlon, Bridge, Entrepreneurs)
• Go to more "live" events, and when there, make a conscious effort to talk to new people
• Do more "live" 1-2-1 meetings with people
• Organise a charity challenge
• Toastmasters
• School or University reunion

And, when you do have that meeting, be sure to put the "next" meeting in the calendar. Never leave it to "we must do this again".

Enjoyed this? Come along to Business in the North in Leeds on July 5th. Attend my session speaking on "Healthy You, Healthy Business". Book here.

Can I help?

Book in some time to talk about Private Medical Insurance or taking proactive steps to be better version of you.

Remember. ?? One Life, Love Life, Living Life. ??