Summertime’s all about wellness, right?

All that happy music, all those parties, barbeques, picnics, trips to the seaside, spending quality time with the kids…

Or is it, in fact, quite exhausting??? ??

Maybe that was just me, with my undiagnosed ADHD and no clue whatever about what I actually needed. ????♀?

Now I know better, I do better.

Here are my top 10 hacks to help you maintain balance over the long, hot summer –?

?????? Keep to your normal wakeup time – or within an hour of it.

Your circadian rhythms will thank you. (Pretty much every cell in your body works on a clock; appreciate all that amazingness and show it some LURV.)

?????? Start your day with as much natural light as you can – see above.

Have your cuppa outside (See *, above). Get out of your cave – your energy levels and all your body’s incredible systems will feel the benefit.

?????? Don’t eat for (at least) the first hour of your day.

Your nighttime hormones need time to get out of your system and your daytime hormones are booting up. Let the changing of the guard, as Professor Satchin Panda calls it, happen in a seamless, uncomplicated way to optimise their efficiency.

?????? Take the opportunity for a tech detox.

Put your phone/laptop in a cool, dark place and let it be. Allow your brain some fresh, digital-free air. Revel in the new space you’ve created for yourself, and BREATHE.

(Yes, I shall be doing this – one daily slot on any digital device, for one hour maximum, throughout August. July 31 will be my final newsletter until September, in case you need to psych yourself for the August no-show! ??)

?????? MOVE. Preferably outdoors.

Get yourself a nice chunk of your local park, a National Trust property, a forest, a lake, a bit of seaside and allow yourself to feel present in nature. It’s what you were designed for.

?????? Eat more plants.

All plants contain ALL 9 essential amino acids – that is, the ones we humans can’t make for ourselves. They contain sugars, yes, of course; but they’re wrapped up in fibre, which our #GutBugs adore. Check out some new plants – find some you’ve not eaten before (okra, anyone?) – among the incredible range nature’s put together for us and join the #GutBugParty.

?????? If you’ve got a mad diary, jam-packed with social events, be kind to your liver, which has a direct link to your heart, and your brain.

Alcohol’s a neuro-toxin and a gut-toxin with absolutely no good thing to recommend it. Sorry, but that’s the truth. It’s taken me over half a century to get to this point, but now I’m there and there’s no going back. ??

Try some of the alcohol-free substitutes, which really are pretty tasty these days, or drink sparkling water with mint, lemon, lime or a crazy-beautiful hibiscus flower in it. The fun’s not in the drink; the fun’s in hanging out with people you love and enjoying their company.

Or, if you seshed last night, give your system a rest the next day.

You don't NEED alcohol; that's just a story you're telling.

?????? Make time for you.

If you have kids around, enjoy them and be present with them – they’ll be flying before you know it.

But help them understand you’re also an individual human who needs recharge time just like they do.

Ring-fence spaces during all your long summer days where you’re just doing YOU, rather than jumping through ‘best Mummy/Daddy ever’ hoops, and where your kids are allowed/required to do the same.

There are no lifetime achievement awards for parenting, and no medals for ‘Most Exhausted Parent’. Sadly.

?????? Celebrate smallness. Create moments of beauty in your day, however beauty shows up for you personally.

Take time to enjoy it and just BE.

Whether it’s 10 minutes in the quietness of early morning, the scent of a perfect rose, the feeling of a sea breeze on your face on a trip to the beach, or the salty-acidic mouthfeel of great fish and chips* – slow down and breathe it into your bones. ?

Find where your joy lies, and go there. Life is short.

*Share a portion. That way, there's no guilt, no bloat, and ALL the enjoyment. ??

?????? Cultivate a new habit or interest.

Learn something. (It’s one of the best ways to keep your brain healthy into old age.)

Brains were never meant to be static, regurgitative machines. Neuroplasticity is something, we understand now, that goes on and on. Yeeee-HA!!! ??

Dance. Speak a new language. Get to grips with a new cuisine. (You’ll get some new plants to party with, for sure, if you do…) Pick up a new musical instrument and someone on YouTube will give you a tutorial in how to play it. If you’re a fiction fan, check out something interesting in the world of non-fiction, and vice versa. Knock yourself out and grow some new neurones.

p.s. Grab yourself some Bonus Points? ??

Join me next Wednesday, 24 July, at 12 midday BST on Zoom, for a 60-minute Masterclass on intermittent fasting, also known as time-restricted eating.

I’ll be talking about the hows and whys of this major health ‘hack’, with tips, recipes and shortcuts to help you when it gets tricky. I’m also giving you the option of WhatsApp support from me for 7 days, so you can set up your summer in style, knowing you’ve got your back, healthwise.

What’s your investment? 60 minutes of your time, and ￡29 if you book before the event; if you book on the day, it’s ￡39.

Here’s the link to book: https://calendly.com/wellnessdonewell/no-stress-no-bs-intermittent-fasting-masterclass

See you there??

Happy last bit of July, everyone – be well! ??