• Posted 08/05/2018 1:49am

Three Tips For Healthier Living

Just as you buckle your seat belt before you start driving, or put on a helmet before you start biking, it’s best to take action before you start feeling sick, to help you stay well.

With winter just around the corner, we’ve talked a lot about boosting your immune system against colds and the flu. But, winter can also increase issues like asthma, rashes or skin infections, and Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

At Stay Well Pharmacy, we believe in a holistic approach to health. What does that mean? Basically, there’s a lot more to staying healthy than taking medication when you feel sick. Our overall health and wellbeing is made up of a number of different elements. So, here are Stay Well Pharmacy’s top three tips for healthier living.

Blink and Breathe

Ever feel like there is too much going on in your head? Getting all wrapped up with what’s happening at work, what’s happening at home, what’s happening next week can make us feel like we’ll never get on top of everything going on in our lives.

Just a few minutes of downtime can help ‘reset’ our minds, helping us to be more focussed and productive. Set aside five minutes where you can put your phone on ‘Do Not Disturb’ and simply blink and breathe. Breathe in through your nose, and slowly out through your mouth, focus on a spot on the wall or a tree or cloud outside, and clear your mind.

Get Active

When the temperature drops and the rain sits in, it can seriously dampen our motivation to get outside for a walk. Sometimes that mentality of ‘settling in for the winter’ can be a contributing factor towards Seasonal Affective Disorder; where you feel blue inside because the weather is grey outside.

Regular movement and activity can help shake the winter blues. Perhaps you can meet up with a friend and walk around inside a shopping mall? Or put on some music and dance like nobody's watching? Whatever level of physical activity you can manage is fine. The point is, being intentional about regularly getting up and active.

Stay Well Pharmacy Connect Healthy wellbeing health pharmacist winter walking exercise

Make Connections

In winter especially, it’s all too easy to feel isolated and alone. When it’s cold and dark outside, all we want to do at the end of the day is go home, wrap up and stay warm. Going on our phones to check Facebook and Instagram is no substitute for actually sitting down with someone and genuinely asking about their day.

Are there elderly people on your street you could have a cup of tea with? Can you make space to invite a friend or neighbour over for dinner? Being empathetic and connecting with other people has a range of mental and physical health benefits, generally helping us feel better about ourselves.

Contact Stay Well Pharmacy

Stay Well Pharmacy is all about finding ways to help people live well and stay well. What works for you may not work for someone else, so we customise each approach in a private one-on-one consultation.

If you would like more ideas staying healthy with a personalised wellbeing plan, contact Stay Well Pharmacy on 03 349 8785 and ask us about our private consultations, so you can live well and stay well.

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