Tag: monthlytheme

Stop and listen!

The theme of this month is nutrition & fitness and I am sure you have been bombarded with many challenges, programs and promotions to get you started into a fitness regime and eating healthy! This is great and I am also one of them 😉 However, today I want to challenge you in something a little different.

I want you to think about a self-care challenge! Yes, think about yourself for a change! Not in a selfish way, but in a –take better care of myself, so I can take better care of you- way!

A few days ago, I was craving a snack. I was craving something not healthy! I am trying to eat gluten free this month which makes unhealthy snacking quite hard! It was bugging me so much. As I was trying to find the least damaging snack, I stopped and tried something else. I tried asking myself what I was really craving. Was I really craving something to eat? Or was it an emotional craving? I tried to look inwards to find out what it was. What would make me happy right now?

I allowed myself to give an honest answer. I allowed all my saboteurs to be quiet for a while and really hear what was going on inside. For some reason, what came up was that I wanted a warm soothing bath! My saboteurs were saying, no you don’t have time for that and it is a waste of water! But I didn’t listen to them. I then asked myself, if taking a bath would keep me from snacking and the answer was YES!

OK, let’s go.

It was so relaxing and so wonderful. After the bath, the same feeling came back. I instinctively went to the kitchen, but then stopped and tried this exercise again. This time I wanted to go for a walk. So, I did! I felt really good. I know, that I felt much better than if I had snacked or forced myself to do all the things I should have or could have done!

Sometimes it is OK to stop and listen. I think my body needed to relax and to have some fresh air. My whole body got a fresh perspective and some time to regenerate!

Your turn

Now I challenge you to do the same! Look inwards and see what comes up! Ask yourself what does your body really want? Are you really lacking a nutrient? Are you really hungry or is it an emotional need? If yes, what emotional need is it? Some nurturing? To express something? Anger? What is going on? Be honest and let your true self talk. Let the saboteurs and the guilt be quiet for a while. And see what comes up. You may be surprised.

 

Anne Louise Littlejohn – HealthyLux Passionate Contributor

HealthyLux January theme – New year, new resolutions – Nutrition and Fitness challenge

 

January New year, new resolutions – Nutrition and Fitness challenge

So here it is, Christmas Day (!!) and I’m perched at the kitchen counter, ultra relaxed, having already indulged in a champagne breakfast and taken my fur-babies out for their Christmas Day excursion in the woods – reflecting on another year (almost gone) and how I can make the next one even better.

January – typically a month where new challenges and resolutions are set, which are inevitably set so high  that we end up failing due to the pure fact that they’re unrealistic and unachievable. Not this year my lovelies – let’s embrace this New Year with a totally different tactic – let’s challenge ourselves to ‘the simple things’, the small changes in our lives that can bring resounding results – let’s set ourselves some ultra realistic ‘Nutrition & Fitness Challenges’ that will make 2018 the best year yet and leave us feeling great about ourselves!

‘How’ – you ask? Let’s start with ‘nutrition’. The one thing so easily overlooked and as equally underestimated, yet so fundamental to fuelling our bodies with the energy and nutrients needed to power through our hectic lifestyles. An easy, no fuss challenge is to try and incorporate one of the following into your daily, weekly routine;

– whether at home or the office, fill a 1 litre bottle with water (add lemon if preferred) and slowly sip throughout the day.

– introduce 1 new whole food to your dietary regime – buckwheat, couscous, millet, quinoa, oats all pair well as wonderful side dishes, warming salads or  bases to your standard smoothie

– add a superfood to the mix -spirulina, maca, açai, hemp, wheatgrass, baobab.. all sit beautifully placed atop your yogurt, morning porridge or preferred daily snack.

Oooooh -is it me or are you getting hungry?!?

Now, lets make use of the overflowing levels of energy and squeeze some heart healthy, mind balancing exercise and fitness into the mix – READY?

Again, let’s take it slow and not overwhelm ourselves. Did you know it only takes 30 minutes a day (a day!) to see and feel the benefits of daily activity? So I ‘challenge’ you… park the car 1 block away from where you need to be. Grab a pooch and go for a walk or better yet, enrol in a group class  – my Luxembourg favs are Clare Marie Pilates and HIITme Health&Fitness | group fitness classes

So there you have it folks – let’s keep it simple, let’s keep it FUN and before you know it, you’ve embarked on a lifestyle change that you’ll never be able to look back on.  Who doesn’t want increased energy, stamina and va-va-voom to do all the things that they LOVE.

Tell me – what is it that you’ll chose to do this New Year?

 

Sabrina Foley – HealthyLux Passionate Contributor

HealthyLux January theme – New year, new resolutions – Nutrition and Fitness challenge

 

New Year, New Resolutions ?

Are New Year resolutions worth taking ?

60 percent of people drop their resolutions by the six-month mark[1] … But those who make resolutions are still 10 times more likely to successfully change their behaviour than those who do not.

So how can you optimize your chance to avoid the classical trap and actually take worthy New Year Resolutions and follow through successfully?

 

Here are a few, maybe unusual or different proposals to consider your 2018 resolutions:

Less of the same approach

If we try solving a problem or changing a behaviour we want to change while doing more of the same solution, it is very likely that we will keep the problem going or make it worse.

To quote Oscar Wilde ‘The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. Resist it, and your soul grows sick with longing for the things it has forbidden to itself, with desire for what its monstrous laws have made monstrous and unlawful.”

The idea here is that authorizing ourselves what we were awkwardly trying to fight is a way to reframe our approach and to downplay the problem. When we stop looking for a solution, the problem can disappear.

Like the insomniac who finally gets asleep when he stops repeating himself he needs to sleep, we may test this approach for New Year Resolutions unmet for some years !

Less is more

This minimalist approach drives vast arenas of our behaviours and life choices nowadays, especially for the Millennial generation. Consuming less, giving material objects less weight, doing away with superfluous life items and turning our minds to seek out experiences that gives us ‘more’: more real-world experience, more personal growth, more social cohesion or environmental impact, more substance…

Focusing on less in order to get a better “more” in your life in the new year!

Positive formulation

Ensuring your resolutions are formulated in an affirmative and positive manner is key. For positive daily affirmations to be really positive, we want to only use words that cause us to act the way we want to act or to be : replacing the “don’t forget” by “remember to”, “try to” by “I am able to”, “not giving up” by “keep going, just keep going”, “overcoming my problem” by “finding solution”, etc…

Also, it is more difficult to “give up smoking” than to “become more fit” 😉

So ensure you formulate and turn your resolutions into positive ones in your daily routine and self-talk.

Intention instead of Resolution

An intention is something we plan to bring about, achieve, or manifest. It’s not about resolving any issue, as the word resolution alludes to. When setting intentions, we are manifesting a dream or trying to direct our thoughts in a particular way.

We can simply create an intention for ourselves because of something we need or want to focus on.

Beginning your year by declaring an intention is also a good way to set the tone. When setting an intention, using the word “choose” is recommended. To remember that in life we have a lot of choices and this intention is a personal, autonomous and responsible choice.

For example : “I choose to take care of my health and to go to the gym every Friday lunch”;  “I choose to see the positive aspects of my job and to be mindul of a pleasant moment or activity every day”…

Outside and inside

If we have external circumstances that are making us unhappy, by all means it is important to act to change them. So our resolution might be to change job, develop new relationships, move, etc.

At the same time, we can move to the other side of the world, start a relationship with the partner of our dreams or accomplish the professional goals we desire the most, in all cases we take ourselves with us ! So, whatever role we may play in that unhappiness will continue, unless we change it too.

So our intention might also be to change something inside.

Not the easiest resolution but certainly worth it: Facing ourselves, looking at our biggest fears straight in the eye, challenging our self-limiting beliefs or toxic ways of thinking.

This is a day-by-day, step-by-step resolution. We can create this transformational change through daily individual actions. With this intention, there is no milestone to be reached. It is a process that lasts a lifetime…

2018 is a good year for all of us to become more who we truly want to be !  Happy New Year !

[1] Psychology professor John Norcross (PhD University of Scranton) 1989. The resolution solution: longitudinal examination of New Year’s change attempts.

Nadège Ravoux – HealthyLux Passionate Contributor

HealthyLux January theme – New year, new resolutions – Nutrition and Fitness challenge

 

 

About hygge, Christmas Traditions and being together!

It is finally December!!! This means Christmas, family, friends, good times, presents and just being together. I am Danish and Christmas is always a very big deal in Denmark; it is probably our biggest and most important holiday. Personally, I think it is because it gets incredibly dark in the winter months and the Danes need something to light their spirits. Already in November it gets completely dark at 16h30 and it only gets worse after that. By Christmas Eve it gets dark at 15h!!

So, you see, they do need some (Christmas) lights to be able to see in the streets! My mother lives in the countryside and just the other day a friend visited her in the afternoon and when he left he asked to borrow her flash light to be able to find his house.

The real Christmas countdown starts on December first. When I was a child my mother prepared small presents for us, one for each day counting down to Christmas Eve. I intend to do the same for my boys this year. On the 13th we celebrate Santa Lucia, where kids dress up in white and walk around with candles and sing. This is a very fond memory I have from my childhood. I went to the European School and all the other sections still remember the Danish girls walking around singing to this day!

Somewhere in the middle of December we get a real Christmas tree and decorate it in a special way. Yes, there is a Danish way to decorate the Christmas tree. The colours must be red and white and some also add Danish flags. We hide candy in the cones for the children, which they are allowed to eat during Christmas Eve day.

The 24th is the sacred family day. The whole family gathers and there is cooking in the kitchen all day long.  After dinner, when the presents which have magically appeared, we sing and dance hand in hand around the Christmas tree! During the final song, we run around the house in one big line. It is so much fun and I have very warm memories of my grandfather running around sillily making us wait even longer for our presents! Finally, we are done singing and the children get to pass out all the presents.

The night ends when all presents are opened and all bottles are empty. We all pass out extremely satiated from both food and presents! But Christmas isn’t over yet.

The infamous “Julefrokost” is a very big deal in Denmark, which translated as a Christmas Lunch. It is not really a lunch, but rather an entire day and night of eating and drinking. The menu is quite interchangeable and so are the drinks. During this event only beer and snaps are served. The snaps you may know from Germany is nothing compared to this one. You may know it as Akvavit and it can taste quite vile, but by the third one they go down quite easily! For me personally the snaps needs to be ice cold and downed while eating herring. Herring is a very important part of the Christmas Lunch menu and goes down beautifully with Akvavit. Every company, University and other institution will host a “julefrokost” for the entire staff. This is the night where it is accepted and even expected to let loose and live a little. This is where office affairs start and embarrassing stories are remembered throughout the year! This party is usually held in November or even January depending on the type of business or when exams are held, etc. and is usually held with family and friends on the 25th or 26th of December.

Christmas in my family would last until the 6th January, day of the 3 kings. This is where my mother would take down the tree and all the decorations. We lived in Luxembourg, so we didn’t have too much of a reason to keep the lights out longer than that, but I do believe that now as she lives in Denmark she keeps them out a lot longer.

The Danes have so many traditions around this holiday and each family also add on their own routines and customs, but the most important aspect of the entire season is to be together! This is so essential. In Denmark it is cold, dark and wet during these months and people need to come up with something to compensate. In a sense “hygge”, which is the Danish word for cosiness, is turned up a notch. And I believe the Danes are doing a great job! After all, it is not for nothing that they have been crowned the happiest nation so many times 😉

This year, I wish for you all to embrace your own traditions and spend lovely times with family, friends and loved ones. Embrace some HYGGE and just BE TOGETHER!

Merry Christmas everyone!!

 

Anne Louise Littlejohn – HealthyLux Passionate Contributor

HealthyLux December theme – Let’s hug

 

Let’s hug! But, what if hugging included yourself?

Yes, the question is relevant. Think about it. Very often the love we express through hugs is projected towards the outside of us: to our partners, to our children, even our parents, siblings and friends. Yet, how much does the theme of this month, ‘let’s hug’, also include embracing the love for our life, embracing every part of ourselves without compromising, and declaring that hugging is just as much about self-love as it is about compassion for others?

Hugging does not just include a physical component. Yes, putting the arms around someone else already allows us to determine a certain degree of intimacy between two people in their relationship with each other. Or, how often do you hug strangers? Mind you, maybe this is what the world needs right now: more hugging strangers. But that is a question for another time.

If you hold someone, it implies that you have a deeply rooted emotion for the receiver of your hug. The bodies touch on a heart level, so your act is out of compassion and righteousness. An intimate act of joy, of love; of demonstrating your feelings for, and sharing with someone.

Now question this! Hugging is about the word “embracing”, and pulling someone closer to you. Yet, how close do you let the person who really is closest to you, inside?  Of course, I mean to say how close do you really let yourself in? How often do you hug your own soul?

Self-love, and embracing (aka hugging) yourself in all your glorious mess and perfect imperfections, is not an act of selfishness or egotism. Quite the opposite. Where love prevails, there is no ego. And where there is love, it just is. Meaning that you also honour yourself, and show just as much compassion towards you, as to someone outside of you.

Can you learn self-love? Yes. Can you feel self-love? Yes. Can you accept self-love? Yes. The teachings of Kundalini Yoga, as brought to us through Yogi Bhajan, give us many holistic approaches, technologies, meditations and lectures on how to overcome the ego and act from a place of compassion and love.

Love what you understand is very different than what love is. In the 1994 Espanola lecture, Yogi Bhajan talks with his students about the subject of love. I would like you to read this extract and reflect upon what it means to you personally:

“You have sensual love, you have sexual love, you have personal love, you have conditional love, you have unconditional love and you can call the love with anything. Actually, love is a self-acknowledgement. When I love myself, I can be so rich, I can love everybody. The depending love, that because you love me, you depend on me and I love you, I depend on you and because I expect, in business now I expect this, you expect this, this is not, that is not love, that is called, what you can call it? Softening the way. Meaning something different, doing something different. Love is the most abused one word in the human vocabulary. Because first condition of love is when you are in love or you love somebody you have no question to be asked. Where there is a question there is no love. Where there is a condition, there is no love. Where there is an expectation, there is no love. Where there is jurisdiction, there is no love. Where there is a territory, there is no love. Which can be defined and have dimension has no love.”

Love has no conditions and no expectations. Is this new to you? If you put expectations onto your love, then it’s not love.

Life is a flow of love, only your participation is requested. Love is an experience of oneself within oneself. It is self-fulfilment, it is self-attainment, it is self-containment, it is self-enlightenment, and it is self-beauty. The love you feel for yourself is gorgeous, beautiful, and blissful. Like the beautiful person you are.

As a Kundalini Yoga teacher and a Life Coach, the number one thing I recommend to anyone who wants to change their life is to practice meditation. No, you don’t have to be a monk, and it does not matter if you have never meditated before. You can learn. Scientifically speaking, meditation has many benefits, and even as little as a couple of minutes a day can really help you improve Your Life.

What are 10 minutes of your day? They are nothing in comparison to the manifold results of the experience. If you don’t have just 10 minutes of the day to yourself, to sit in silent with yourself and listen to your breath and your heartbeat, then what is Your Life – what are you –  worth?

You are everything and everything is you. Embrace yourself – and when you hug someone you love, don’t forget to include yourself in your compassion.

May the longtime sun shine upon you!

 

Melanie Reid – HealthyLux Passionate Contributor

HealthyLux December theme – Let’s hug

 

 

Hugs to you!

There have been notes in the social media, especially on Facebook how women need to be hugged on daily bases. Coming from Northern Europe, we do not give kisses to the cheeks when meeting up with friends, we usually hug close friends. We hug each other when someone is not feeling well, we congratulate each other with a hug and moms usually welcome their kids back home with a big hug.

When watching the international news, especially the USA market, speaking about hugging might be considered also offensive. It is necessary to mention that hug is not always well perceived either. A hug can be sign of possession or domination. A hug can make someone also feel uncomfortable. Should you feel uncomfortable being hugged, it is always fine to state your feeling. No-one should feel obliged to be hugged.

My eldest son is one of those people who is not keen on being touched. His personal space is very important to him. He does especially not like kisses on the cheek. I ask him always his permission to give a hug. Every now and again out of the blue I feel his arms around quickly. Those are precious memories. My younger son is the complete opposite to his older brother. He could hug all day long. He does not mind to be kissed on his cheeks either. Regularly the little one comes and puts his arms around and says “mom, I really, really love you!” It does feel nice.

Being hugged in safe environment makes one feel good. Comforting words together with a hug makes the world feel a much better place. And sometimes there is no need for words. Just a hug to show love.

Who will you hug today?

Kristel Weinreich

Owner at Lumo and HealthyLux Contributor

HealthyLux December theme – Let’s hug

 

 

Autumn changes.

Letting the colourful leaves drop.

Sandwiched between blazing summer and chilly winter, autumn is the “cooling off” season. Crisp, cool air and drifting leaves of autumn are a colorful reminder that things are once again changing around us.

It is, in some ways, nature’s recall that life inevitably keeps moving forward and often leaves us searching for meaning and possibilities how we might adapt and overcome.

Trees shed their leaves before they take on the next change or challenge of snowfall. So too, we may find that change is necessary.

For us, it’s not leaves. Sometimes, our values, our motivation, our balance, our needs don’t look the same anymore. Leaves might also be dried up love, crumpled relationship, failed plans or lost dreams.

Something’s died, and we have a choice: will we hold on to it, season after season, while it saps our energy, stunts our growth, and strangles our beauty? Will autumn bring sorrow to think of these secondary losses- or this season of change be seen as a catalyst for the beauty that is to come as we find new purpose and connections with others?

Oh yes, letting go is hard ! It’s a struggle to release situations, people, things, behaviours or emotions we’ve grown accustomed to having in our lives. Some of us are better at letting go than others and we might be more attached to certain aspects of our lives than other people.

 A few coaching tips to choose to let go and let healing grow in you today?

  • Decide what’s really important. Take a step back. Think and feel what’s truly important to you.
  • Assess what benefits you’re getting. One of the reasons we hang on to things or people is because we believe they add value to our lives or because they added value before. But is that actually true? Really think about it…
  • Be brave enough to make the 1st step to release your grip and make space for emptiness. And remember : the hardest part is the release; once you’re brave enough to take that first step, you’ll soon see that you’re just fine without it.

Practice a body-mind sophrology exercice to help you ?

In a standing up position, close your eyes and connect with your inner body sensations. Connect with your breathing to relax and, if you know how to do it, scan your body sensations from head to toe and install a state of relaxation and deeper awareness. How do you feel inside, in the different parts of your body ? Does your mind or your body feel cluttered ? Let come to your awareness what is cluttering you or your life today.

Then, use your hands as beautiful cleaning brushes to massage and remove dust. ‘’Brush’’ yourself from the tip of your head to your feet and toes, as if you wanted to take off dust, the negative and unnecessary energy or emotions. As if you were making more space on your skin, inside all your body parts, removing and sending away all dust.

When finished, take a moment with your eyes closed to appreciate your new body sensations. How do you feel now ?

And concretely, you may also feel like breaking free from something : objects, old clothes to give away, a phone number,….

Remember the vibrant yellows, reds, and oranges of trees are at their most beautiful when they are in the midst of letting go. Yes, you might go through a tough time — a winter, if you will — but that will pass, and you’ll grow stronger and healthier in the process, just like bright green leaves and flowers do each spring.

Let’s go, let go! 

Nadège Ravoux – HealthyLux Passionate Contributor

HealthyLux November theme – Autumn colours

 

 

Indian Beetroot Paratha

Autumn is here and the colors of the nature inspire us to replicate them in our food.

Indian cooking is a lot about different colors, spices, aromas.

Today we will be learning how to make Beetroot paratha. Beetroot has lots of health benefits. This recipe is very simple and you can make this in no time.

INGREDIENTS
1. Beetroot- 1/2 cup
2. Wheat flour- 1 cup
3. Ginger paste- 1 tbsp or fresh grated ginger 1/2 inch
4. Green Chillis- 1 (Finely chopped)
5. Ajwain (carom seeds)- 1/4 tsp
6. Salt- 1tsp
7. Oil- 1 Tbsp

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Peel off and grate the beetroot or you can also use a blender to blend it.
2. In a bowl take wheat flour, beetroot, ginger, green chili paste, salt, ajwain (carom seeds) and oil.
3. Mix all the ingredients, add water as needed and knead the dough.
4. Make small balls from dough.
5. Take one ball on the rolling board and dust some flour then with the help of the rolling pin roll like a small round of 3-4 inch. Repeat the steps for remaining dough balls and keep aside.
6. Heat a flat bottom non-stick pan and place the beetroot paratha on it. Cook for about 30 sec and flip on other side.
7. Apply oil on top and again flip the paratha cook properly on both side.

Beetroot paratha is ready. Serve it with Pickle Tangós Red Chilli Pickle 😉

 

Pallavi Srivastava- HealthyLux Passionate Contributor

Owner at Pickle Tango

HealthyLux November theme – Autumn colours

 

Autumn Winter Trends 2017

Style it up and turn fabulous!

Read some healthy styling tips for the Autumn Winter Trends 2017 by Neha Bhandari and feel great!

I feel silly talking about Autumn Winter Trends for this year when now it feels like spring in Luxembourg! What a lovely warm sunny weekend we had!

Well, the only issue is if you go shopping now, all stores are stocked with the Autumn Winter collection & I would like my readers to be well versed with the latest trends to make the best choices!!! So, in spite of how sunny, warm & beautiful it looks outdoors i am filling you up with the latest of a/w 2017!

Without further ado, here are my favorite picks for the season!

  • Feathers frills—- In cocktail dresses too

  • Red – Head to toe

  • Vintage florals– Especially roses!

  • Office wear—Business suits with Styled-up tailoring. More Power to Women!

  • Polka dots – in black & white! Size does not matter!

  • Silver & gold- Go all out with the optimism and high shine of the Space Age

  • Corduroy is back— Dust & bring them out!

  • Large baggy sweaters to scoop up this Fall.-Lively colors, vivid patterns in these heritage knits —-All reflecting the optimistic mood & It’s current obsession with craft and culture.

  • Sloganeering on clothes!

  • Velvet Everywhere- Your go-to look for a winter wedding this season- A lush velvet floor length gown!

 

 

Neha Bhandari – HealthyLux Passionate Contributor

Owner at StylizedU

HealthyLux November theme – Autumn colours

 

Get some sleep

Ahh sleep! It seems like being a new mom and having a goodnight sleep is quite of a tricky combination. Or is it just me?

These past few nights have been quite of a challenge as my baby is currently going through a developmental leap, and it seems she’s very eager to practice her new skills during the night. Party time in the crib for her, but not so much fun for mama. And so I have seen first hand how lack of sleep can affect us. And you guessed it – it makes a tremendous difference when we have good quality sleep. So let’s talk about the importance of a goodnight sleep today, and how we can make sure we get it. I will share with you what I do to get a few good hours of sleep even during these challenging days as well.

What happens in your body when you don’t sleep enough?

Apart from the obvious effects lack of sleep has on us, such as tiredness, grumpiness and lack of concentration, there are other even more surprising effects it can cause us. Lack of sleep can lead to a series of health problems such as heart issues and increased blood pressure. Lack of sleep can also alter our glucose tolerance. This means the body will have more trouble recognising the glucose floating around in the blood, and instead of putting it in the cells of the body, where it can be used to fuel activity, it will be left in the blood, thus rising our blood sugar level. This can increase the risk of diabetes. The impaired glucose tolerance coming from lack of sleep can also make us feel more tired and hungry (remember the body is not properly fuelling our cells), which will make us eat more. And as we eat more, but the body is not making proper use of the excess of calories, you guessed it – we gain weight. I hear many people saying “Oh well, I don’t sleep much, but at least it helps me lose weight”. Now you know how untrue this statement is!

As we tend to get more agitated and stressed, our heart rate goes up. Sleep deprivation tends to impair the proper secretion of cortisol. Going on a few nights without proper sleep will increase your cortisol levels especially in the evening and it will take the body longer to bring them down. This on the other hand will make it harder for you to relax and drift into a peaceful sleep. And so a vicious circle can begin. The higher level of cortisol on the other hand increases our risk of diabetes and weight gain. Not nice. Cortisol levels are linked especially to retaining belly fat. So if you are having trouble losing the weight around your waste, maybe it would be a good idea to check the stress levels in your life!

Just as important is the effect lack of sleep has on our immune system too. During the night the inflammation rate in our body increases to support our body to form an initial response to bugs and invaders. This enhances the immune function in our body. But when our sleep is disrupted this inflammatory state gets imbalanced, which disrupts the proper functioning of our immune system and can lead to chronic illness.

No need to mention the other aspects of sleep deprivation and how it impacts our entire life – because of tiredness we will be more prone to skip a workout or a social gathering. Because we will feel more foggy we will become clumsy and our performance level will decrease as well. And lastly, lack of sleep will result in puffy eyes and skin that is more prone to aging.

While I am not trying to depress you with all of this, I simply want to make you aware of just how important it is to sleep. ☺

How to make sure you get a good quality sleep?

I have mentioned this already a few times in my recent posts. And there is a reason why – this is the little secret that helps me get a few good hours of sleep every night! It’s called establishing a good evening routine. This is really important, as it will signal your body that it’s time to relax and to get into a sleepy mode. So what I do is I start with a warm self-massage or I dry brushing before I take a shower. I then take a nice shower, put on soft cotton pajamas and make myself a hot tea. I normally read a book or have a conversation with my husband while I’m drinking my tea. Then I go to bed – lights out and I’m out too. It has taken me a while to stop a very unhealthy habit of always checking my phone or to watch a show before bed. But since I have stopped I noticed how my sleep got better. I fall asleep quicker and deeper. So try to stay away from electronics in the evening. They can really contribute to sleep trouble.

Another thing I try to do as much as I can is to sleep when baby sleeps. I know, this is easier said than done. But if I haven’t had a good night sleep, I always sleep during one of her daily naps. Mostly it is her second nap. So while she is having her first nap I can do other things (like writing this blog post :)).

The third thing is that I have learned to go to bed early. This one is tricky because you might think – oh the baby just fell asleep so let’s just hang out. We surely do this when she is sleeping well through the night, but when I know she is in a more difficult period, I go to bed within two hours after I put her down. This way I do get a good amount of sleep hours.

So if you take anything out of this post let it be this – recognize the importance sleep has on our health and wellbeing and make time for downtime every day. Establishing a good evening routine (just as you did for baby) is a guarantee you will improve the quality of your sleep as well.

What do you do to make sure you have a goodnight sleep?

 

Vesela Savova Drews – HealthyLux Passionate Contributor

Owner at Plateful nutrition

HealthyLux October theme – Get some sleep