by Emma G | May 6, 2020 | General Health
It’s only a muffin so eat it if you want it right? I’ve been talking about eating behaviour’s a lot this week and been dealing with my own craziness around the topic ?
Food to a lot of us is a security blanket, it’s how we make ourselves feel good and can give us a moment of comfort. We are in odd and stressful times so if a muffin gives you a bit of comfort then eat the muffin.
Lockdown and isolation are hard for all of us, those of us who struggle or have struggled with disordered eating behaviours are finding it quite difficult. At home 24/7 with food, which we may have stockpiled to avoid repeated trips out. We are stressed, possibly alone or stuck with a heap of people we haven’t chosen and anxious, which is a recipe ? for these behaviours to be prevalent.
Now is a time to aim to go easy on yourself and be kind. It’s okay if certain behaviours have creeped back in. Disordered eating initially can make you feel good, happy and safe so if it’s ticking these boxes then try and accept that. We know that over time these behaviours are not ideal, though right now they may be serving their purpose. Disordered eating and eating disorders are a coping mechanism, yes there are better ones, though in this moment if they are looking after you in a way, then acceptance may be the way to go.
Be conscious around your behaviours, observe yourself and reflect. Being aware of why you are behaving in a certain way is a starting point to making changes and improving, implementing or eliminating said behaviours at an appropriate time. Now maybe not the right time for most people. Change takes energy and brain space; do you have any spare to make changes right now?
Other ways we can show ourselves some self care
- Include things in your day that you enjoy, I know this sounds obvious, though its often overlooked.
- Self-massage
- Listening to music or podcasts and watching programmes
- Yoga
- Have a bath
- Getting outside in nature, in bush or at the beach if these are available to you at present
- Take some time for yourself
- Try and think about the present and be in the now
- Aim to not compare or consume “media” that causes negative thoughts and feelings. Delete, unfollow, unsubscribe
- Move your body in a way that feels good to you each and every day
My message is to try observe yourself and your behaviours. Accept them and reflect on them, try and understand why you behave in a certain way. With this information you can look into ways to reduce, eliminate or change, remembering it’s a process and it takes time team.
Be (try) kind to yourselves ?
by Emma G | Sep 20, 2019 | Clients
This years survey results are in, I like to send out a yearly survey to my clients as all feedback is good feedback and I am constantly striving to improve what I do so I can support more people.
Everyone who received a survey request completed the survey which is fantastic.
- 81% of people would recommend me with the other 19% being passive
- 100% people very satisfied or satisfied
- People describe me as reliable, high quality and useful.
Key quotes from the team
“Keep doing what you are doing!”
“Very personalised, takes time to get to know you. Lots of encouragement and sessions tailored to you individually.”
“Emma supports you step by step and this is much appreciated.”
“Supports older adult’s fitness”
“Tailored workout program, goal setting each week for eating or movement, Emma checks in with you before the session to make sure you have no areas of concern (anything painful) before embarking on your exercise, checks on energy levels and how you are.”
“makes you feel good about yourself even on shitty days when you don’t meet your goal”
Thanks everyone for taking the time to complete, means a lot to me, all your feedback is greatly appreciated.
by Emma G | Feb 18, 2019 | General Health
Does the word make you roll your eyes or do you have a current practise? There are different ways you can meditate, experiment and see what works for you. Even if it’s simply sitting somewhere quiet and focusing on your breathing. No hippy pants required I promise.
Meditation can reduce (negative) stress, improve sleep, improve relationships and increase focus.
“The quality of the breath is not only related to the length of our lives, but is intimately connected to the mental and emotional states as can be seen by how the breath changes with different states of mind.”
Swami Karma Karuna
Tools
Headspace – both free and subscription resources
Buddhify – subscription resources
1 Giant Mind – both free and subscription resources
Calm – both free and subscription resources
There is an abundance of You Tube channels for guided and unguided meditations.
Check out local mindfulness/meditation classes in your area, there will be several to choose from.
“If you are quiet enough, you will hear the flow of the universe. You will feel its rhythm. Go with this flow. Happiness lies ahead. Meditation is key.”
Buddha
Lying down somewhere and focusing on doing a set of 10 diaphragmatic (abdominal/belly) breaths is a good way to start looking at how you breathe. This type of breathing also slows the heartbeat and can lower/stabilise blood pressure.
One tool I use is my acupressure mat and pillow, focusing on my breathing with my hand on my tummy. I also like lying on my bed with my feet up against the wall focusing on my breath and trying not to attach myself to the many thoughts that whirl through my mind.
Meditation for you could be walking the dogs and remaining totally present, watching a sunset or listening to your favourite music. You can do it anytime of the day, start with as little as 3 mins and then increase from there. Think of it as a time out to focus on your breath and be present.
Its totally okay to take this time for yourself, happy meditating team!
by Emma G | Feb 18, 2019 | Ageing
An inevitable part of life, though one we can manage and aim to move through with strength, mobility and quality health.
Nutrition
The 80/20 rule is a sensible way of looking at the way you eat. Consume highly nutritious foods 80% of the time and those less nutritious foods that you love 20% of the time. There is really no need to go on crazy diets, aim to eat moderately and include a little bit of indulgence along the way. Find what works for you.
Say if you have 3 meals and 2 snacks every day, that would leave 7 of the eating choices, a mix of snacks and meals, for that week for foods that you enjoy though aren’t quite as nutritious. Not bad right?
Movement
There are so many benefits of movement, it lowers risk of many diseases, alleviates depression/anxiety and slows down ageing. Movement connects you with others, it’s fun, energises us, improves posture and increases confidence. Aim to try new exercises, set new challenges and find ways you like to move.
Play and laugh
Have fun, laugh, be silly, climb trees, roll in the grass, whatever activity that makes you feel good. Many activities that make us laugh are connected with moving our body. A positive outlook on life comes with a plethora of health benefits.
“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.”
Stuart Brown, MD
Sleep
Achieving sleep is not easy for all of us, though aim to prioritise your sleep where you can. If it proves too much of a challenge to get enough sleep at night, you could try micro naps or “meditation” throughout the day. Meditation comes in many forms, so find what works for you.
“Sleep is the single most effective thing we can do to reset our brain and body health each day — Mother Nature’s best effort yet at contra-death.”
Matthew Walker, Why We Sleep
Move, laugh, eat and sleep! Doesn’t sound too challenging when put like that!
by Emma G | Feb 13, 2019 | Clients
91% would recommend services to a friend or colleague
83% were very satisfied with services, everyone else was satisfied
The buzz words that were used when asked to describe Total Health services were reliable, high quality, useful, unique and value for money.
Services met everyone’s needs to either extremely well or to a very well standard.
Everyone rated service quality as very high or high with Emma’s responsiveness to questions/concerns as extremely responsive. I pride myself in being available for my clients throughout the week, I make this clear that my services go beyond actual session time.
I was overwhelmed with the results, surveying is a business tool I have been using since I started and it’s a simple way to track client engagement.
Some additional loveliness that was left for me in the survey.
“Variety is a big plus for me in terms of the exercises we do. Love the total approach and focus on the person’s issues/weakness’, correct form and easy going manner.”
“Your level of genuine concern and respect toward my body and mind has been amazing. I have felt pushed but not stressed so thank you.”
“The best thing I have ever done for my overall health was booking my first session with Emma two and a half years ago.”
“Great service all around. Keep doing what you are doing.”
A massive thanks to all my clients past and present, if you would like to discuss your specific health requirements please get in touch.
