How We Eat, Move, and Think! Part 3

For the final part of the series on how we try to ‘eat well, move well and think well’ I will be discussing how we think.

To be honest, I had never really considered how I thought until a few years ago. When I did become aware, it was amazing what thoughts came into mind, and for me, how often they would revert to negativity!

Our brains are wired to keep us safe, and this means that a lot of the time it will focus on the less positive and ‘fearful’ thoughts to ensure that we are aware of the ‘risks’. This doesn’t necessarily have to be a life threatening risk such as stepping out into a busy road when it is not safe to do so, (although in this case, the brain is doing a great job to keep you alive), it can be as simple as creating fear about a new gym class you are going to take – eg: “are you sure you are fit enough to start this, what if you look silly?”

As you can see in this example, sometimes the thoughts that come into our heads can actually have a negative impact on the actions that we take, and in this case, may hold us back from taking part in something that will be good for us.

So what can we do to keep those negative thoughts at bay and create calm in our mind?

The way you start your day, dictates how your day unfolds. I never quite understood why Tom got up at a similar time each day and had a set routine until a couple of years ago. In Sarah’s world, where possible, I would get up at a variety of times during the week, and then pick and choose how my morning went – whether it be checking social media, doing some exercise or doing some work. But I started to feel frustration towards the end of the day and I almost felt out of control, like my day and everything within it had been in control of me, rather than me controlling the day.

So I decided to make a change, and I am not joking when I say it has really changed my life. So I wanted to share some of the things I now do, which may be of help to you.

1. Wake up at similar time each day – This has helped my body get into a rhythm where it now automatically knows it is time to get up, and I wake up feeling more refreshed.

2. Hydrate – I drink a pint of water upon wakening to get my brain and body firing.

3. Journal – I found this one so difficult at the start as I will be honest, I didn’t really want to do it, so it would be the first thing I would skip in the morning. But when I don’t do it now, I really notice the impact it has on my day.

What to write? I use it as a chance to write down my intentions for my day, my health, and for my life in general. When I write, I write as if it has happened eg: “I passed my exam with confidence and ease”. (I have an exam coming up so this is something that I am focusing on at the moment!)
I also write about how I want to show up in the day eg: “I am joyous, positive and help others”. Once I have spent some time on that, I will then write about what I am grateful for. I list 10 things – you can be grateful for the smallest of things, but acknowledging and being in a state of gratitude, will open up your mind to see so much more during the day, and also help to eliminate anxiety and worries.

If you have not done this before, it may seem a little strange at first, but I would recommend persevering, it really does make a difference. And just write what comes to mind, as little or as much as you like. There is no right or wrong, it is your time to get your thoughts down on paper, just for you, and know one else needs to see it.

4. Move the body – if time is a little tight in the morning – simple stretching or marching on the spot for a minute will help to get the brain and body firing. Or maybe consider waking up 30 minutes earlier to go for a walk?

5. Avoid the news and social media until you have at least done steps 1-4 – ideally avoid it for longer.

If you start your day by checking social media or switching on the news, you are going to end up focusing your intentions outwards, and most likely fill your mind with negativity. Avoiding this for at least 30 minutes whilst you set your intentions for the day, will really make a huge difference for your mental and physical health as this is the time when your brain is most open to receive information.  

I understand that life can be challenging and can throw all sorts of things at us which impacts our motivation and zest for life. Sometimes it may be hard to even get out of bed. By creating strong foundations at the start of your day, will help you to cope with the challenges that come up during the day because you have set an anchor which will help you to return to that grounded point.

Diet plays a huge part in thinking well. Everything that we eat and drink has a direct impact on our brain and body, which is why I try to incorporate nutrition which helps to reduce inflammation and stress within it. To learn more about what we do, check out part 1 of the series here.

And I appreciate that many of you may have young children, families and other responsibilities which take up your time and attention, and sometimes the above steps I have mentioned are easier said than done. Just incorporate what you can – even if it is just the hydration and avoiding social media in the morning over a period of time will make a big difference to your day. And if you can’t sit down to write your intentions for the day, how about thinking about it, thinking about what you are grateful for, and how you want your day to go? Or even better say it out loud!

Do what is right for you, but if you don’t currently have a way to try and keep your day on track, I would encourage you to carve some time for you.  If you want to learn more, I’d highly recommend ‘The 5am Club’ book by Robin Sharma, it is a great read.

So that is it from Tom and I! I hope the last 3 weeks have provided some food for thought. As we have mentioned before, our way is certainly not the right way and we would love to hear what you do to ‘eat well, move well and think well’ as we can all learn from each other.

Have a wonderful week.

With love,
Sarah