While the majority of people do actively try to take care of their physical health by exercising and eating a sensible diet most don’t stop to think about the other side that completes a happy, healthy individual, their mental health. Here are some tips for excellent self-care:
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Treat your body – while we exercise to take care of our body we should also remember to give it a treat, pamper it a little. This could be by way of a massage after a hard days work when it is tired and stressed or something as simple as standing up and giving it a stretch to ease knotted muscles.
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Take time out – refresh your body and mind by giving yourself some space, some time just for you, this could be as little as five minutes where you find peace and solitude by closing your eyes and deep breathing. The longer you can take time out from your busy day just for yourself the better.
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Let your inner child out – can you remember how much simpler life was when you were a child; go back to your childhood for a short while. Do something you used to enjoy doing as a child, this could be anything from rollerblading, lying on your back and finding shapes in the clouds, making a daisy chain or playing on a swing.
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Comfort yourself – we all have something that comforts us in times when we need it, something that make us feel safe and secure. Take time out to comfort yourself every now and again. This could be sitting in front of a roaring fire and watching the flames dance, relaxing in a hot bubble bath surrounded by candlelight, snuggling up in a favorite blanket or a particular smell that relaxes you.
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Relax in fantasy – take time out to go out of your world and into another, this could be by way of a book, magazine or film. Or better yet visualization; go into your own fantasy world, created by your own mind.
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Treat yourself to a mental health day – treat yourself to a whole day of just doing whatever it is you enjoy doing, don’t do any work or even think or feel guilty about what you should be doing. Just make the day all about you.
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Rediscover nature – reconnect with the world around you by taking a long walk through the park, notice how green the grass is and how blue the sky and marvel at the weird and wonderful shapes of the clouds drifting over the sky.
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Do something you keep putting off – take time out to do something you have been meaning to do for a long time. Don’t keep putting it off, make today the day to do it.
These are just some of the ways you can help to improve your health by taking care of your mental health, just open your mind and be more aware of your body and mind and you will discover many other ways to take care of your mental health which ultimately leads to a happier and healthier you, overall.
Tags: physical health, tips for excellent self care
Chinese medicine is a whole holistic system that can lead to a healthier, happier and more stress free way of living. It is a system that people have benefited from for over twenty-three centuries and is used to diagnose, treat and prevent a wide variety or illnesses and problems.
The different aspects that make up Chinese medicine all basically rely on the same principle, Yin and Yang. This is basically opposites attract, such as night and day, cold and warm, inner and outer. The basis behind it is to restore harmony and peace to the mind and body; the Chinese believe that by doing so we can eliminate many diseases and illnesses.
Qi is the life force that flows uninterrupted throughout the body, similar to blood throwing throughout the veins. It is when there is a disruption in this Qi that problems and illness occurs; restoring the flow of the Qi restores harmony and dissolves the symptoms of illness.
The two main components of Chinese medicine are acupuncture and herbal remedies.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture focuses on the Qi that flows throughout the body; it flows through points known as meridian points. While it is flowing freely we are healthy and happy, but if the channels should become blocked then the Qi stagnates and this leads to symptoms of various illnesses depending on where the Qi is blocked. It works by the acupuncturist restoring the normal flow of the Qi by stimulating certain points on the body.
Herbal medicine
Chinese herbal medicine is usually dispensed after acupuncture treatment although it can be used as a standalone. There are over a thousand common herbs that are used in combinations for various problems and illnesses. There are two main types of herbal remedies that are commonly used, these are “food herbs” and are generally eaten as part of the diet and are mainly used for prevention of disease and illness and maintenance. “Medicinal herbs” are usually prescribed by a Doctor of Chinese medicine and are specially prepared for the patient based on the individuals needs. The formula is made up from the patient’s medical condition, the environment and the constitution of the person. Medicinal herbs are usually given alongside acupuncture treatment and used in conjunction with the “re-balancing” effects of acupuncture treatment.
The benefits of Chinese medicine are numerous and is has been thought to have helped many physical conditions along with affective disorders and increases mental clarity, here are just a few of the conditions it has been known to successfully treat.
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Sinusitis, bronchitis and asthma
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Conjunctivitis and cataracts
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Stroke, sciatica and osteoarthritis
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Faster recovery from injury
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Improved circulation
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Relief from stress and anxiety
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Relief from pain
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Strengthening of the immune system
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Addictions, phobias and eating disorders
Tags: benifits of chinese medicine, chinese medicine
In order to live a happier, healthier life you should take care of more than your physical health by way of dieting and exercising, you should also take care of your mental health. Only by having a complete system of healthy living can you be a healthy person, while exercise is important for your body it is also important for your mind.
Stress comes to all of us in some form or other with worries about finances, job security, responsibilities and relationships all taking their toll on our mental health. Stress is one of the biggest factors to disrupting our mental health and ultimately our well-being, it is as important to reduce stress in your life, as it is to reduce your fat, sugar and calorie intake to remain healthy.
There are many ways which we can take care of our mental health and eliminate some of the stress from our day, some of the steps you can take to remain stress free include.
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Learn to manage your day and time better by setting out realistic goals which you can manage to meet everyday.
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Learn how to utilize your time more efficiently throughout the day by focusing and completing one task at a time before moving on to another.
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Remain flexible in your thinking when it comes to completing tasks, if you cannot accomplish them the way you had planned then do it another way.
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Take small breaks throughout the day, these will give you time to clear your head and get back on track and stay focused on the task at hand.
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Admit that you are only human and you cannot do everything, admit when you need a little help and don’t be afraid to ask for that help should you need it.
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Learn when to say “no”, while we all like to do favors we can sometimes take too much onto our plates and when this happens we cannot manage to fit everything in and stress sets in.
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Never try to over exert your body, you can only do so much in a day, by trying to push yourself continually beyond your limits will stress your body and mind.
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Learn to recognize when you are starting to get stressed and take immediate action to relieve that stress.
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Learn techniques which you can quickly eliminate stress, there are a wide range of techniques which you can use, with some working better than others and giving you better results. Techniques such as breathing exercises and visualization are very effective measure which can be used to quickly ease stress and let you refocus.
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Positive affirmations can help you deal with stress effectively, a positive mind with positive thoughts is a healthier mind and one to stress less eagerly.
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Always make time for some quiet time, time to just relax and do something you enjoy and don’t feel guilty for taking this time out.
Tags: mental health, taking care of your mental health
