Nurturing Wellbeing in a Busy Corporate Life: Practical Tips for Professionals

Introduction: In today's fast-paced world, finding balance and prioritizing wellbeing is crucial for professionals. Whether you work from home or in an office environment, it's essential to integrate healthy habits into your routine. In this post, we will explore practical strategies and actionable tips to help you nurture your physical and mental wellbeing, even amidst a busy schedule. Let's dive in and discover how you can enhance your overall wellbeing while successfully navigating the corporate world.

1. Prioritize Quality Sleep: Quality sleep is the foundation of wellbeing. Aim for 7-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep each night. Establish a consistent sleep schedule by going to bed and waking up at the same time. Create a relaxing bedtime routine that includes activities such as reading, gentle stretching, or taking a warm bath. Ensure your sleep environment is comfortable, cool, and free from distractions, promoting a restful night's sleep.

2. Manage Stress with Effective Techniques: Stress can take a toll on your wellbeing, so it's crucial to manage it effectively. Practice deep breathing exercises whenever you feel overwhelmed. Take short breaks throughout the day to engage in quick stress-relieving activities, such as stretching or going for a short walk. Set clear boundaries between work and personal life, allowing yourself time to recharge and relax. Consider incorporating mindfulness into your routine, such as mindful breathing or meditation, to cultivate a sense of calm and reduce stress levels.

3. Nourish Your Body with Healthy Choices: Maintain a well-balanced diet to support your overall health. Opt for nutrient-rich foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats. Prepare your meals and snacks in advance, ensuring you have nourishing options readily available. Stay hydrated throughout the day by drinking an adequate amount of water. Be mindful of portion sizes and practice mindful eating by savoring each bite, paying attention to your body's hunger and fullness cues.

4. Establish Technology-Free Zones and Switch Off: Constant connectivity can hinder your wellbeing. Designate specific times and areas in your daily routine as technology-free zones. Use this time to engage in activities that promote relaxation and mental rejuvenation, such as reading a book, practicing a hobby, or spending quality time with loved ones. Disconnecting from technology allows you to recharge and maintain a healthy work-life balance.

5. Embrace Nature for Stress Reduction: Spending time in nature has a positive impact on overall wellbeing. Incorporate nature into your routine by taking short walks during breaks or scheduling outdoor activities on weekends. When possible, find green spaces near your workplace or take advantage of local parks. Engaging in activities like "forest bathing" - immersing yourself in nature with all your senses - can help reduce stress, improve mood, and enhance your overall wellbeing. 

   Conclusion: Your wellbeing should be a top priority, regardless of whether you work from home or in an office environment. By implementing the practical tips provided in this blog post, such as prioritizing quality sleep, managing stress effectively, nourishing your body with healthy choices, establishing technology-free zones, and embracing nature, you can create a healthy and balanced lifestyle. Remember, small changes can make a significant difference, so start incorporating these practices into your daily routine and enjoy the benefits of enhanced wellbeing in your corporate life.

5 easy ways to bring more nature in our lives

By welcoming more nature into our lives, we can alleviate some of the symptoms of our modern day urban living. The effects of spending time in nature have been studied and have been found to reduce stress and anxiety, lower blood pressure and strengthen the immune system. 

Especially during these uncertain times caused by the pandemic, we should all try to bring more nature in our lives. Follow these easy tips to feel better on a day-to-day basis.

1.   Go for a daily walk: You don’t have to go too far, even the local park would be prefect. By gifting yourself 30 minutes a day to notice a natural scene and by letting your body and mind relax, you can hugely reduce your stress levels and improve your overall wellbeing.

2.   Breathe in: Try breathing in the nature around you. Pause to smell the trees, the grass. Trees really do have healing powers. For one thing, they release antimicrobial essential oils, called phytoncides, that protect trees from germs and have a host of health benefits for people. If you don’t have time to go for a walk, try using an essential oil at home like Pine or Cypress.

3.   Find a sit spot: Find yourself a spot in nature that you love. Visit your nature spot daily or as often as possible, regardless of the weather. Aim to be there for approximately 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, the nature we disturb by arriving will slowly return and you will soon become part of the natural scene alongside the other beings. This practice will offer greater clarity and focus.

4.   Surround yourself with Green: Bring nature to you - onto your desk and into your home. Some studies suggest you can improve productivity by 15% with just a few houseplants nearby. We recommend the Snake Plant or the Aloe, but there are many others, that have calming or air purifying benefits.

5.   Listen to the sounds of nature: Be the ocean waves, bird song, rain falling, or the wind through the trees if you have these naturally accessible. If not, then play these sounds through headphones when feeling a bit stressed or before falling asleep.

7 ways to improve your health in 2022

A new year brings new goals, ambitions, and hopefully healthier habits. 2022 is a great time to make these goals a reality. Add these resolutions to your list to start living a healthier life this year.

 1.   Cut down on sugar. Like everything, consume it in moderation.

 2.   Drink more water. Remember to stay hydrated all the times.

 3.   Exercise Regularly. Exercising is essential to healthy living.

 4.   Practice mindful breathing. The word meditation intimidates a lot of people, but an easy way to start is by learning how to breathe mindfully.

 5.   Make sure you get enough Vitamin D. It is crucial for the immune system and overall wellbeing 

 6.   Eat more whole foods. Aim to eat 5 servings of fruit or vegetables a day.

 7.   Spend more time outside. Spending time in nature or practicing forest bathing can lower blood pressure and stress hormone levels, reduce anxiety, and improve mood.

 With the added emphasis on health, it's more important than ever to make those wellness resolutions and stick to them.

The Origins of Forest Therapy

 We all know how good being in nature can make us feel. Humans are part of the natural world.  And when we are in harmony with the natural world we begin to heal.

In Japanese, it’s shinrin-yoku: “shinrin” means “forest,” and “yoku” means “bath.” So “shinrin-yoku” means “bathing in the forest” or “taking in the forest through our senses.

 Forest Therapy is like a bridge. By opening our senses, it bridges the gap between the natural world and us.

 Forest bathing, as a formal practice, was first established and given its name in 1982 by Tomohide Akiyama. He was the director general of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan, and he thought that the people of Japan were in need of healing through nature. The idea was also part of a campaign to protect the forests: If people were encouraged to visit forests for their health, they would be more likely to want to protect and look after them.

The Japanese government invested a lot of money in forest bathing with the goals of protecting the forests, promoting human health, and preventing lifestyle-related diseases.

Governmental agendas all over the world show just how valuable facts and figures are on reconnecting with nature.  This is a growing global need.

The science behind Forest Bathing

Forest medicine expert Dr. Qing Li has studied Shinrin-Yoku for over 30 years and published a book, The Art and Science of Forest Bathing, outlining its practice and benefits.

 It is well known that the immune system plays an important part in building our defenses against bacteria, viruses and tumours. One of the ways to test the health of the immune system is by looking at the activity of our natural killer (NK) cells. Natural killer cells are the type of white blood cell and are so called because they can kill and attack unwanted cells, for exemple those infected with a virus. They do this with the help of anti-cancer proteins: perforin, granulysin and granzymes. These proteins drill holes in cell membranes and this causes the target cells to die.

 Several scientific studies show that forest bathing increases the number of these natural killer cells and this effect lasts up to 30 days.

 Forest bathing has other physical and mental health benefits. According to Dr. Li, forest bathing can increase energy, decrease anxiety, depression and anger, and reduce stress and bring about a state of relaxation. Other research suggests forest bathing as a good strategy for preventative medicine thanks to its ability to promote lower concentrations of the stress hormone, lower pulse rate and lower blood pressure than city environments.

 Why not to spend 2 hours in nature to be more protected for up to 30 days?

6 ways to boost the immune system

2020 made us understand the importance of having a strong immune system. Fortunately, there are a number of simple ways to boost your immune system that can be found in your very own home, kitchen or garden.

1. Get enough sleep: Most of us need around 8 hours of good quality sleep a night to function properly.

2.  Take vitamin D: This sunshine vitamin does a great job shielding the body from catching the cold and flu. Foods that contain vitamin D include cheese, egg yolk, beef liver, and fatty fish.

3. Commit to exercise you enjoy. Getting moderate to vigorous exercise every day is one of the most important things we can do for our health.

4. Add turmeric to your diet. Turmeric contains a powerful compound known as curcumin, which works to decrease inflammation. It also promotes better digestion. Start by adding a few shakes to your daily tea, or try it on a fish dish, stew or in a soup.

5. Eat foods with probiotics: Research shows that probiotics are some of the best foods to boost immunity. Include regularly eating fermented and cultured foods that contain probiotics Some foods that contain probiotics are: yoghurt, kefir, kimchi and kombucha.

6. Go on a forest bathing journey: Spending one day in a forest is said to increase the natural killer cells about 40% and the increased amount of those cells, the boosted immune system effects, stay within the body for around seven days, without entering the forest again. 

Most beautiful nature settings in the UK

Do you feel recharged after a vacation? How about planning your next trip to a beautiful national park in the UK?

Here are some suggestions, places where you can immerse in nature and come back happier and healthier.

1. The Lake District National Park:  The Park is England’s newest UNESCO World Heritage Site and a spot that can’t be missed when exploring northern England. Perched on the north-west coast of the country, it’s got around sixteen lakes across the whole national park, which is stunning.

2. Bentley Wood, Hampshire: There’s a tree-laden corner on the Hampshire/Wiltshire boundary that is home to some of the rarest butterfly species in the UK. Just south-east of Salisbury, Bentley Wood is home to more than 36 species, including the Duke of Burgundy, pearl-bordered fritillary and the purple emperor.

3. Blean Woods, Kent: Blean Woods is a wonderful place for a quiet walk in a beautiful and ancient woodland. There are five trails to explore, the longest of which takes you on an eight-mile wander through mature oaks which hide lesser spotted woodpeckers and nightingales.

4. New Forest, Hampshire: William the Conqueror named the forest when he used to hunt deer and wild pigs here nearly 1,000 years ago. Confusingly, this picturesque corner of south England isn’t completely covered in woodland either – it also has acres of purple-flecked heathland and miles of pebbly, marshy coast. The terrain is gentle, and you’re guaranteed a sighting of its free-roaming horses.

5. Wistman`s Wood, Devon:  Said to be a legendary Druids’ grove, Wistman’s Wood is one of only three high-altitude oakwoods on Dartmoor in Devon. This unusual and atmospheric forest and the many boulders scattered around it are covered in moss and lichen.

6. Snowdonia National Park, Wales: The national park is named after Snowdon – 3,560ft tall mountain, which is the tallest one in Wales and England. The park boasts mountains and the coast that make a dramatic landscape. It is one of the most popular places among the hikers, climbers, cyclists and backpackers.