How to Improve Sleep ASAP

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If you find yourself staying awake all night, and nodding off during the day, you’re far from alone. In fact, 43% of business leaders don’t get enough sleep.

Studies show 7.4 million Australians (about four in 10 adults) are suffering from sleep deprivation.

For years, I was one of them.

‘I can’t sleep,’ was a nightly occurrence.

The moment those three little words appeared out of the smokescreen, I knew I was doomed. If you’re me six years ago, you’ve already read halfway through your book, switched off all fluorescent lighting, tried to visualise lying on a beach, drunk three cups of chamomile, cursed the universe and cried a little bit, and are now a complex mix of fury, bitterness and resignation.

But all is not lost!

When I stumbled upon meditation, I turned my upside-down life, right-side up.

Let me level with you. There is tremendous buzz about meditation as a cure-all for insomnia, anxiety, chronic pain, depression and more – and it is true. But only if exercised with consistency, and especially when practiced in conjunction with nutrition and exercise.

Countless studies show meditation is changing the way people eat, sleep and relate to the world. JAMA Internal Medicine found the effects of mindfulness meditation vs. sleep hygiene education SIGNIFICANTLY improved sleep quality, as well as secondary symptoms like depression, anxiety, stress, and fatigue.

Try this technique when you’re struggling to fall sleep:

  1. Lie down comfortably with palms facing upwards.
  2. In 4 counts, breathe deep in through the nose and into the diaphragm, letting the belly balloon.
  3. Hold for 7 counts at the top.
  4. Release for 8 counts out through the mouth.
  5. Repeat this 10 times.
  6. Observe the natural breath. Your mind will begin to wander. Don’t engage with your thoughts, but don’t crack the whip either. Just gently steer them back to your breath.
  7. Do this until you fall asleep, but don’t expect to fall asleep 🙂 That’s the trick. Just keep returning to your breath with no expectation.
  8. Practice this for ten-fifteen minutes per night.

 Just like when you first start a new gym regime, your sleeping patterns won’t change overnight, but with sustained, consistent practice – you will rewire the old behaviours and thought patterns in your mind. Your neurons will fire differently, and you won’t have to suffer the secondary symptoms of sleep deprivation in your waking life anymore.

 

 

4 Simple Changes to find Peace in the Digital Age

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Sadly, there is no APP for contentment.

The Digital Age gives us instant gratification at our fingertips and a steady stream of happy-chemical producing “likes” and pings. We now know Apps are designed to produce a little spike of dopamine that keeps us coming back for more like well-trained drug-addicts, but we also know, technology in and of itself isn’t inherently evil.

Like a hammer, it can either hurt your fingers (and your head) or be cleverly manipulated to improve your home and hearth.

Happiness is a temporary experience. Those pings and notifications are seductive, but contentment is a permanent state, and sits below it all, forever accessible when you’re willing to go beneath the surface of how you “think” and “feel”.

Here are some changes you can make to become more present in this noisy new world:

 

  • Turn off your computer screen while eating lunch. Take 5 or 10 minutes to fully engage with the sensations eating produces. Studies show this can reduce overeating, reduces anxious thoughts and has a greater impact on weight loss than diets.

 

 

  • Three times a day, stop for 2 minutes. Take 3 deep breaths into the belly, drawing oxygen into the lower lobes of the lungs, where there is the most blood flow. Take a step outside the office and feel the sunlight on your skin, the pressure from the earth beneath your shoes, and use your breath to get out of your head, and back into your body.

Watch this Ted Talk to learn how breathing can change the way you work, play and love.

 

 

2, 5 and 13 minute Meditations for the Busy Professional

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First off, let’s get one thing straight. Meditating on a big rock in the middle of the Himalayan Winter looks enlightening, but it is very, very cold (and uncomfortable).

You’ve all heard of the business mogul who renounced his Rockstar lifestyle for quiet contemplation among the Tibetan monks, but most of us are simply too attached to burgers and air conditioning, so what can we do?

If you’re not planning to shave your head any time soon, don’t worry. There is another way,

 

Take 2, 5, 13-minute chunks out of your day, and make meditation a consistent, sustainable HABIT.

 

If you do it every day, you’ll see results from anywhere between three days to three months, across all areas of your life. A grand statement? I think not. Meditation improves your health, boosts your mood and as a by-product improves how you feel, and improves everything you do.

Check out Tony Robbin’s routine for inspiration or keep scrolling for 2-5 minute meditations.

The most successful people in the world are meditating. Companies like Google, Apple, Salesforce and LinkedIn, all have ongoing meditation programs. Tony Robbins, Oprah, the Navy Seals and Dutch Daredevil, Wim Hof are using combinations of meditation and breathing to test the limits of human potential.

Don’t know who Wim Hof is? Check out the man who has broken over 25 World Records in ice and snow.

Crack the code to success and try these Quick and Easy meditations for the modern minimalist:

Relaxation Breath (2 minutes)

According to Harvard Health, diaphragmatic breath (belly breath) is the body’s only natural stress relief. It can be done anywhere, at any time to slow the heartrate, improve mood and calm your thoughts.

  1. Whether you’re standing, sitting in a chair, or on a floor, keep your spine straight but relaxed. Eyes can be open or closed, but keep your attention steadfastly attached to the passage of your breath.
  2. Inhale deeply through the nose, deep into the lower part of the belly, letting it inflate.
  3. Exhale out through the mouth, pulling the belly button back towards the spine.
  4. Repeat for 2 minutes, or until you are ready to move forward.

Eat Mindfully (5 minutes)

Did someone say eat? Yes, make your meal your meditation. Sounds simple, but it isn’t always easy. Can you close your laptop, turn your phone upside down (and on silent), and do nothing but eat for 5 minutes?

  1. Limit distractions. I.e. Turn your phone on silent, and turn off the ‘vibrate’ function. Put your computer in ‘Sleep’ mode. Lock the office door.
  2. Observe the food item, understanding what has had to transpire for that morsel to arrive in the earth and journey onto your plate.
  3. Use your eyes to appreciate the visual aspects of what you’re about to consume.
  4. Hold it up to your nose and inhale deeply. What can you smell? Our sense of smell is capable of evoking powerful memories. Researchers believe between 75% and 90% of what we taste is actually evoked by our sense of smell.
  5. Place the item in your mouth without chewing, and feel the texture with the insides of your mouth and tongue.
  6. Chew and swallow with your eyes closed, savouring the sensations your food evokes in you.

Mindfulness (13 minutes)

Studies show your magic number for meditation is 13 minutes. According to Nobel Prize winner, Elizabeth Blackburn proved 13 minutes a day is enough to increase telomerase activity by 30%. Telomeres shorten as we age, increasing the signs of aging and the risk of Cancer. Meditation isn’t magic, it’s hard work. But the stress relief and succeeding improvements in emotional and physical health mean increased longevity and a happier life.

  1. Sit with a relaxed, straight spine, and eyes open or closed.
  2. Observe your natural breath as it moves in and out through the nose.
  3. Notice if it is fast, slow, deep, shallow, from the left or right nostril. But don’t change anything.
  4. When the mind wanders, gently redirect it back to the breath.

 

Tips to making meditation a habit

  1. Set calendar reminders for when you wake up, during lunchtime, and just before bed.
  2. Leave a post-it reminding you to meditate on the mirror or ceiling above your bed, so it’s the first thing you see in the morning.
  3. Do it with a friend or partner to stay motivated!
  4. Sit and meditate at least once a week with a group.
  5. Don’t over commit!! Don’t binge on meditation one day, only to do nothing for two weeks. You’ll see the effects through sustained practice, over time. So focus on doing 2 minutes for two weeks, then slowly build it up over a month.

Contact Us today for a personalised plan that is tailored to your needs and lifestyle.