Top tips to remain healthy, happy and sane over the busy festive season
~ Enjoy a stress free Christmas ~
Summer has arrived and it’s time for us to take charge of our own health and wellness especially
through this busy season ahead. Let’s kickstart the summer and allow ourselves to be our most
healthiest and happiest self we can for this festive season.

Take a moment to celebrate the wonderful events and moments of the year so far and
acknowledge and release the more challenging or difficult times of the past year. What
wonderful life lessons did you learn? Jot these down in a journal and make way for the
awesome year ahead.

Reduce the BUSY-NESS in your life. So many of us tend to say we are busy. People ask how we
are and we often say so busy, instead of saying we feel well, happy, challenged, productive,
excited etc.
BUSY doesn't necessarily mean being PRODUCTIVE and often we run around being busy not
achieving our daily goals, aims or targets. Let's look at the 'Art of Doing Less' Quantity vs
Quality. Use your time wisely, by scheduling in times of the day you check emails or social
media, be strict and don't break the rules. Commit to yourself times of the day you have breaks or
'time out' to regain your focus and then you will find you will be more productive. By taking a
short break your mind will be rejuvenated and you will notice you will get more of your tasks
completed by doing less in a more productive and focused way, than spending longer periods on
work in a tired, busy and hectic manner. So take the challenge and reduce your busy-ness!!!
Who's in???

Keep hydrated! Whether it’s hot or cool it’s important to keep our fluids up whether it is
water, herbal tea or freshly made fruit/vegetable juice. Start the day with a warm lemon
water to cleanse & rejuvenate your body. Being fully hydrated will assist in stopping
false hunger pains and also sugar cravings which often occur when you are thirsty.
Drinking water may also improve your skin tone, reduce muscle cramps & headaches
and improve your focus and concentration. If you are thirsty you are already a little
dehydrated so keep a water bottle or flask close by.

Remember to take a few long deep breathes during the day, this slows your mind,
increases oxygen flow to your brain and body and calms the mind and body. It also
helps to refocus and improve your concentration in busy times. Meditation is also
highly recommended especially through stressful periods. Even if it’s only 5-10 mins a
day your mind and body will thank you for it.

Sleep: we all know it’s important but often don’t get enough to rest & rejuvenate our
body. Here are some reasons to get a good 8 hours of sleep, especially the hours before
midnight: Sleep is great for your brain health, it improves your memory, concentration,
enhances learning & problem solving. Research has shown it improves your physical
health by reducing risk of heart disease, high blood pressure & diabetes and you may
live longer. Sleep also assists to stabilise body weight and lowers the risk of obesity. So
grab your pjs, pillow and eye mask and get an early night. Sweet dreams. Zzzzz
Copyright Jo Surkitt 2016

Get active outdoors in nature. Walk, jog or cycle. Not only is it great breathing in the
fresh air of the ocean, rainforest, bush, farmland, river land or local parklands, it's great
for the mind, body and soul. Your physical body will thank you, your stress levels will
reduce and your spirit will feel a sense of peace and freedom. Take a deep breath in and
take in the beautiful surrounds while you are exercising.

Spend quality, uninterrupted time with family. Watch your kids play, listen to the stories
your parents and grandparents tell about when they were growing up. Do something fun
with your partner. Uninterrupted family time is essential and important for our overall
wellbeing.

Laughter: They say laughter is the best medicine and it's true. Laughter reduces your
stress levels, boosts your immunity, releases endorphins (the love & happiness
hormone), decreases pain, improves mood, lowers blood pressure, strengthens
relationships and overall feels great. So grab some friends or family and retell funny
tales, tell some jokes, watch a comedy movie, find funny You tube videos of ridiculous
things or go people watching, whatever it is laugh, laugh, laugh and have fun.

We often over-indulge with food and beverages over this time with all the festive
parties. Try and take days in between to cleanse with warm lemon water, fresh juices,
broth or simple salads or fruit and keep in mind ‘moderation’ so you don’t feel bloated,
full and lethargic after the big meals. If/when drinking alcohol try and drink water in
between and definitely after and if you have some Vitamin B at home, take one before
bed to help with any signs of a hangover.

Dance: Yes dance, boogie and get into the groove. At your christmas function put the
Jukebox on and get up and dance. You may decide to try the ‘Silent Disco’ in Melbourne
or do a dance class like Nia, Zumba, Latin dance, Belly dance or Jazzercise or go out with
some friends to a gig or club and dance the night away. You could try ‘No lights, no lycra’
sessions which allows you to dance to your heart’s content in the dark with no one
watching or you can turn on the music loud at home and dance around the house singing
and busting a move. Dancing is a fantastic form of exercise; it gets your heart pumping,
endorphins flowing, your muscles working and your stress melting away. And it’s so
much fun.

Participate in exercise that's fun. For example Stand Up Paddle Boarding, it's great for your
core strength, balance and physical health, other fun activities that are great forms of
exercise include: hula hooping, rock climbing, abseiling, juggling, skipping, ice skating,
acrobatics or roller derby. Whatever it is enjoy and have fun with different types of exercise.

Look after your feet. Our feet hold us up, carry us around and do so much for us which we
take for granted so it's time to give some attention to our wonderful feet by having a foot
bath/soak, book in for a reflexology or podiatry session or have a pedicure. Give your feet a
massage; they will love you for it.
Copyright Jo Surkitt 2016

Brain Gym- Integrate your left and right brain to keep your mind healthy, focused and
improve your memory.
Some simple techniques include doing Cross crawl (tapping opposite knee to hand, lifting
knees forward and then kicking legs behind)
Give you ears a full massage to switch on your brain and improve your focus and
concentration.
Do exercises like Sudoku.

Take up a mind, body and soul type of exercise such as Qi Gong or Tai Chi. Although gentle
in movement it is a very powerful form of exercise for balancing your mind, body and spirit.
It can be done in a park, on the beach at home, anywhere!

Add Super foods to your Lunch or Snack Box.
Avocado: great for the heart and a powerful antioxidant.
Blueberries: slows down ageing process, great antioxidant and heart tonic. High in Vit C & K.
Nuts: Improves brain function, promotes healthy skin and hair. They also lower cholesterol. Best
ones to choose are Almonds, Walnuts, Pecans and Brazil nuts.
Salmon: great for the heart, brain function, inflammatory disorders and healthy skin and hair.
Kale: This vegetable is the most nutritious vegetable available and is great in smoothies and
salads, it’s super rich in vitamins and minerals and has a long list of health benefits
Kiwi fruits: Contains high Vitamin C, fibre and potassium, strong antioxidant, great for eyes,
asthma, colds and flus.

Grab some Vitamin D by getting a few minutes of sunshine in the morning or late afternoon. We
need Vitamin D to keep our bones strong and to absorb calcium. Vitamin D enhances our moods
and low levels can be a cause of depression

Finally : Start thinking about 2017. Aim to achieve your goal/dream. Things that seem
unattainable, unachievable or too difficult are often because we hold ourselves back with our ego
and self doubt. We like to procrastinate or think we don't have the skills, time or ability but guess
what 99% of the time we do. So take the challenge and go grab that goal or chase that dream you
are passionate about. In the words of Audrey Hepburn 'Nothing is impossible The Word itself says
I'm Possible' You will be very happy and satisfied with yourself.
Enjoy the festive season.
Jo Surkitt – Revitalize Lifestyle
Copyright Jo Surkitt 2016