As a Health and Wellness Coach, I am here to help you figure out ways to remove the habits that aren’t enriching your life, and then replacing them with better routines that keep you healthy, energetic and happy.

So, here are 5 tips  to keep those positive routines flowing:

Tip 1

Write down your goals for 2018. Don’t just think about, actually write them down. Set only three for the year, no more and no less! If you write down less than 3 goals, you will just ignore them. And if you set more than 3 goals, it’s too much, and seems unachievable. So please stick to just 3 goals. They can be big goals or small goals – a goal is a goal. It may be to travel overseas for the first time, or it could be cutting out sugar in your diet. Then, write underneath, what success looks like so you have a clear vision of life as a more balanced, healthy, happy you. Underneath that, write what failure looks like. Research shows that having that contrast really helps motivation for moving away from the unhealthy, unbalanced life into better, healthy habits. Then, stick those goals up on the inside of your toilet door, or your bathroom mirror, or somewhere else you’ll see them daily. A constant reminder of where you want to be, will help you to get there.

Tip 2

Take an old, unhealthy habit and replace it with a new one. This is really important. You need to fill that hole with something beneficial. For example; if you drink too much coffee, start your day with some water and fresh-squeezed lemon before you have your first coffee. Having some lemon water will improve your digestion as well as energizing you. It gives you a shot of antioxidants and Vitamin C which is great for your immune system. Then save your first coffee of the day for about 11am, when you actually need a bit of perking up. Or, instead of having your first alcoholic drink for the day at 6pm, have a 30-minute stretch instead. That’s one less beer or one less glass of wine that you will have for the night, and you will have a lot more flexibility in your body too.

Tip 3

Right now is the perfect time to create a new habit. Research shows that if you can do it for 10 days in a row at the same time every day you’re more likely to keep it up. Set a routine and do everything you can, to make it happen for 10 days straight.

I suggest to set your alarm for 10 minutes earlier than you usually do and also start your morning with 10 sun salutes. I call this the 10 x 10 x 10 challenge! It make your life 1000 times better.

Tip 4

Sort out a support team. Life is so much better with a partner, and it’s so much easier to do something new if you have someone at your side. Even if it’s them kicking you out of bed on those days you can’t be bothered. Don’t worry. On the days that THEY can’t be bothered, you can do the kicking too. It could be your wife, your husband, or a friend, or your neighbor. It doesn’t matter who it is, as long as you know they’ll be willing to support you, just like you’re willing to support them.

Tip 5

Tell more people about your goals – your family, your friends, just share! They will keep you honest by asking how things are going. You should be proud of yourself, believe in it. When its accountable its more likely to actually happen and become a reality rather than a dream. For example, you want to go to New York. Share this goal with your friends, talk about and get excited together. Then it’s more likely to happen.

If you REALLY want to get some extra motivation to make it happen, then you can use an anti-charity. For example, your aim is to do yoga three times a week for the whole year. Then, give $100 cash to a friend and tell them to put it in a safe place. At the end of the year, if you’ve managed to stay in routine and do yoga three times a week for the whole year, then that money is spent on a fun night out together as a reward. If you haven’t done it, your friend has to put the money in an envelope and send it to a cause you hate, like the Australian Tobacco Lobby, or something else that you feel is just as evil. Studies show that with getting motivation for resolutions, people would rather not lose something than gain something. For the anti-charity to work and help you, the issue can’t be something that you feel luke warm about. It really has to be something that you despise and would absolutely hate to get your money.

So there are my five tips. But the biggest tip I have to give you is  to stop EVERYDAY and take a moment to be grateful to be alive. Then ask yourself if you’re living the life you really want to live. If you’re not, then it’s time to make a change.

Often I get asked the main things I personally take advantage of when it comes to keeping happy and healthy. So, with that in mind here is the first of a monthly segment on the blog that will showcase 5 things I’m loving right now in the world of wellness:

1 – Meditation with Head Space App

We’re very blessed to have meditation apps on our devices these days. It makes something important very easy to do and accessible to almost anyone. I highly suggest adding meditation to your daily routine. After using many different types of apps, my favourite by far is Head Space. You get a FREE 10 days of meditation, which is ideal for creating a habit of sitting down for just ten minutes each day and working on your mental health. Check it out, share with your friends and family and give it a go.

2 – The China Study Book

My favourite book at the moment is The China Study . I read this book over 6 years ago and  now reading it for the second time. It still bows me away. The China Study examines the relationship between the consumption of animal products (including dairy) and chronic illnesses such as coronary heart disease, diabetes, breast cancer, prostate cancer, and bowel cancer. The authors conclude that people who eat a whole-food, plant-based vegan diet—avoiding all animal products, including beef, pork, poultry, fish, eggs, cheese, and milk, and reducing their intake of processed foods and refined carbohydrates—will escape, reduce, or reverse the development of numerous diseases.

The book is based on the China–Cornell–Oxford Project, a 20-year study—described by The New York Times as “the Grand Prix of epidemiology”—conducted by the Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine. T. Colin Campbell was one of the study’s directors. It looked at mortality rates from cancer and other chronic diseases from 1973–75 in 65 counties in China; the data was correlated with 1983–84 dietary surveys and blood work from 100 people in each county.

3 – Black Chicken Deodorant

Each day, as we get ready to head out of the house, we all put on our favourite deodorant and fragrances and cosmetics. Most are unaware of the products we use on our skin are often full of toxic chemicals. After using these products day in day out, it can then cause many skin issues and other health related problems. Black Chicken Axilla is a 100% natural alternative that actually works. I won’t use anything else. Stay tuned for a dedicated post on skin products and deodorants in general. 

4 – Doterra Oils – Whisper

Adding on to the above information, we all like to head out to a special event smelling nice with your favourite perfume. My favourite is a beautiful Natural Oil Blends from ‘Doterra’ named Whisper.  The blend of Bergamot Peel, Ylang Ylang Flower, Patchouli Leaf, Vanilla Bean Absolute, Jasmine Flower Absolute, Cinnamon Bark, Labdanum, Vetiver Root, Hawaiian Sandalwood, Cocoa Bean Absolute, Rose Flower. Simply beautiful and will rival any fashion boutique label you’d pay top dollar for.

5 – Tim Ferriss

I love utilising any spare time with Podcasts. They’re free, entertaining and a perfect way to broaden your mind. Currently my total favourite is with Tim Ferriss. Tim approaches life very differently than most people. In his Podcast he interviews world class performers from lots of different fields; from health researchers, to chess prodigies to military strategists. You get an insight into the habits and tactics that these people use to get to the top of their profession. Always interesting information I don’t think I’d ever hear about anywhere else. Do yourself a favour and give it a listen.

Cover image from Ben White at Unsplash

Is it the good ol’ Great Australian Dream; big house with a yard and a pool, modern appliances, a big car and exotic holidays. Are any of these on your dream list? How many are on your list? Everyone’s list is different, whether you’re a busy mum, overworked dad or a single shopper.

What are you Needs, what are your Wants? Memories? Love? Family Time? The MOST precious thing we all want is time. It seems everyone is busy and short of time, but when is our time going to stop? No one knows when their clock runs out.

The dream keeps getting bigger, and the house keeps getting larger, and so does the stress that comes with that. It’s crazy to know that 90% of Australians are stressed! Overworked and always busy, trying to make and do more and then more, Go, Go and Go more! A documentary recently aired on Channel 7 about the Aussie Dream, and our wants and needs. Please step aside, take 40mins of your time out and WATCH THIS VIDEO – there is a chance that it will change your life.

Its never too late…

And then ask yourself what will you do with the last few beans you have left? How many beans will you allocate to laughing and loving?

Take another breath and ask yourself . . .