A little 2 minute mindfulness challenge for you...

​A little 2 minute mindfulness challenge for you.

Stop what you are doing.
Look around you.
Take everything you see in.
Now ask the question: "what would have been here 200 years ago?"

If you are like me where I sit right now, I can see a crystal, plant, lots of shells (thanks to my little miner birds!) and that really is about it.

Why do this you may ask?
Even when we may think we are not stressed, our nervous system may still be dealing with a burden of extra sensory information compared to what was around pre-industrial revolution time.... there are the man-made plastics everywhere, computers, bright man-made colours dying man-made materials, buzzing sounds from electromagnetic radiation, perfumes, chemical smells and the list goes on!

So how can this impact our health?
Our body doesn't perceive the stress of a running from a tiger any differently to the bombardment of information it receives from extra sensory input. This impacts our nutrition in many ways from gut health, brain health with anxiety, mood disorders, etc, even our blood sugar response and our hormonal system. The first three areas of our nutrition to suffer are our magnesium and zinc levels and the production of stomach acid. Straight up this can lead to nutrient deficiencies, gut flora changes (SIBO - small intestinal bacterial overgrowth), leaky gut, liver function changes, inflammation, food sensitivities, skin rashes, allergies, anxiety, mood issues, depression, thyroid function changes, food cravings, fatigue, hypoglycaemia, insulin resistance, depleted progesterone, elevated estrogens and many other reactions I have not remembered to list!!!

As you may guess by now, we can be stressed without realising we are stressed!

So what can we do..........

• GET OUTSIDE INTO NATURE! If you find you are suffering anxiety, irritability or any mood changes, get straight outside and find a park, beach, walking track etc that you can immerse yourself in that you could imagine not changing much in 200 years! 
• Bring a little nature into your daily surrounds such as plants.
• Choose natural colours in your home rather than super bright synthetic looking colours everywhere. Not to say you can't have colours but if you are prone to overload, keep it more natural.
• Declutter your surrounds. Minimise the sensory input that is constantly arousing your nervous system. Clear benches, wardrobes, shelves etc of "stuff" you don't need or use frequently.
• Observe your surrounds and ask the question we started with.
• Take time out. 10-15 mins daily without screens, books, noise. Take the time just for yourself (outside if you can), shut your eyes and just focus on your breathing. This may take practice especially if you are wound up in the busyness of our fast pace lives!
• Epsom salt baths/buckets or a soak in the ocean for 20-40 minutes 3-5 times a week to try to bring back in some beautiful minerals we can deplete when stressed.
• Focus on eating what would have been around 200 years ago too!

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