Healthy living comes from a balance between the good and bad parts of our lives. This means that our life flows smoothly and evenly without extreme highs and lows.

We don't need to worry about the bad stuff. We have that covered with our job, environment, family commitments, news, etc. Thinking too much about bad things that we have no influence over doesn't get us anywhere.

 

But even some of the things we enjoy can have a detrimental effect on our well-being and productivity. We overdo it at the gym or simply don't take enough time for ourselves and put ourselves under unnecessary pressure. Time for ourselves means time to simply do nothing and appreciate our own bodies with all our senses.

Breathing exercises are a good start to achieving balance. Focus on how your body feels, the temperature and flow, chest or abdominal breathing. By simply refocussing our mind on our breath, we can begin to be in tune with our body. It calms the nerves and stills the mind.

Place one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach. Observe how your hands rise and fall with each breath. This will calm you down when you are under stress.

How does it work? With a calm and centred mind, you are able to concentrate on the essentials and steer your thoughts in the desired direction. By controlling and focussing your energy, you will act and think faster and more effectively and therefore experience more success.