We all want to be well, or more well. We nearly all feel like time is precious and we never have enough of it. So here are ten wellness tips for quick consumption. Enjoy…

  1. Starting your day in a clam gentle rush-free way helps set the tone for the rest of your day. Try to avoid screens. Try to get up early enough to avoid rushing.
  2. Breakfast is a great opportunity for healthy eating. If you can avoid the fried and the sugary foods and rather focus on some fruit, plenty of water, and some lean protein, you’ll have made a great start.
  3. Traffic is a thing. For many of us it is a daily challenge. But there are ways to cope better. Think about audiobooks, book-books, important phone calls, or even a schedule change 9t avoid the worst traffic). Devote and hour this week to strategizing about traffic.
  4. Work is a thing. Lots of people find work to be a bind, too pressurised, too stressful, even boring. And yet most of need to earn a living. So, once again, devote an hour this week to honest reflection on what you want from work and how best you can thrive at work.
  5. Workday lunch can be a challenge. This is a time when many of us give in to fast foods and “junk” to “help us though the day”. Just say no. It is not worth ruining your health for a brief fix of sugar and fat. Just say no.
  6. Family can be a challenge. There is often conflict and stress and emotion. It gets tricky because you cannot change your family now can you? But there are choices around how often you meet, how you meet, what you discuss and do not discuss, etc. Think about your family and plan how to make it work better for everyone.
  7. Health is precious. It is probably the most precious thing you have. Know this. Celebrate this. Protect this.
  8. “Some day” is, indeed, often code for “never”. Procrastination is a huge obstacle to living a mindful engaged life. Stop it. Start deciding rather than delaying.
  9. It’s boring but “eat less and move more” truly is just about the best specific advice that the majority of us need. Try doing it. Really, try it.
  10. See your doctor when you are well. Discuss your wellbeing and what can be improved. Plan whatever preventive health check-ups are appropriate for your own unique self (age, gender, medical history, etc.). It could be the most important doctor visit you ever have.

There: ten top tips for wellness. In well under 10 minutes. The rest is up to you…

Written by Dr Colin Burns