All of us want a healthier mind, body and soul. And the programmes, courses, books, audios and videos available to help us on our journey are mostly wonderful, but there’s always the action part to take care of.

Dedicating a portion of a busy day to follow your preferred course, however much you want to do it, isn’t always an easy step to take.

Even if you write ‘meditate’ at the top of your to-do list, how often does it get blipped over in favour of more ‘important’ stuff.

So, as with any change you want to make or learning you want to undertake, baby steps are key. Try these healthy body hacks to get your healthy lifestyle rolling. As you change the small things, the bigger picture becomes clearer, and that linear time thing just evaporates 🙂

1. Ditch the Chemicals

**Replace bleaching products with lemon! Save bits of old lemon and use them to clean the sink. Leaves a lovely lemony smell in the kitchen and bathroom.

**Grow an aloe vera plant on the windowsill – takes about 3 seconds every few days or so to water. Burns, cuts and scrapes are soothed by the gel inside an aloe vera leaf. Potions and creams often contain chemicals that could be counterproductive to healing.
**Avoid processed foods as much as possible. Fuel your body with fresh organic food and you can almost guarantee 100% health and wellness.

2. Boost your Immune System

**Fresh fruit and vegetables are the obvious choice but sometimes, during seasonal changes especially, our immune systems can take a dip.
**Try fresh blackberry tea to give your immune system a boost. Put a few young blackberry (bramble) leaves in a jug. Pour over boiling water and leave to infuse for a few minutes. Cover to keep the flavour in. Strain into a cup or glass and sip when cool enough.
**Add fresh watercress to salads and soups. Chop finely and sprinkle over rice dishes etc; Watercress is full of nutrients that help keep your immune system healthy.

Side-note – “Give yourself an extra boost by pottering around in the garden. You know, pots, soil, seeds and stuff! Never done it? Have a look around this site for some fabulous garden tips and some handy downloads“

3. Engage your Imagination

**There are many craft skills that can be learned in short bursts; knitting, crochet, sewing, scrap-booking, even basket-making if you have the room. The secret to success is to allocate a space and work on your project for a few minutes at a time.

**Another quick and easy way to get your imaginative juices flowing is to create inspiring words and pictures to hang around the house or your office. Draw them yourself if you want, or find the pictures you like and print them off. Create a vision board of your dreams and goals.
**Can you draw a cartoon or write a poem? Do you make up stories in your head or out loud?! Buy yourself a sketch book or get typing and develop your skills. Creations don’t have to be marketable. The reward is the journey and the finished product itself.

4. Relax and Think

**A favourite way to relax but let the mind wander is to do a jigsaw puzzle. All sorts of ideas spring up – the only problem with leaving out a puzzle to work on is that you can get obsessed with finishing it!
**Or take a gentle walk and let your mind wander where it will for 10 minutes or so. Then remember to enjoy and appreciate your surroundings.
**Crosswords and similar puzzles keep your mind sharp and can be very relaxing. Again, don’t obsess about it or it becomes a chore.

5. Relax and Don’t Think

Meditate, meditate, meditate… If for only 10 minutes. If you’re not used to meditating – or sitting still for ten minutes doing nothing at all – a guided meditation or creative visualization audio or video may help.
Plug in some headphones, lie back or sit comfortably, relax and allow yourself the few moments it takes to give your body, mind and soul a burst of energy and well-being. Do a little research and find those you resonate with.
Don’t bother to put ‘meditate’ on your to-do list, just have your headphones at the ready as soon as you wake up – or when you have that ten minutes you’ve allocated….. you have allocated them haven’t you ?

Be nice to yourself – you deserve it!

Linda x