< PreviousBODY TRYING TO TELL YOU?By Jean Sheehan Y our body is the only thing you truly own in your life. Your body and your emotions are always trying to communicate with you and will tell you whether you are on course, or going against your hearts desires. It is also your inner GPS, to indicate to you what is happening to you and for you at every stage of your life. Have you ever experienced cravings for chocolate? This is your body letting you know what it needs! Do these cravings get worse during your menstrual cycle? Chocolate is actually a natural pain reliever and contains magnesium, which is important for your body during this time. WHAT'S YOURhere is a common belief that pregnant women crave pickles and ice cream. The reason for this is that the body may be telling you that it requires folic acid from the pickles as it prevents birth defects. Ice cream also contains zin,c which is important for pregnant women as it assists the immune system to fight off invading bacteria and viruses. Annie worked in a job she didn't enjoy. In truth, her true heart's desire was to work as a Ranger, as she loved being surrounded by nature and likeminded people. Every morning Annie woke with a headache and felt nauseated. However, she had bills to pay so reluctantly went to work, as her job was the only means to earn an income. However, her body (or inner GPS) was really trying to get Annie's attention through her headaches as they indicated ‘limitations’. The nausea she was experiencing was due to ‘rejection’. TIt wasn't until Annie experienced a painful migraine for 7 days and she was unable to eat that she wentto the Doctor. While laying in the hospital bed, she received the message loud and clear - ' Leave your job!' As soon as Annie accepted this idea, her headache and nausea stopped. However, when she started to feel the fearof handing in her notice, she acknowledged that the headaches and nausea returned! The good news is that Annie's body now had her attention and Annie was listening! When Annie finally accepted it was time to move on from the job she didn't enjoy, she easily found a new job as a Tour guide on bush trips, and also began to study part time to be a Ranger. Needless to say - she never experienced another migraine, headache or nausea again! So how can you listen to your body and pay attention to what it is telling you? Here are 4 easy tips: As soon as you feel pain, discomfort or an ache, stop and take a deep breath. Now breath all the way out. Next, ask yourself . ‘Body, what are you saying to me ?’ Now take an additional two deep breaths in and out. This will allow your body to relax so it can send you insights into what is really going on. This may come in the form of a memory, or words or ideas may just pop into your head. 1Notice when and where you feel pain, aches or discomfort. Is it before you go to work? Is it prior to going in to a meeting? Is it when you are studying? This is your body wanting you to change your current situation from one of pain, to one that feels better for you! If you are craving specific foods, your body is screaming at you for certain vitamins and minerals. As discussed earlier, chocolate is magnesium, pickles are folic acid. Sugary foods will be chromium and fatty foods will be good salts. Research or seek nutritional support as cravings are a fabulous way to listen your body. 4At certain times of the day have you noticed you feel brain fog? Is it at 2 – 3pm when the children are due home? Is it 4 – 5pm when you due to finish work? This can indicate you need to take a 10 minute break for yourself and take some time to reflect. The brain, regardless of age is consistently processing thousands of bits of information, and it does need a little time out to fully integrate and process. If possible, have a piece of fruit and water just to refuel yourself and replenish your energy. 32astly, thank your body for talking to you. It is your vehicle to get you where you need to go, and it needs refuelling, attention and servicing just like a car. Remember, it does need adequate rest, pampering, support and nurturing. When the body does not receive what it wants it will try to get your attention! If you are still unsure what the message is, try stating ‘Body thank you for talking to me now what is it that you want?’ You will always get a response but you need to make sure you are listening LThe Church says: the body is a sin. ―Science says: the body is a machine. The Body says: I am a fiesta. MOTIVATION!By Jenn Turnham Motivation can be an elusive feeling that we want to feel really badly, but we’re not sure how....And when we feel it, boy do we feel it! In this short guide, I will share with you 5 secrets to get (and stay) motivated. Firstly, there are a couple of things to be aware of when it comes to motivation. The first is that it is pretty much impossible to feel motivated 100% of the time. If you try to remember that it is more an ‘ebbs and flows’ type of feeling, it should help alleviate some of your frustration at times when you are not feeling it. The second thing that is really helpful is to take notice of the things that do bring about that feeling of motivation, so you can replicate those things when you are trying to summon some motivation. 5 SECRETS TOChange your stateState is another way to refer to mood, behaviours or feelings. Unlike traits, which are characteristic behaviours and feelings that are consistent with our personality, states can be changed because they are dependent on our situation at any given time.It is therefore possible to manipulate our ‘state’ into something that is helpful to us, and our goals. The easiest and simplest way to change your state is to physically ‘shock’ your body, or do something that feels really good. I have heard of someone in the hot weather lying down on her cold tiles and rolling around to change her state. It might sound strange but it worked for her. Changing our ‘state’ is an individual thing so it’s important to find something that works for you. 1Mis cranking one of my absolute favourite songs on the stereo and dancing like nobody is watching, and singing at the top of my lungs. The beauty of this one is that it only takes as long as one song (approx. 3-4 minutes) and afterwards I feel completely different – pumped and motivated to take on the world. A couple of other ideas that you might like to try are as follows: • Change it up – most of us have a routine that we tend to follow most days, so purposely do something different to what you would normally do to give your system a bit of a shock. • Walk or do some kind of activity in nature – get outside and admire the beauty that is all around. Most of us are usually moving with a purpose when we are outside these days, so take time to stop, look around, and pay attention to all the beauty and wonder that is around us everyday. • Practice gratitude. I have found this is most effective when practiced everyday but if you are searching for some motivation, sit down and write out a list of all the things that you are grateful for in that moment. • Laugh – watch a funny video on U-tube, or try to generate random laughter by yourself. It will change your ‘state’ immediately. y personal favourite2Focus on one hour blocks of timeWhen you are lacking in motivation, try committing to doing the task in one-hour blocks of time. For example, if you are putting off getting started on a project, say to yourself: “I will just do 1 x hour and then I can stop and have a cup of tea/coffee, glass of wine.” I would not suggest using a glass of wine as a reward in the middle of the day however, unless it’s the weekend... but you get what I mean.... Most of the time, it’s the ‘getting started’ part we struggle with, because our brain is being lazy, and resisting doing something different, or working on something that might take more energy than usual. That is what our brain does! If you’re really struggling, try committing to 30 minutes and go from there. Next >