THE HAPPY AND HEALTHY PLAN ix steps to a hole new you

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PART ONE

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LOVE

We’re social beings and it’s challenging to live in isolation, says Dr Newman.

“Love helps you approach your own health, happiness and flaws with a certain amount of compassion. It also allows you to be more giving to those people around you in your community, which brings health benefits.”

Having more love in your life helps you to live with more purpose and meaning, adds Dr Newman.

“It’s important to think about your inner world too, and how you talk to yourself. A lot of us can be very self-critical. When you’re less critical of yourself you can also be more accepting of others around you, which is a healthy thing.”

TRY:

Positive statements

These are helpful in the right context, but problems can arise when people repeat positive statements they don’t really believe. Find a statement that resonates and feels right to you, otherwise your subconscious will keep rejecting it. For example, instead of saying: “I’m beautiful” try “My body is strong, and I accept who I am”.

Write a love letter

Write yourself a love letter and focus on the nice things people say about you.

Most people brush those off and ignore them. If you’re in such a low place you can’t remember anything good, try to think of someone you admire in real life or a favourite character in a film or book who you see as kind or compassionate. Think about the kind of advice they might give and what they would say to you.

Find your values

Values are your driving force. They’re the reason you wake up in the morning and feel like you’re doing something that’s important to you.

But that’s very different to your goals, explains Dr Newman.

“Often when people say their value is money, they don’t mean that. When you look at what’s driving that focus on money you might find it’s a need for security or freedom. These things are the values behind the goal. Or, for example, if your goal is running a marathon, the underlying value might be health or compassion if you’re raising money for charity.”

Choose your three top values and write them down somewhere you can see them. Remind yourself of them daily so you can live your life with intention. If you can do something every day – even a small thing – that serves your values, it can help you find the purpose in your life.

OUTSIDE

We tend to separate ourselves from nature, and this has a negative impact on our mental and physical wellbeing, says Dr Newman.

Nature can have a really good effect on bodies and minds.

There are visual patterns that our brains recognise such as spirals and fractals (never-ending patterns) – you see them in shells and leaves but also in landscapes and mountains. Not only are they pleasing to the eye, but they are also quite healing as they help us relax.

TRY:

Bring nature into your home

Nature is natural pain relief. Indeed, there have been studies where hospital patients have been able to reduce pain medication when they have a view of nature from their window.

Looking at nature scenes can be calming too, so consider printing off a nice photo to put up at home or put a few herbs on your windowsill.

Get grounded

The surface of the earth has electrons from lightning and radiation from the sun and so on and you can pick up those electrons from those on your skin. But these can affect sleep and increase stress levels.

Grounding is a nice way of mopping them up. Start by standing barefoot on sand or the grass, closing your eyes and taking a few deep breaths.

Not only will this help you to feel good, it’s also another way of being mindful and present in the moment.

Be more blue

A “blue mind” is believed to be triggered when we’re near or in water. It is a calming and meditative state that is thought to make us happier, calmer, healthier and more creative.

Find a lake or a pond in a local park – even a fountain can provide some water therapy.

The flowing water in a river can be very calming. If you live near one, make time for river walks.

Rowing, kayaking, paddleboarding, surfing and swimming are great ways to connect with water.

A fish tank or water feature on a balcony or terrace could provide the healing sound of running water at home.

Images of water are powerful too; do you have a favourite painting or photo of the sea? Pop it up on the wall or add a water scene to your computer’s

home screen.

See tomorrow’s

Good Health section

Gemma Newman’s for Dr

plant-based advice on how a

with exercise and diet along

can boost both good sleep mental and physical

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