5 MINUTES TO FEELGOOD
Dr Rangan Chatterjee’s quick tips on staying healthy
The secret to improved health is easier to find than you might think, says TV doctor and author Dr Rangan Chatterjee. All you need is five short minutes…
When it comes to our health, we tend to overcomplicate things. We buy annual gym memberships, go to classes, download meditation apps and follow diet plans. While these can be beneficial, they also require time and money, offering us the perfect excuse to give up altogether. But what if you could boost your mental and physical health in just five minutes, three times a day, with minimal expense? According to Dr Rangan Chatterjee, you can. The GP, author and broadcaster says our plans to get healthy rely too heavily on motivation and willpower, which will eventually run out. ‘The way you transform your health and wellbeing for good is by making small, simple changes,’ he explains. In his latest book, Feel Better In 5, he focuses on what he believes are the three main pillars of health: mind, body and heart. His plan recommends setting aside five minutes a day to nourish these, with easy-to-implement tasks that should, eventually, become habits. For the mind, these tasks are all about slowing down, de-stressing and relaxing. For the
body, we should spend five minutes doing some kind of physical activity. But according to Dr Chatterjee, the heart is arguably the most important factor, though it is often ignored. ‘I’m not talking about the organ that pumps blood around the body,’ he says. ‘I’m talking about what makes us human: our desire for connection with the people around us.’ So these tasks are all about talking to your loved ones and interacting positively with the world around you.
Dr Chatterjee says this ‘360 approach’, targeting several areas at once, can address many different health issues, including digestion problems, weight gain, anxiety and insomnia, headaches and backache. ‘For example, if you’re eating a lot of sugar, simply cutting out sugar won’t necessarily help – you need to address those cravings,’ he explains. ‘Perhaps you’re feeling stressed or have low self-esteem, so if you target mind, body and heart, the rest will follow.’
But can five minutes a day really make a difference? ‘Look at it this way,’ says Dr Chatterjee. ‘If I told you to start smoking non-stop for five minutes, then eat rich biscuits for five minutes, then drink as many litres of sugary pop as you can for five minutes, every day, you wouldn’t be surprised that this would start changing your health. Good health works in exactly the same way – it all adds up.’ Here are his simple steps to upgrade your daily routine:
HOW TO MAKE NEW HABITS STICK
Commit to just ONE task each Choose one for mind, one for body and one for heart – and don’t switch them up. Variety makes things interesting, but it also prompts indecision, which can lead to procrastination. The simpler it is, the more consistent you’ll be. Attach them to existing routines The best way to create new habits is to associate them with everyday activities. So do them while you’re waiting for your coffee to brew, or after you brush your teeth. Create triggers Give yourself reminders to complete your tasks. For example, keep small dumbbells by your kettle to remind you to do a quick workout before having a cup of tea.