5 Ways To Stay Well In Body And Mind This Autumn
4th October 2019
by Lottie
Autumn seems to be the season for hibernation leading a lot of us to feeling unmotivated, zapped of energy, craving salty, sweet foods and binge watching a series on the sofa. We love our down time too but are all about balance and believe that a healthy lifestyle is lived 365 days a year not just in Summer. Luckily we have retreats all year round too meaning you can also dip away for a week of activities, nourishing food, connection and rest. In this post we wanted to give you our top tips from retreat life to staying well as the days get shorter and chillier.
1. Start The Day Well
On retreat we have the most wonderful morning routine which stays the same throughout the week so that it becomes habit. Having a morning routine is such a wonderful ritual to try to adopt as it sets you up well for the day ahead and allows you to have some essential “me time” before a busy day. We like to start our day on retreat with warm lemon water, this is really cleansing for the system and is a great way to hydrate yourself after a peaceful sleep. We then get moving with a yoga class or training session; releasing those exercise endorphins first thing in the morning so we feel positive and energised. We then enjoy a nourishing breakfast usually something like porridge, overnight oats, omelette or avocado on toast.
2. Spend Time In Nature
We make sure we get outside as often as we can on retreat as it’s so invigorating to be surrounded by nature, to breathe fresh air and spend time away from technology. Autumn is such a lovely time of year to do this too as the colours are beautiful, from the crisp blue sky to the earthy toned leaves, there’s lots out there to discover and be grateful for. So we encourage you to walk rather than take the bus, go for a run in the forest or a beautiful park, or simply take sit with a cuppa in your garden wrapped up in blanket. Take some deep breathes and switch off from the world.
3. Start A Fitness Challenge
Too cold, too dark, too much to do – there’s always an excuse this time of year to start avoiding your fitness but that’s where having a little challenge can come in. It’s a really positive way to push yourself to try something new or take your training to the next level. On retreat, people try things for the first time like hiking, paddle boarding, headstands and it’s all fun and exciting. Whether it’s a charity run, climbing a mountain or signing up to a new class I think this a perfect time of year to focus on a new fitness goal. Get your fitness mojo back.
4. Create A Community
By the end of a retreat, all our guests are like family. Community is one of the most powerful components to feeling well and like your part of something. Having people to be accountable to, to voice your worries to, to help encourage you makes the biggest difference to your overall wellbeing. Getting yourself a gym buddy or joining a run club are great ways to start. Coming on a retreat is a great way to make like minded people too, lots of our guests stay friends after and take classes together back home.
5. Reflect On The Year and Set Some Goals
The year is not over yet remember! A lot of us get to this time of year and seem to set our minds on January and all the things we are going to do come the new year. Why not reflect on your year so far and set some achievable goals for the next few months, we love and encourage journaling on retreat and think it’s a wonderful way to get your thoughts out. It’s such a lovely mindfulness activity. Some fun journalling ideas could be:
What are 3 things that have gone well this year so far?
What’s new and good in my life?
What are 3 things I want to prioritise over the next few months before the end of the year?
So put pen to paper and see what flows!
We hope you found these little tips helpful.
