by Johanna Osborne
To say it has been an unnerving few days is a gross understatement. I envy those that are nonchalant and relaxed in their view that this too shall pass. I hope very much they are right of course, but as the mother of a young son I am painfully aware of my own mortality and fear dangers more than I ever have before. Thankfully it seems with every passing day the risks subside and normality slowly sinks back in- boring old routine and everyday life suddenly never looked better! Everyone’s nerves have had their fair share of “frazzling”… worry is exhausting and draining – and frustratingly enough changes nothing. So besides being sensible and keeping safe, the best thing to do is distract ourselves with light, fluffy, easy and happy thoughts. And that my dear friends is my speciality. So today we will talk about health and happiness. An apt topic if I do say so myself.
It’s the time of the year where germs and bugs lurk around corners, hand rails and door knobs. It’s a time when darkness prevails and it feels like it rains- a lot. Not to mention that pesky wind, which does all sorts of awful things to our hair and mood. It’s a period of our lives where many of us hunker down, snuggle up, keep warm and eat obscene amounts of chocolate and other comfort foods. It’s all very well and good (and fun!), until our jeans end up being way too tight and our hands dry from all the hand sanitiser overuse. What’s a girl to do?
1. Keep healthy. Personally I swear by Echinacea, Ace and Zinc by Blackmores. Take for 3 weeks, have one week off. That way it really works and keeps the bugs away. I am also an avid believer in good quality multivitamins, including calcium, chromium (amazing for stabilising blood sugar levels!) and Evening Primrose Oil. Taking supplements is not everyone’s cup of tea, but is has always worked well for me.
2. Eat well. It’s great to indulge and have a particularly amazing feast of forbidden goodies on a fairly regular basis – but by being good to yourself you will feel good in return. Plenty of fresh fruit, vegetables and salad, even in winter, will keep the Doctor from the door and the sparkle in your eye. There are few feelings worse than that leaden weight in your stomach when you have eaten all the wrong things and should have stopped 6 Tim Tams ago.
3. Exercise. Oh, what a cliché. Here I am writing about exercising when not long ago the most exercise I did (ever!) was walk quickly up and down Lambton Quay in order to cover as much shopping ground as possible. It turns out a bit of exercise/movement really is good for you, you just have to work out what it is that suits you best. After nearly sending myself to an early grave during an overzealous attempt at a crazy fast spin class which wore me out so much that I returned home and ate almost a whole block of chocolate, I realised I was more of a low-key exerciser. So I began swimming and aqua jogging, and my friend and I brought the average age in the pool down by a couple of decades, that’s for sure. Totally fun! Swimming is the best exercise there is, there is no doubt, but during the winter months the pool seems like a sure way of catching pneumonia (yes I’m a drama queen), so I have now discovered Pilates. Wonderful Pilates. An hour of stretches that transport me to my relaxed place. There’s no time to think of the outside world when I’m in the Pilates studio, phone turned off and I leave feeling refreshed, renewed and invigorated. That’s saying a lot for someone who typically loathes exercise, but I highly recommend it! Even better if you can do it with a friend and you can quietly giggle at each other’s slightly more contorted poses.
4. Keep it up. Just because it’s winter doesn’t mean we shouldn’t moisturise and grow snake skin under our thick tights. The better we are to our hair, skin and bodies in winter, the easier the job will be when it comes to the big reveal in the all-too-distant summer time! Not to mention you feel so much better when you look after yourself.
5. No “know-it-all list” would be complete without mentioning the magic word – SLEEP! Sleep is the most powerful energy giver there is. I need 9 hours to be at my best, yet get 8 if I’m lucky. Time to weigh up whether the extra hour of Game of Thrones or Revenge each night is actually worth it. Incredible how many of us forgo sleep in favour of other things, yet it’s easily one the most enjoyable things there is! Sleep is totally underrated. People who sleep well and a lot generally have better skin, higher energy levels, less mood swings, achieve more and don’t overeat. If that’s not an incentive to sleep more, I don’t know what is!
6. Embrace winter. Find reasons to stay happy and enjoy what’s around you. If you are a sun seeker like me, then of course a wee holiday here or there is worth gold, but even in day to day life there is much to be said for little joyful things that make you feel a lot better. Like that hot chocolate, that new pair of boots, the expensive mascara or luscious face cream. That night out with your girlfriends drinking mulled wine – it’s a must! A happy girl is a pretty girl!
So brides-to-be, don’t let the winter blues or stress detract from the most important thing of all, your health, well being and of course the love for your fiancé. With all those things in check, you will be one glowing sparkling vision of gorgeousness on your big day, we assure you! xoxo
“The greatest wealth is health.” Virgil
“To keep the body in good health is a duty… otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear.” Buddha
