Psychological Health Inputs
Connecting with nature and yourself is medicine!
Grounding: plug back into the living reality of nature
We are electromagnetic beings living on an electromagnetic earth. Every
creature on earth lives their lives literally in touch with nature 100% of the time… except
humans. Rubber-soled shoes and concrete sidewalks insulated out electrical connection
to the earth. Touching the earth grounds our electrical charge and comes with a
multitude of health benefits.
Benefits of grounding:
- Reduce inflammation and pain
- Reduce stress
- Improved circulation
- Improves sleep
- Improves cortisol rhythm
- Reduces blood viscosity
- Boost immunity
Ways to ground:
- Walk barefoot on the earth
- Hug a tree
- Sit on a chair outside barefoot
- Sleep outside
Meditation: the original home-made medicine
Chronic stress can wreak havoc on the body. Chronic spikes in stress
hormones can lead to increased blood pressure, heart rate, cholesterol, and blood sugar
and disrupts immunity, energy levels and sleep. Meditation is a tool that can be
incredibly effective in managing stress and promoting relaxation.
Benefits of meditation:
- Reduce stress
- Increase clarity and awareness
- Reduce anxiety, depression and pain related to stress
- Increase mental resilience
- Lower cortisol levels, heart rate, and blood pressure
- Improve sleep and energy levels
- Physically rewire brain towards more positive emotions and less towards negative
emotions such as fear and anxiety
Resources/ Methods for Meditation:
- Headspace App, Insight timer app
- Create a sit spot in your home or outside that is dedicated to meditation/ mindfulness.
Know that when you sit in this spot it is time to relax and be mindful and aware of your
thoughts.
- Simply focus on your breath. Every time your mind wanders, bring it back to your breath.
- Focus on the feeling at the bottom of your feet as your are walking from place to place.
- Cultivate presence. You can be mindful in anything you do: cooking, eating, showering
etc.
Gratitude: rewire your brain to think positively
Gratitude is simply taking a moment to notice all of the positive gifts you
have been given instead of ruminating on the negative.
Benefits of gratitude:
- Increase happiness
- Reduces a multitude of toxic emotions such as stress, regret, jealousy, resentment
- Improves sleep
- Increased energy, more motivation to exercise, increased longevity
- Provides sense of contentment
- Improves the quality of the people around you – positivity attracts positivity!
- Deeper relationships
- Less self-centred, optimistic, increased self-esteem, less materialistic
Gratitude Exercises:
- Say thank you to your incredible body that is naturally orientated towards healing.
- Have a gratitude journal and try to write 1-2 things each day that you are grateful for. Try
to go back and reflect on the lists every now and then
- Think of one thing you are grateful for before you get out of bed in the morning
- Watch the sunset and say thank you (outloud) for the day.
- Spend time in nature. Nature has her way of instilling awe and gratitude into her
children.
- Volunteer. Spending time and giving what you can to those less fortunate helps put
things into perspective and instills gratitude for all that you have.
- Gratitude guided meditation on youtube, insight timer, or headspace app.
- Forgive and let go. Be grateful for the positive and let the negative go.