How not to catch a cold

The sun is shining but the summer is nearly over and next week the children will be going back to school.  We all know what happens next - the cold season starts and I don't mean winter!

As soon as the children start mixing at school the germs start spreading.  The primary way to catch a cold is through someone sneezing on you.  From the time that someone sneezes on you or near you it takes only 15 minutes for the cold germ to travel to the back of your nose and start infecting you.  The average cold lasts between seven and ten days.

Unless you spend your days in solitary confinement, there is not much you can do to prevent yourself catching a cold.  There are many viruses that give rise to cold symptoms and no effective immunisation has been developed yet.

You can boost your immune system by taking Vitamin C and zinc.  You could also try using a saline solution to keep your nose moist and clear of germs.  One mind/body techniques that I use is to imagine a transparent shield around me that stops germs from getting through.  It also stops other people's negative attitudes infecting me!

If you do succumb to a cold you can reduce your symptoms by:

• Drinking lots of water or fruit juice
• Getting plenty of rest 
• Eating a healthy balanced diet with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables

Have a happy and healthy Autumn. 

Your Daily 'To Don't' List

When I am coaching clients I often encourage them to have a to-do list.  This not only helps to give structure to your actions, you also get a burst of the hormone dopamine as you tick things off your list and move towards your goal.  This contributes to your feelings of happiness. 

To help with time management I also suggest having a to-don't list for the things that steal your time and stop your progress.  These things can arise in a couple of ways.  Firstly there are the things that you enjoy doing but they are a waste of time if you do them for significant periods.  How much time do you spend playing computer games or looking at social media?  If it's too much, put it on your to-don't list. 

Secondly, there are the things you do when you don't want to do something you need to.  I remember when I had essays to write for my OU degree, I would suddenly find cleaning the bathroom or unblocking the drains very attractive occupations!  If you have jobs that don't need doing, put them on your to-don't list and concentrate on the activities that will take you towards your goal. 

It is important to recognise when you are procrastinating and think about why you are putting off those important tasks. Is there a fear attached to the task or is just a job that you don't love doing?  What action could you take to overcome that fear or outsource the job?

So what can you put on your to-don't list today?

Are you looking for reliable and friendly menopause advice?

Do you remember when you were a young teenager?  Puberty was like a badge of honour and you talked endlessly with your friends about period pains and what was going on with your body.  And then later when you were pregnant you talked with all your women friends about all the intimate details of your pregnancy.

So what happened when you started to approach menopause?  Was it still ok to talk to your friends about this new stage?  Or was it suddenly a bit embarrassing? 

Hot Women, Cool Solutions

It was certainly my experience that it was much more difficult to talk to women friends about anything to do with menopause.  Maybe that’s because it is seen as a sign of ageing and is viewed in a negative way despite all the positive aspects.  

That’s why I decided to write a book that would be like having a knowledgeable friend.  Someone who can help you discover useful information plus tips on nutrition, exercise and lifestyle.  Even better, someone who can give you easy to follow mind/body techniques that will help you to get back in control of your symptoms.

‘Hot Women, Cool Solutions™: How to control menopause symptoms using mind/body techniques’ can be your new best friend and it will cost you less than having lunch with one of your women friends!  

Each chapter answers commonly asked questions about menopause including:

• How can I stay cool and sleep better?
• How do I control my weight?
• How do I keep my 'mojo'?

The book comes with access to bonus gifts including The Menopause Workbook, The Stay Cool Hypnotic Recording and the Mindful Weight Loss Hypnotic Recording.

What are you waiting for – go and meet your new friend! www.hotwomencoolsolutions.com

Blue Monday

Researchers at Cardiff University have determined that Monday 21^st January 2013 is Blue Monday - the most depressing day of the year!   

They calculated this by looking at six factors:

• Weather conditions (cold and grey)
• Debt levels (and our ability to repay that debt)
• Time elapsed since the Christmas holidays
• Time elapsed since abandoning New Year Resolutions
• Lack of motivation
• Lack of having anything to look forward to in the near future

I have really noticed since the Christmas holidays were over how subdued people have been in the supermarket and around the town.

But stop worrying now because this year 21 January is also National Hug Day!   

I know what you’re thinking, ‘There’s colds and bugs around, why do I want to hug someone?’  Well firstly, having a positive attitude is very good for your immune system.  Secondly, making social connections is essential for boosting your mental health. 

And finally giving and receiving hugs causes our body to release the ‘feel good’ hormone oxytocin.  Oxytocin has been credited with numerous body-and-mind benefits, including: giving us healthier hearts; improving our relationships with other people; slowing down the ageing process, and (critically) making us feel happier.

If you’re not ready for that hug yet, you can achieve similar results from giving and receiving smiles and you can do that from a safe distance!

Have a Happy Monday!

Dryathlon

Here in the UK, Cancer Research UK are encouraging people to give up alcohol for the month of January and raise money for the charity through sponsorship or by pledging the money saved by not drinking.  What a great thing to do after the excesses of Christmas and the New Year. 

Drinking alcohol is not just linked to increasing your risk of cancer, it is also linked to a variety of diseases and injuries associated with accidents.  Although giving up alcohol for a month will not have a lasting positive effect on your health, it may break an existing habit and get you into a different way of enjoying yourself. 

If you want to get started make a commitment to yourself and then tell a friend or even better tell a lot of friends.  That simple step will increase the probability of you sticking to your resolve.

 Once you have done that, think about the circumstances and contexts in which you usually drink alcohol.  What could you do differently?  What alternative drink could you enjoy?  If you have a drink of alcohol at home at a certain time of day, what else could you do at that time to break that habit?

Drink plenty of water.  It will let your conscious and unconscious mind know that you are not thirsty.  It will also help to flush through your kidneys and liver.

The deadline for signing up for Dryathalon is 6 January but if you have missed it you can still do this for yourself.  For more details see www.dryathlon.org.uk