Wellness and Wellbeing. 2 buzzwords that pop up time and again in our pursuit to look and feel better. But, do we ever take the time to really understand them and their importance? Let’s dig a little deeper and discover the true meaning of wellbeing and the concept of wellness along with some simple, practical ways to implement a little more health and wellbeing in our everyday home lives.

Wellness is an active process of becoming aware of and making choices toward a healthy and fulfilling life. It is more than being free from illness, it is a dynamic process of change and growth, a state of complete physical, mental, and social wellbeing. Increasingly, health professionals and lifestyle specialists are recognising the interconnectedness of all aspects of health, from our mental health, physically and socially to financial, emotional and spiritual, with wellbeing defined as ‘the state of being comfortable, healthy, and happy’ it really is the most important pursuit for us all.

Just as brushing your teeth or ironing a shirt, make selfcare a daily habit.

Simplify your everyday life by addressing and limiting what’s not sustainable or working for you and make space for the things that bring value. Create little pockets of time to recentre and restore. With a bit of daily selfcare you can experience more joy, rest and soul-health.

In recent years the importance of soul health and spirituality has been highlighted as we all seek ways to feel connected to ourselves and the world around us. Practicing gratitude and kindness can help us to be better and feel better and is a big part
of making our soul feel good.

Be Thankful.
Write a gratitude list. Find one thing a day you are truly grateful for and write it down before bed.

Be kind.
Look around you; to your family, your colleagues, your neighbours, who could do with a small gesture of kindness and care? Give it to them.

Stretching.
One of the easiest and most important things you can do. Coupled with focused breathing, stretching can help you practice mindfulness and start the day calm and balanced. A consistent stretching routine will help you to feel more energised during the day, will destress and release tension in the body and improve sleep. There are some fantastic apps out there to guide you and help find what is comfortable and works for you. Find a few minutes each morning to work through some gentle movements whilst bringing your attention to your breath. Breathing rebalances our levels of dopamine and oxytocin, reducing anxiety, adrenaline and lowering blood pressure in addition to boost-ing immune health. Directing your focus and breath with each Stretch will help to loosen muscles and improve circulation, this will encourage the removal of toxins and lactic acid from your body and increase the flow of nutrients and blood to the brain and target areas. 

Give your legs and feet a treat with Aaahhh!
This beautifully cooling and refreshing gel-balm, rich in natural extracts and Mediterranean essential oils will cool and soften the skin and soothe away aches, plus dandelion will help reduce fluid retention and puffiness. A perfect post stretch product for quick revival and rescue.

The Great Outdoors.
If the gym isn’t your thing or you find it hard to squeeze a workout into a packed life, this time of year lends itself perfectly to an increase in physical activity by inspiring us to be outside. A brisk walk, working in the garden or a bike ride will get the blood pumping, fresh air into your lungs and sunlight onto your skin, providing the energy it needs to make vitamin D which in turn boosts our mood. Fresh air and nature create mental space, tuning out the constant chatter and helping to bring you into the pres-ent moment. The colours, scents and sounds naturally steer you to mindfulness which reduces tension, restores mental energy and helps with introspection and creativity.

Before you head out of the house, be sure to protect your skin against the environment, sun, wind and pollution with LIFE DEFENCE, a feather-light daily moisturiser with a broad-spectrum SPF 30. Quickly absorbed and with a comfortable silky texture, this everyday moisturiser is great for everyone and all skin types.

Eat Well.
We can bolster our physical health by being mindful of our eating and drinking habits. Some very simple rules can encourage us to eat and drink in a way that will nourish us and strengthen our immune systems, not to mention stabilise our moods and increase wellbeing. When looking for food to be healthy, dig out some favourite cookbooks and find recipes with fresh, colourful ingredients. Put some music on and enjoy taking the time to prepare a meal, it’s a kind of meditation and will help you destress whilst making nutritional meals for you and your family.

H2O.
Starting your day hydrated and maintaining water intake throughout will ensure boosted energy levels and encourage a sense of wellbeing to keep you focused and feeling good. A large glass of water first thing in the morning will jumpstart your metabolism and flush out toxins and other nasties our body doesn’t need. Aim to have a glass of water accompany every meal or snack and increase your fruit and vegetable intake as these food sources have a high-water content.

Everyone has their favourite treats and luxuries, but try to limit refined, processed and high sugar foods as these can stress your body with excess toxins, inflammation and spike your blood sugar. A balanced, happy body on the inside really does shine through in your state of mind, skin, energy and overall sense of wellbeing.

Soul health has always been part of the Temple Spa mission alongside exceptional skincare. We create experience driven products to generate this deeper level of wellness at home by incorporating exquisite textures, fragrances and packaging to hit all the senses and help you on your way to wellbeing.

Some of our fave feel good products are LIGHT MY FIRE, a stimulating and space energising aromatherapy candle for an uplifting and stimulating mood and BREATH OF LIFE, an aromatherapy inhalation essence, for when you need a mood boosting breath of aromatic fresh air. Breath of Life is a pocket-sized bottle of wellbeing for when you’re feeling stuffed up and need some energising clarity of mind.

Most importantly, nobody knows you like you! Curate your daily habits and rituals to fit in with your space and lifestyle, keep them simple and build them into your routine.

Here is a snapshot of simple selfcare:

Time.
Having the time to take a moment in the morning is the most important thing in setting the tone for the rest of the day. Don’t reach for your phone as soon as you wake up, take 10 minutes to settle into the morning, make a herbal tea, take some deep breaths and mentally prepare yourself for the day ahead.

Fragrance.
Be it a spritz on your pillow, a beautifully scented cream, a diffuser or candle, fragrance is a positive influence on mind, body and soul and can compliment our mood. Whether you’re in need of peace and relaxation, turn to lavender, for concentration eucalyptus is excellent or a zesty aroma will lift and energise. The versatility and power of fragrance is a simple yet profoundly effective thing to bring into our daily lives

Music.
To wake you up in the morning, boost productivity at work or ease you off to sleep at night, music is a wonderfully effective therapy and never fails to lift spirits, create ambi-ence or help you wind down. 

Bath.
It’s the ultimate antidote to stress and tension and provides a real escapism from the craziness of life.

Fresh foliage and flowers.
Bringing the outdoors in with fresh herbs, flowers and sprigs of seasonal foliage not only adds colour and brightens the room, plants can purify the air and help keep the atmosphere balanced.

Stay curious.
Read, discover and inspire yourself. Read travel books and magazines to find exciting new cultures and destinations to visit. Discover new recipes and challenge yourself to make them. Find enjoyment in both fiction and non-fiction and research online about new and interesting topics and people. Learn a new game or hobby, from chess to knitting, keeping your mind engaged and fed is vital for personal growth and wellbeing.

Unplug.
Have a tech detox to free up time and create the headspace for selfcare then, Be Still. Find a quiet place to sit and just be. Embrace the stillness.

We all know the basic principles of staying healthy but can often overlook the simple things we can do to heighten our sense of wellbeing in our everyday lives.

Find joy in the small things, laugh often and live, breathe and love who you are.