Our Fall Theme is Have you Fallen into old habits? With our 4 simple steps, you can feel Fall fresh again.

By Megan Evans RMT, CRHP

So long sweet summer and hello to a fresh fall start. Like many of us, you might have slipped out of routine over the past three months of summer or six months of covid. But don’t get caught up on the – could haves or should haves! Because Fall is the perfect time for new beginnings and getting back on track. Always start small. Lasting changes take baby steps, not leaps and bounds. Try by implementing these simple steps that only takes seconds out of your day:

1. Set a bedtime alarm
Starting your day off on the right foot, starts with a good nights sleep. Most of us set an alarm in the morning to wake up, but try setting an alarm at night to make sure you are going to bed on time and getting your much needed Zzzz to succeed. Also, if you are not sleeping, you are not healing. Aim for the recommended sweet spot of 7-9 hours of sleep per night. If that’s a struggle, set your alarm and try going to bed just 5 minutes earlier each night for a week and see how you feel. You just earned yourself over a half hour of sleep!

3. Decompress your daily stress
We all have stress and it’s difficult to avoid all together. So more the reason to have a few ways to cope in your toolbox when the stress creeps in. But choose the tools that fit best into your lifestyle. Because if it feels like another chore, then it will only stress you out even more. The simplest is to just stop what you are doing and take long, deep, slow breaths. To promote feelings of relaxation and add energizing aroma that can uplift the mind and body add 1 or 2 drops of essential oils* to your palm, rub hands together, create a cup and continue with your long deep slow breaths. Other tools can be playing music in the background, a few minutes of meditation, take an hour time out and book a Massage Therapy or Acupuncture appointment, go to your favourite fitness or yoga class to release the negative and fill up with positive. Whatever tools you choose, stop and notice how it makes you feel.

*Eucalyptus Essential Oil – is used to cleanse surfaces and the air. It can help clear the mind, as well as promote feelings of relaxation and clear breathing.

*Wild Orange Essential Oil – has multiple health benefits and an energizing aroma that can uplift the mind and body. It is a powerful cleanser and purifying agent, as well as supports healthy immune function.

We all say that we don’t have time. But when it comes to your health and happiness we should make it a priority, especially when small changes can only take a few seconds out of your day. You owe it to yourself. Along with the above simple steps to stay on track, it is important to do so on the weekends. Don’t use Saturday and Sunday to make unhealthy choices and fall into old habits. But if you do, always remember, each day is a fresh start!

“The trees are about to show us how lovely it is to let the dead things go.”