Stress Less Workshop

Hello you!

And welcome to my third newsletter!

As February starts, I hope the first month of 2025 has been kind to you. It’s important to reflect on the progress we’ve made and the lessons we’ve learned. Whether you’ve made strides towards your goals or faced some challenges, credit yourself for your efforts and keep moving forward with a positive mindset.

Only 3 places left on the Stress Less. Live More! workshop

There are only three places left in my in-person Stress Less. Live More! workshop, which will be held on 21 February at Remidy in Whitburn. The workshop will help you reduce stress, build a healthier mindset, and embrace a more balanced life. Secure your spot today so you don’t miss out!

The most effective and scientifically proven gratitude practice

Over the last year, I’ve worked hard to improve my gratitude practice. Practising gratitude, either giving or receiving it, can have a profound impact on your wellbeing. Studies have shown that expressing gratitude can improve mental health, enhance relationships, and increase happiness.

I’ve recently been learning about and researching a simple yet powerful that you only need to practice for 1 to 5 minutes three times a week to get all these benefits:

• Reduce anxiety
• Shift physiology at the immune system level
• Increase motivations
• Reduce inflammation
• Balance dopamine
• Reduce cortisol

To set yourself up, can you recall an instance when you received or witnessed sincere, genuine, or wholehearted gratitude?

Then follow these three steps:

1. Think about the instance and relive it in your mind’s eye:​
   The instance must be grounded in a story or narrative you’ve experienced and connect with emotionally.
   It can be you receiving thanks or gratitude from someone. Or it can be someone else receiving thanks or expressing genuine gratitude that you’ve seen, watched or witnessed, and you feel their emotions too.
2. Write three or four bullet points to remind you about the story:​
   Situation before.
   The gratitude or thanks.
   Situation after.
   Your emotional state after.
3. ​Think and feel into this emotional state:​
   Follow your bullets in the step above.
   Do this for 1 to 5 minutes at least three times a week.

It’s backed up by science, and it works. And it’ll only take you 15 minutes a week.

Reflecting on Dry January

Did you stay alcohol free during Dry January? Are you planning to continue into February? Know that it gets easier and life without alcohol is so much better in every way. What starts as one day at a time turns into a life of gains and a future of possibilities.

I can’t imagine drinking again. It works for me. I’ve done sober holidays (I’m just back from Thailand), lost three stone, completed a diploma in coaching and positive psychology, got a certification in alcohol free performance coaching, set up a second business, fell in love with my husband all over again, and started to love who I am. All in just over a year.

Dream big. Anything is possible.

Eat one apple, with a meal, once a day

I’ve been eating an apple a day with my breakfast, lunch or dinner for the last six months. My favourite is a Pink Lady.

I’m sure you’ve heard the saying ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’? Well, research studies suggest ‘an apple a day or a statin is equally likely to keep the doctor at bay’ (BMJ, November 2013). And they taste good too.

Apples contain a special kind of fibre called pectin. Studies have shown all sorts of pectin health benefits, from reducing cholesterol to reducing radiation levels in children in Chernobyl (Nesterenko 2004). It’s also been shown to reduce colon cancer (in rats) and to inhibit bacteria such as staphylococcus (Martinov 2017). Pectin binds with toxins in the gut and helps increase the volume of the stool, promoting regularity. It also helps us feel fuller. Apples are a good source of polyphenols, plant antioxidants. Diets rich in polyphenols have been found to protect against the development and progression of several chronic conditions, including cancer (Nezbedova 2021), diabetes, and cardiovascular problems. And they have anti-aging effects too. Our microbes love the combination of polyphenols and pectin because they encourage their growth.

In summary, eat an apple each day, ideally with your breakfast, lunch or dinner, because it:

• Contains pectin fibre which helps us detoxify.
• Contains plant antioxidants, polyphenols, which protect us against diseases.
• Feeds the good gut microbes.
• Just might keep the doctor away!

My recommendations for February

• Journal prompt: What is one challenge you overcame last month, and what did it teach you about yourself?
• Meditation: Try a ‘Daily Calm’ session on the Calm app, which offers a soothing 10-minute meditation to help you centre yourself and find inner peace. Each day has a different focus, for example, unconditional giving or pausing thoughts and worries.
• Book: This month, you could read ‘The Happiness Project’ by Gretchen Rubin. This book is an inspiring and practical guide to creating more joy. Rubin shares her year-long journey of making small changes to boost happiness, and her insights can help you find more fulfilment and contentment in your own life.

Continuing our journey

Thank you for being a part of this community. Your support and engagement mean the world to me. As always, I’m here to support you on your journey towards a balanced, joyful, and fulfilling life. Let’s continue to grow, learn, and thrive together.

If you’re interested in more personalised support, feel free to reach out and let’s work together to create a life you love waking up to every day.

With love from

Gilly

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