Is it true you can feel better in just 5 minutes a day? According to Dr Rangan Chatterjee and his current book ‘Feel Better in 5’, it is easy to do.
I recently attended Dr Rangan’s book signing at Waterstones in Manchester. He did a talk about the concept of changing behaviour to embed the just 5 minutes, daily ‘health snacks’ to support our mind, body and heart. In just 15 minutes each day, we can all complete activities that support our health and wellbeing. By connecting these health snacks with an already well embedded daily habit, they too become daily habits in no time, and we soon feel the benefit. Dr Rangan lists several options in the three areas of mind, body and heart. He suggests we select one from each section to complete daily.
Caring for a loved one in the last phase of their life is very demanding on our own health. It can be one of the most stressful times in our lives. Finding time to look after ourselves can feel very challenging. However, it can also be a meaningful and memorable time. We can learn so much about our loved ones and ourselves as well as developing our own resilience.
When I was caring for relatives and those I volunteered with, I developed habits that supported my own health and wellbeing. These included reading a good book in the bath a couple of times a week, meditating first thing each morning, writing a diary each night and connecting with those I’m caring for through conversations and joint activities. One of my favourite activities that supports my mind, body and heart is walking in nature with friends and family. As a result, this has become my chosen way to celebrate my birthday each year. It’s also a regular feature in my life.
I’ve chosen a new activity from Dr Rangan’s book to add in to my day. The desk jockey workout is 5 minutes of upper body stretches. These are particularly helpful for those of us who experience neck, shoulder or back stiffness/pain. You can do these stretches anywhere.
If you’re currently caring for a loved one and feel stressed and sometimes overwhelmed, take a look at Dr Rangan’s book. Find ‘health snacks’ that you can incorporate into your existing daily habits. As a result, you will feel the benefit very quickly and could well prevent your own health declining.
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