Top tips?to?banish the lockdown blues

Master Your Morning Routine

Do you ever stop to think about the most successful humans on this planet, the highflyers, the entrepreneurs and wonder what the connection is? Often a correlation can be found in the famous morning routine of the early risers. Whilst some are straight out the door to do high-energy exercises, others opt to bring in the day at a slower pace with a relaxed meditation. Whichever they choose what they all have in common is focus - focus on goals, focus on achievements, focus on the day ahead.

Take time in lockdown to play around with your morning routine and figure out a way to find your optimum concentration. Whether that is getting up early for a 5.00am run, or simply avoiding social media before noon, once you have found a niche that works for you, awake, action, rinse and repeat. Over time you will form some fantastic habits that will not only boost your mood but also increase your productivity.

1. ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY

Master Your Morning Routine

Do you ever stop to think about the most successful humans on this planet, the highflyers, the entrepreneurs and wonder what the connection is? Often a correlation can be found in the famous morning routine of the early risers. Whilst some are straight out the door to do high-energy exercises, others opt to bring in the day at a slower pace with a relaxed meditation. Whichever they choose what they all have in common is focus - focus on goals, focus on achievements, focus on the day ahead.

Take time in lockdown to play around with your morning routine and figure out a way to find your optimum concentration. Whether that is getting up early for a 5.00am run, or simply avoiding social media before noon, once you have found a niche that works for you, awake, action, rinse and repeat. Over time you will form some fantastic habits that will not only boost your mood but also increase your productivity.

2. NO ONE HAS EVER REGRETTED A WORKOUT

Make Time For Exercise

It is well known that working out is so important for our mental health - some say vital! It is scientifically proven that exercise, in many forms, can actively decrease feelings of sadness and increase the production of endorphins. Those happy hormones in the body can create a huge sense of satisfaction and can build a person’s overall positivity.

Exercise can also aid our wellbeing in so many other ways, including improving our quality of sleep, giving us a sense of control, and boosting our self-esteem. Plan a time in your schedule to get involved and release some pent-up tensions by getting active. Without a doubt if you can get up, get out and get moving at some point in the day, you are guaranteed to increase your overall levels of happiness.

Feed Your Mind, Body And Soul

Food is such a huge part of each day, it is easy to find yourself waking up thinking about breakfast and working away in the afternoon while daydreaming about dinner. Even the processes of cooking and eating can fill us with a level of pleasure we should not underestimate.

Scientific research points towards our nutrition not only effecting our bodies physical health but having a huge connection with our mind as well. It is suggested we should eat intuitively, seeking out lots of nutrition from whole foods and stay focused on achieving that elusive well-balanced diet. Emphasis being on the word ‘balanced’, as it is also proven that serotonin levels greatly increase when we eat foods such as chocolate. So, in other words, if you are feeling particularly low and looking for a quick pick-me-up, it is amazing what a square of dark chocolate with a high percentage of cocoa is capable of.

3. FOOD IS FUEL

Feed Your Mind, Body And Soul

Food is such a huge part of each day, it is easy to find yourself waking up thinking about breakfast and working away in the afternoon while daydreaming about dinner. Even the processes of cooking and eating can fill us with a level of pleasure we should not underestimate.

Scientific research points towards our nutrition not only effecting our bodies physical health but having a huge connection with our mind as well. It is suggested we should eat intuitively, seeking out lots of nutrition from whole foods and stay focused on achieving that elusive well-balanced diet. Emphasis being on the word ‘balanced’, as it is also proven that serotonin levels greatly increase when we eat foods such as chocolate. So, in other words, if you are feeling particularly low and looking for a quick pick-me-up, it is amazing what a square of dark chocolate with a high percentage of cocoa is capable of.

4. I AM WORTHY OF GOOD THINGS

Self-Care Is A Necessity For Success

When life gets busy and you feel pulled in every direction, self-care is often the first thing to slip from our routine. Make a conscious decision to actively plan for it in your diary and become accountable for your own wellbeing, rather than assuming you will find the time later down the line. Better yet, put aside 30 minutes every day, wholly dedicated to you!

For self-care you should choose an activity that is either benefiting your health and wellness or something that brings you personal enjoyment. It can be as simple as 30-minutes of computer gaming or walking away from screens to enjoy reading a book in the peace and quiet. In any case, set yourself some achievable goals and choose something that makes you smile.

Soak Up Some Well-Deserved Vitamin D

We all live our lives naturally by the sun and understandably at this time of year it gets harder and harder. Sunlight greatly impacts our mood by raising the levels of serotonin in our brain and lowering our heart rate. Interestingly, the more sunlight we are exposed to during the day, the more melatonin we produce at night, which lowers stress and can therefore enhance the amount of quality sleep we achieve. The sun is ultimately our best friend, it is a huge part of why we love to travel and why holidaying in warmer climates makes us feel so damn good!

Sometimes we assume that if we cannot physically see blue heavens and a blinding sun in the sky, we will not get any exposure to vitamin D. However, sunlight will still reach us through grey clouds so be sure to make time for a stroll outdoors, even if it is just for 20-minutes while on a lunch break. If you are self-confessed sun-worshipper and need warmer temperatures to enjoy your time outside, contact one of our personal travel managers today for advice on where is best to book in 2021.

5. I AM GRATEFUL FOR A NEW DAY

Soak Up Some Well-Deserved Vitamin D

We all live our lives naturally by the sun and understandably at this time of year it gets harder and harder. Sunlight greatly impacts our mood by raising the levels of serotonin in our brain and lowering our heart rate. Interestingly, the more sunlight we are exposed to during the day, the more melatonin we produce at night, which lowers stress and can therefore enhance the amount of quality sleep we achieve. The sun is ultimately our best friend, it is a huge part of why we love to travel and why holidaying in warmer climates makes us feel so damn good!

Sometimes we assume that if we cannot physically see blue heavens and a blinding sun in the sky, we will not get any exposure to vitamin D. However, sunlight will still reach us through grey clouds so be sure to make time for a stroll outdoors, even if it is just for 20-minutes while on a lunch break. If you are self-confessed sun-worshipper and need warmer temperatures to enjoy your time outside, contact one of our personal travel managers today for advice on where is best to book in 2021.

6. DISENGAGE WHEN YOU NEED TO

Don’t Forget To Turn Off Your Devices

At work and at home, we are surrounded by stimulants; from bright lights to flashing screens, noise alerts to vibrating notifications. We are very much used to living in and amongst all this activity daily, but that does not mean it is doing us any good. Our minds are so over stimulated most of the time, it is no wonder many people struggle to get a regular good night’s sleep.

Make some good habits of shutting down the laptop and walking away from your mobile phone more regularly. Have you ever considered mindfulness and meditation? Meditation is a brilliant way to calm the mind down and relax after a long day at work, and a mindful breathing practice is great for helping your thoughts return to the present and leave any cares and worries behind.

Sleep Is So Important

There is nothing worse than struggling to sleep. Sleep is in very basic terms, our recovery time, a chance for cells to heal and our mind to rest. Without it, we quite simply have less resilience physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Lockdown sleep problems have been widely publicised, including disturbed sleep patterns with nights of insomnia or extremely vivid dreams. Experts have suggested that this is mainly caused by the loss of our normal routine and daily habits. So, set your alarm clock at a regular time each day and refrain from pressing snooze repeatedly. Equally before going to sleep get yourself in the pattern of keeping to a good evening routine with an adequate amount of time to wind down ahead of turning off the lights.

7. I CHOOSE CALM, I CHOOSE PEACE

Sleep Is So Important

There is nothing worse than struggling to sleep. Sleep is in very basic terms, our recovery time, a chance for cells to heal and our mind to rest. Without it, we quite simply have less resilience physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Lockdown sleep problems have been widely publicised, including disturbed sleep patterns with nights of insomnia or extremely vivid dreams. Experts have suggested that this is mainly caused by the loss of our normal routine and daily habits. So, set your alarm clock at a regular time each day and refrain from pressing snooze repeatedly. Equally before going to sleep get yourself in the pattern of keeping to a good evening routine with an adequate amount of time to wind down ahead of turning off the lights.

8. MOVING FORWARD IS MAKING THINGS HAPPEN

Prioritise Planning Ahead

A great way to stay positive and upbeat when you are living in a time of uncertainly is by focusing on the future and staying positive about everything you will soon be able to experience and achieve. It was discovered in a recent study by North Carolina State University in the United States, that the happiest people were those who could actively stay present in the moment, while also using proactive coping techniques, like creating forthcoming plans. Ultimately, those that enjoy the now and look forward life’s fun potential are preventing themselves from dwelling in the past or dreading the tomorrow altogether.

If lockdown is getting on top of you, why not sit down with your calendar or diary and arrange yourself some things to look forward to. While many items may have to remain pencilled in for now, until we have further guidance from the government, we are free to create ideas and dream ahead to help ourselves stay upbeat.

Get Ready To Explore

Tough times in life are guaranteed, but what we need to remember is that under all the annoyance and stress, life is always somewhat magical. There is beauty to be enjoyed everywhere and opportunities to explore new surroundings available. Travel is a great way to escape reality and find a real sense of relaxation. It allows us to live in the moment and turn off from daily demands and drama back at home. Let’s face it, we could all use an opportunity to recharge our batteries in 2021.

Take the leap and make a decision to contact Winged Boots today. As experts in travel, our personal travel managers are on hand to assist you in planning an adventure you deserve. Whatever your forte in life, be it adrenaline fuelled activity or sunlit siestas, we have some incredible chances for you to live out your bucket list dreams. Get set to challenge yourself and embrace adventure, it is time to combat those lockdown blues!

9. LIFE IS A WONDERFUL ADVENTURE

Get Ready To Explore

Tough times in life are guaranteed, but what we need to remember is that under all the annoyance and stress, life is always somewhat magical. There is beauty to be enjoyed everywhere and opportunities to explore new surroundings available. Travel is a great way to escape reality and find a real sense of relaxation. It allows us to live in the moment and turn off from daily demands and drama back at home. Let’s face it, we could all use an opportunity to recharge our batteries in 2021.

Take the leap and make a decision to contact Winged Boots today. As experts in travel, our personal travel managers are on hand to assist you in planning an adventure you deserve. Whatever your forte in life, be it adrenaline fuelled activity or sunlit siestas, we have some incredible chances for you to live out your bucket list dreams. Get set to challenge yourself and embrace adventure, it is time to combat those lockdown blues!

Contact one of our personal travel managers today to help create some exciting bespoke travel plans for you and your family in in 2021 or 2022.

Wherever in the world you are dreaming of visiting next, with our teams’ inner wisdom and expert knowledge we can support you and importantly get you dreaming again. Because we are fully protected by ATOL and the TTA, we can also safeguard you from the uncertainty that surrounds the travel world now.