Seven Resolutions for Right Now

*Photo by* *Stephanie McCabe* on *Unsplash*

Have you already given up on your big New Year’s Resolutions?

Do you still want to be a better you in 2022?

We have some good news!

Every moment is a new one, for your brain, and for you…

If we’re honest it’s more like this time in the new year, not New Year’s Day, when life drifts back to what we think of as our ‘normal’ and we start to consider, perhaps, that we may desire a different kind of normal. We really do want some new-ness for ourselves. We daydream about it; we consider what we could change in our same old routine to transform our ordinary into a life perhaps far more extra-ordinary.

Then we seriously wonder…What should I do to change things and be a real new me?

Well, we know our brains change in response to everything we think, feel and do – every single moment, of every single day. So, the changes we are seeking are often achieved not in big one-off experiences, but incrementally - little bit building on little bit - in our daily doings. We just need to build a bank of daily doings that work positively for us and be committed enough to the repetition required to drive our innate ability to change in the most positive direction possible.

When we think about how we change in this way, your ‘new you’ can be right now. Actually - when it comes to changing the way we think, changing our habits and behaviours - getting used to thinking in this new ‘right now’ kind of way can be really helpful. It can be enough to help us pause in the present and try a new way. We can start to think this: The first can be the first of whenever, the first can be first thing in the next moment…

So, what are seven resolutions for right now?

What can I, in these moments, choose to do, every day, to change my brain and change my life?

Well, we can: eat; move; listen; snooze; see; do and be…can’t we?

Almost sounds easy*

Eat

The Mediterranean Diet, is considered a traditional and heritage diet, more a way of life, that has been researched since the 1970’s. In a nutshell it is the diet, and lifestyle, of some villages of Greece, Italy and parts of Spain, around the 1960’s. The diet is: plant based; packed with good fats and protein - often from oily fish, nuts, seeds, and eggs; nothing preserved in a packet – everything made from scratch. The lifestyle includes growing your own food; connection to the natural world; and walking your local area to work, shop and visit others – maybe even for a slurp of workers wine and a proper chat.

Living this way has evidenced outstandingly significant positive impacts on a number of health risk factors, including: cardiovascular disease; cancer; Parkinson’s disease; Alzheimer’s disease; Stroke; Diabetes; and Neurodegenerative Diseases. The body and brain benefits are undeniable and continue to be researched and adapted, as you will find with the now popular MIND and DASH diets.

You can explore the Mediterranean Diet further here: https://www.perthbraincentre.com.au/neuroknowledge/blog/can-we-eat-enough-of-the-good-stuff-every-day-nutraceuticals?rq=neutraceuticals

Move

You might like a hike through the bush, finding balance on a mat, maybe a morning of weeding and planting, or power-scrubbing your bathroom…however you choose, it is all in how much and how often you move. Research shows that ‘brain health equals heart health’, in other words, improving your physical health is one of the best things you can do to look after your brain.

Purposeful exercise, moving for a reason, is also a potent combination for triggering neurogenesis (making new brain cells) and improvements in learning and memory related to increased BDNF. This particularly protective brain chemical – Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor – is made when we exercise. BDNF promotes neuroplasticity, health-associated behaviours and quality of life.

For a mood boost, research suggests, moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise 3-5 times a week is the ‘how much and how often’ that can have the greatest impact. Australian studies done at CQU recommend: 30-40 minutes; 3-4 times a week; around moderate intensity; for at least 9 weeks; with some check-in (catch up with a coach or health professional) at least once a week.

Listen

What do you tune into while you’re on your daily commute? …are you programmed to groove to Ed Sheeran for the zillionth time or are you rewiring while you ride?

Be the producer of your own playlist and literally transform your vibrations. You might create a collection of music that undeniably uplifts you, find a talking book version of that great read you’ve been meaning to get to, or you could lean into the podcast phenomenon, try:

The Happiness Lab: https://www.happinesslab.fm/

The Greater Good Science Centre: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-science-of-happiness/id1340505607

10% Happier: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast

Mindfully on ABC: https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/mindfully/

TED Radio Hour: https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510298/ted-radio-hour

Snooze

We know crucially important brainy busyness happens when you sleep - your body may rest, but your brain does not. Organisation, encoding and consolidation of memories takes place, and the incredible clean-up system in your brain can ONLY work when you are sleeping.

Some tips in this list may be the changes you need to help get the rest your brain needs at night:

Go to bed and wake up at the same times every day
Wake up and get out into the sunshine in the morning
Get a good amount of outdoor exercise during the day
Reduce stimulating foods/beverages – like caffeine and chocolate, limit to before midday
Decrease evening blue light exposure by using device settings or apps for ‘night mode’
Being completely screen free in the 2 hours leading up to bedtime
Diming the light through the home if sunset comes later ie. during summer season
Having a warm bath/shower then slip into a cool bed and bedroom
Being read to, or reading, a paper book before bed
Surrendering and riding the ‘wave of drowsiness’ when it comes - this is melatonin in action
Make your bedroom ONLY about sleep and relaxation - a real sanctuary for sleep
Try a relaxation, mindfulness or meditation exercise designed for sleep in bed

See

The sea, sunsets, endless trees, nature scapes, and panoramic views…when we are in the wide outside we feel awe-some. It happens in vast environments, big vistas, and lush landscapes. When overwhelmed by this magnificent feeling of awe your brain is increasing connections. Brain activity surges between the parts responsible for organising your thoughts about what you think about the whole world, and its connection to areas that control some feel good factors – brain areas to do with your appreciation of real natural beauty and how you see yourself as a part of this wonderful world. It is big important stuff.

Deep down within we all know we need to be in nature more. Our brains have not changed much since that of our hunter gatherer ancestors, not much at all. We need many of the same conditions as them to be well, but just think about how different our lives are. Some experts, like Dr Stephen Ilardi, would argue the epidemics of depression, diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, cancer and other modern human diseases are related to this deep disconnect with our natural world. So slow down, go green, be wide-eyed, and immerse yourself in the wild world.

Do

Do moments mindfully. Review how you do what you do. Do present moment awareness. Do things deliberately. Do your best you, right here, right now. Accept that you can’t do it all the time, but when you catch yourself in a moment of wanting to change, try to change the now. Breathe. Your breath is the most portable and present access point to yourself and your nervous system, and you carry it with you every moment of every day.

There are great guides to get you there, to get you to mindful:

The 5 Minute Meditator: https://perthmeditationcentre.com.au/the-5-minute-meditator/

Smiling Mind: https://www.smilingmind.com.au/

Stop. Breathe. Think.: https://stopbreathethink.com/

This Way Up: https://thiswayup.org.au/courses/intro-to-mindfulness-course/

Insight Timer: https://insighttimer.com/en-au

The expert voice of Eric Harrison, from Perth Mediation Centre: https://perthmeditationcentre.com.au/mp3s/

Be

Be curious about yourself. Be a lifelong learner. Be an eternal student at the school of life. Learn how science is unravelling how we are designed to change and what really makes us happy.

Did you know universities ranked in the top 10 in the world offer massive open online courses for everyone? They are called MOOC’s, most are free, and some of them cover the science of a great life, things like…

Wellbeing: https://www.coursera.org/learn/the-science-of-well-being

Happiness: https://www.edx.org/course/the-science-of-happiness-3

Fulfillment: https://www.coursera.org/learn/happiness

Purpose: https://www.coursera.org/learn/finding-purpose-and-meaning-in-life

*Photo by* *AZGAN MjESHTRI* on *Unsplash*

So, do you think you can… eat; move; listen; snooze; see; do and be?

Can you?

Eat a Mediterranean diet, exercise regularly, listen to fascinating things, sleep well, get lost gazing at green nature, be mindful and do learning for life…for a great life…for a real new you?

If you can – Go! Change what you can, with each new moment, and be a real new you in 2022!

If you feel you might benefit from some support and further brain health assessment with truly personalised treatment plans (*because these ideas might make it sound easy, but really change can be complicated), please explore and find the best fit for your new you. You can watch, scroll, read, call or email, to find out more today.