I know if you are in my community, most likely you are already proactive in taking care of your health. For you, this article is a reminder or perhaps a way to find another technique to improve your wellbeing now that we have started a new year! If you’re new to my community, let me suggest some steps to take to get on a path to wellbeing in 2019.

1. Practice forgiveness. To err is human, to forgive divine! Think about this. You are not only releasing the other person from the negative energy of your upset. You are resetting the energy that returns to you as a result of this relationship. Letting go of a hurt someone else caused brings very positive energy to you in its place.
2. Cook for yourself. People who do their own cooking consume fewer calories, less fat and less sugar. Years ago, I operated a health food restaurant in Hamilton. Even people, who ate the healthy food we provided, were often unsatisfied with the variety available. When you cook for yourself, it is very healing as well as satisfying. Start with breakfast. Here is the link to my simple breakfast video I would recommend … Dine and Dash – Breakfast
3. Eat regularly. Three meals per day prevents cravings for fast foods and sugars.
4. Walk for 20 minutes every day. It is easier than a gym membership and very effective. Living in Canada makes it hard to get motivated in the winter. Get past this and you will be stronger for the effort! One positive side effect of walking is receiving vitamin D to help your endocrine system. Walking also helps lower blood sugars.
5. Do something that nurtures you every day. This feeds the hippocampus area of the brain. The hippocampus heals the whole brain and prevents memory loss. Some activities that are nurturing are singing, listening to music, recalling pleasant moments, and watching a positive or motivating movie. Perhaps you can suggest some other activities to add to this list!
6. Develop relationships. Connect with someone every day in a positive way. Initiate this activity and make a difference to both of you.
7. Visualize moments you have scheduled each day going well. That positive energy moves forward and creates the possibility of the day going smoothly without stress. I know someone that did this when they were getting their new house built. The construction supervisor said later that they were the only house that did not have delays in receiving materials or construction like all the other jobs they were working on at the time.
8. Approach challenges as learning opportunities. With all this positive activity, you may still encounter challenges. Remember whatever challenge meets you today, it is perfect for what you came to learn in this lifetime. When I know this, the challenge is always easier to deal with and work through.
9. Practice gratitude. There is no energy quite like this. When you are filled with gratitude for all you have and every aspect of your life, that energy brings more of everything positive.

One of my favourite filmmakers, Louie Schwartzberg, produces short films. He has one on gratitude, which I shared in a previous article. Here is another for your enjoyment.

We live in a world of unseeable beauty, so subtle and delicate that it is imperceptible to the human eye. To bring this invisible world to light, filmmaker Louie Schwartzberg bends the boundaries of time and space with high-speed cameras, time lapses and microscopes. At TED2014, he shares highlights from his latest project, a 3D film titled “Mysteries of the Unseen World,” which slows down, speeds up, and magnifies the astonishing wonders of nature.

Whatever you’re already doing to care for your wellbeing, if you do a little more, your body will notice. If you’re not on this path yet, anything you do to increase your wellbeing will cause your body to respond in a positive way. Wishing you a healthy, happy year in 2019.