t’s 2010 and time for change, renewal, and celebration. The great thing about today is that yesterday is gone. You can’t go back and undo things you have done, but you can embrace today and look toward to the future with hope.
I am a great believer in New Year’s resolutions and the start of a year is an opportunity for a fresh new start. Every year I make a list of things I want to achieve. But in order to get things done it is important to start from an organized and efficient place. You can improve your healthy well-being with these small changes, starting with your home. You need a healthy environment to start from. This means a clean, fresh, healthy and organized home.
All change starts with you. If you need to make changes in 2010 you are going to have to do it yourself, many people can give you expertise and advice but at the end of the day it is down to you. Let’s start from your base — your home — and make it a healthy organized place to spring forward from.
Clear away all your clutter
Too much clutter creates confusion and confusion leads to lack of decision. All those stacks of papers, old magazines and old clothes and possessions that you do not need are holding you back from moving forward and enjoying the future. Too much clutter makes it difficult to be organized and if you are not organized in your personal space or home it probably means too that you are not organized in your mind. The best way to de-clutter is to start with your bedroom and bathroom. Sort your clothes into what is hot and what is not. And find a place for everything and then throw out anything you have not used in the last year or two; and then move on to your office etc. Charity shops will be able to make good use of items that are just causing clutter and dust to collect in your home. Tidy first and then get out the black bin bags and focus on one room per week. Just doing a little bit at a time will give you a great emotional boost — deal with paperwork the day it arrives: open mail — if it’s an invitation, note the date in a diary; if it’s a bill, pay it. Knowing you’ve dealt with mail will put your mind at rest so that you are free to move on and be efficient.
Get everything into order including your wardrobe, desk and handbag. And you will be amazed at how good you feel. Winston Churchill, who is a hero of mine, said, “I never worry about action, only inaction”.
Create an exercise area at home
I am a great believer in the value of giving the best part of the day to yourself and starting the day with my Mini-Morning Workout. It contains exercises for every part of the body and you can do it in the privacy of your own bedroom. It is also a good idea to invest in a good quality exercise bicycle to tone your legs burn calories and get some aerobic exercise for your heart. Dance videos can also be helpful. For a free copy of my workout, e-mail me at [email protected].
Open your windows and let the fresh air in
You should consider airing out your house every day — this is to keep the air quality in your home good. Consider opening several windows in your home for at least 30 minutes a day for a natural (and free) air exchange: Old, polluted air out, clean air in. Once your home and office is organized, it is up to you to make a list of where you want to go from here.
Ask Alva
My baby is three months old and I want to get my flat tummy back as quickly as possible. — Katie
My first piece of advice would be to caution you not to be in too much of a hurry to get back into a vigorous exercise routine. Two thirds of women experience a separation of the main tummy muscles in pregnancy, when the connective tissue splits vertically. This condition is caused by a combination of abdominal weakness, weight gain, hormonal changes and the stretching of the abdominal wall by the growing baby, resulting in muscle separation along the centre line of the tummy. If you immediately try to regain your tummy tone by doing dozens of sit-ups, you run the risk of exacerbating this condition. It is better to go for specific post-natal exercises like pelvic dips and hip lifts that are quite gentle on the abdomen. Ask your doctor to check on the state of your abdominal muscles – the condition I have described above is known as diastasis recti.
— Alva
