5 TIPS TO COMBAT LAZINESS

Laziness is a serious health hazard. The presence of laziness leads to poor choices in diet, exercise, discipline, relationships, and career choices. Some individuals by constitution have a predisposition to laziness. Anyone with a predominance of the “earth and water elements” which in Ayurveda is called “kapha” has a tendency to laziness. On the flip side, kaphic individuals can be the most loving, caring, compassionate and steady people. The hardest part of making changes towards a healthier lifestyle is the first step.Here are some tips to get you going…..

1) Goals- give yourself small realistic goals. If you have never made it off the couch, don’t sign up for a marathon. Start with a daily 20 minute walk. Increase it to a brisk walk. Try a walk-jog-walk. Jog 1km and walk the rest. Small incremental change is the best way of making a start. Otherwise the task seems to mammoth.

2) Lighten the load– apart from it’s nutritional value that is well known in Western nutrition, according to Ayurveda, every food has a quality. Picture the difference in how you feel between eating a pizza and a salad. Heavy versus light. When trying to combat laziness, it is essential that you include plenty of light, healthy items that uplift you, rather than weigh you down. You will find that you feel lighter and more energetic almost instantly.

3) Energise– the body has highly complex metabolic and energy systems that drive all the processes. Though great advances have been made in modern biochemistry, the energy system is best understood by Eastern medicine. Yoga, Tai Chi, Qi Gong, Martial arts, all activate the energy systems of the body. Some of the breath techniques are incredibly powerful in creating huge amounts of energy. Practitioners of these systems, commonly report deeper and more refreshing sleep, such that their overall sleep requirements reduce. This has also been my experience.

4) Get angry– in order to pursue and achieve a goal, you need grit, fire and will power. In Ayurvedic terms, this is represented by the “fire” element Pitta. Use your inner fire and drive to get motivated and pursue the goal with unrelenting passion. If you fail, then start again without fear.

5) Rewards– once you have gone through a cycle of setting a goal, making changes, and achieving the goal, make sure you reward yourself. Every goal achieved is an accomplishment that needs to be celebrated. Whether it is an exercise goal; a dietary change; a weight loss achievement; or even goals of spending more time with family; exhibiting more patience and love, each goal must be rewarded.

Once the goal has been achieved, immediately set a new one. Having momentum in your favour is a valuable tool. Although there are times to be “free-flowing” and going with the flow, goal setting is a powerful discipline which creates greater states of freedom. Make a list, then go for it!

In Health and Wellness