Morning all,

The countdown is on – the "silly season" is upon us, we've been bombarded with Black Friday and Cyber Monday emails, newsletters and "hurry - last chance!" stuff…

So, I'm going to keep this morning light, cheap and easy as we navigate our path towards Christmas - and revisit some old faves that have stood the test of time.

The power of cold.

Civilisation has invested an immeasurable amount of resources into keeping us warm – yay! - but being cold isn't all bad. It can be a good stress for the body and, used wisely, can help keep our immune system, blood vessels and heart in good shape (not to mention help resurrect us after a big night out!?). Sooooo...

Cold showers. (Yep, again.)

Cold showers (or finishing a shower with cold water) remains one of the cheapest, and most invigorating ways to support your health. Read more here or better still, just give it a go!

Move and Stretch.

Both obvious, both super important, both work. You're mega busy, I hear you, but it’s all the more reason to take a couple of minutes to stretch in(to) the morning and find an extra opportunity to move during the day.

Firstly, gently bend forward towards your toes - key word 'gently' - and breathe, slow deep breaths. Do five. Slowly, gently come back up.

Next, squat. Gently squat down to the floor as best as you can keeping your heels down. Hold on to something for stability if you need to. Five slow, deep breaths and gently come back up. Nice.

During the day, look for opportunities to add in little bursts of exercise. Walk when you can (bonus points for carrying shopping or luggage!). Take the stairs if available. Hold the door open for strangers (little bonus shoulder and arm exercise there!). And, of course, stretch if you can during the day. Yep, be 'that' person stretching at their desk... everyone loves that person.

Water.

Basically, water is awesome and probably came from outer space. Drink more. Be more alien. Be more awesome.

Smile.

Busy? Check. Stressed? Check. Running late? Check. Try smiling (and maybe even a little chuckle). Chances are, whatever has you busy, stressed and running late will work out. The number of times I’ve realised I'm taking myself way to seriously and am basically stressing myself out is pretty crazy. When I have the presence of mind to catch myself doing it and smile and/or laugh at myself, I feel better.

If you're reading this, you're most likely on a computer or smart phone which means you're pretty much in the top 5% of wealth in the world (!?) – a lot of people would love to have our 'everyday challenges'. Perspective can be a useful thing.

As always, this stuff is good to be reminded of, but only helps if you actually do it. Pick one, two or three, set a reminder on your phone to do it and experiment with how you feel. Feedback welcome.

Love and appreciate you all,

Luke X