We are all trying to live our best lives - especially after numerous lockdowns and the stresses of living through a pandemic!

You may have heard of the phrase ‘a wellbeing lifestyle’ being thrown around a lot these days; perhaps you are trying to create one for yourself.

This can be easier said than done though - between working full-time, looking after our families and general day-to-day tasks it simply isn’t sustainable for most of us to practice meditation, do yoga or go sea-swimming every day.

But that doesn’t necessarily mean we can’t create a wellbeing lifestyle for ourselves.

TV chef and wellness guru Aisling Larkin has revealed how we can find accessible, time-efficient and practical ways to do this by unveiling what she dubs as her “self-care toolbox” - i.e. the tips and tricks to bring about more calmness and less stress in our everyday lives.

Aisling tells RSVP Live: “When your self-care is up your coping skills are up and you have a much greater ability to respond to situations rather than react. When you do this you will cope and manage with every situation life puts your way and you will have a greater sense of wellbeing.”

Breath work

One Solemn Breath: Begin with this simple technique I call ‘one solemn breath’ . Before you act, take one solemn deep breath in and out. Pause. Create a little space between your thoughts and feelings and your actions. In that moment, pause and choose to respond calmly to the action you were going to do. Think before you act and make your action as aligned with your goal you have set or your life’s purpose. Use that ‘one solemn breath’ to create a moment of space and quiet for you. You deserve it.

Box Breathing: Following on from this you can try box breathing. This is a technique where you rapidly bring yourself into a more relaxed and calm state. Breathe in for four seconds, hold for four seconds, breath out for four seconds and hold for four seconds. Repeat this 4 times. This is a proven breathing technique to lower stress and anxiety levels which will again help you to feel a sense of calm and improve your coping skills and your overall well-being.

The 4-7-8 breathing technique: This breathing technique can bring you into a deep relaxed state, so deep its purpose is to help you take a power nap when you need it, to fall asleep or become deeply calm. By holding your breath for a longer period of time your body replenishes its oxygen supply. The idea is that you are focusing on your breath, nothing else while slowing down your heart rate.

To practise the 4-7-8 technique you should carry it out in one cycle. Open your mouth and exhale completely. Then close your lips and inhale through your nose to a count of 4 seconds, hold the inhale for 7 seconds and then do a big, long, slow exhale for 8 seconds. The hold breath for 7 seconds is the most crucial. When you begin, start by doing 4 cycles of this breath and gradually work up to 8.

Mini Meditations: Build up to incorporating meditation into your daily routine every day. Begin with guided mediations and consider using an app like Calm or Headspace or even follow along to free meditations on YouTube.

Visualisations: Take a moment to escape. Create some quiet and some space and wander off in your mind. Visualise the details of where you are - the smells, the sounds, the colours, the shapes, the people, the natural elements. Imagine yourself in that scene and visualise yourself in the moment or maybe it is a time in the future.

Hydr ate

Be specific and motivated. Have a list of goals for the day and track how much water you are drinking. If you decide on 2L then fill up a bottle or a few smaller bottles and know that you will only reach your target when they are all drunk. Use a marked water bottle, one which has lines to show how much you have drank or how much of your goal you have reached.

Make it more enjoyable. Add some flavour - a cordial or some fresh fruit for flavour. Use herbal tea bags to create more flavoured hot beverages or allow them to cool down, top with ice and sparkling water for a refreshing flavoured drink. Add fizz. Invest in a carbonator to add bubbles and fizz to your drinks. Use your favourite glass, try drinking through a straw at parts of the day.

Create new habits and new routines. Start your day with a glass of water and drink a glass of water after each toilet break. Every time you empty your glass, fill it back up immediately. You are far more likely to drink it if there is a full glass right there in front of you.

Joyful Movement

We should practice 40 minutes of exercise every day, but this does not all have to be done in one go. Moving and joyful movement can help us to focus on a new task, helps to regulate our sensory systems and can help to get us out of own heads. So start small, with something you enjoy, in nature or in fresh air, if possible.

Dance. Turn the music up loud, sing your heart out and dance hard. It is so much fun having little dance parties when no one is watching. Moving helps to regulate our sensory system, it helps us to wiggle, shake and pound out any stress. It can be energising and calming all in one.

Do yoga or pilates. Stretch your body. Walk barefoot on the grass or the sand and feel that connection with nature and feel grounded.

Try a new movement activity you have never tried before. Rent a paddle board for the day, try a small hike in your local area, take a tennis lesson, sign up for a free trial on a fitness app and try some cool online classes.

For more information, visit Aisling's website www.eatingmindfully.ie.