1 Engage in some resistance exercise Resistance exercise helps to maintain muscle mass and strengthens the body. This has particular relevance as we age, as it reduces the risk of disability and falls. Many highly useful exercises can be done at home, such as press-ups, sit-ups and squats. Invest in a Dyna-Band or dumbbells to extend your home routine to other exercises, too.
2. Practise random acts of kindness Random acts of kindness are good for givers and receivers alike. It could be a quick call or text to someone you care about or have lost touch with, or showing a fellow motorist some consideration, or giving up your seat on a train or bus, or buying someone lunch or giving a spontaneous bunch of flowers.
3. Practise the art of appreciation Modern-day living tends to be aspirational and we can easily find ourselves chasing an ever-growing list of goals, many of which can be material. Some of us could do with spending more time focusing not on what we don’t have, but on what we do. Our mood can be lifted by giving thanks for anything from our friends and family to a beautiful landscape or sunset. For holistic health and wellbeing information and advice, see drbriffa.com
4 Boost your magnesium intake
‘Magnesium is an essential mineral to the human body and is often referred to as the relaxing mineral because of its role in relaxing muscles,’ says nutritionist Fiona Kirk. ‘In a trial carried out at Albert-Ludwigs University in Germany, people who suffered from restless leg syndrome and insomnia showed significant improvement after taking a 300mg magnesium supplement for four to six weeks.’ To get more magnesium in your diet, Kirk recommends eating plenty of nuts, wholegrains, beans, dark green vegetables, fish and lean meat. Alternatively, massage BetterYou Magnesium Oil GoodNight Spray, £14.50, onto your skin before bedtime.
5 Change your mindset
Nothing aggravates insomnia more than worrying about it. Dr Gregg D Jacobs, author of Say Good Night To Insomnia, has spent 20 years researching insomnia at Harvard Medical School and believes we can sleep better by replacing negative thoughts with positive ones. ‘If you’re lying awake, instead of thinking, “Oh no, I’m awake”, try thinking, “I always fall back to sleep sooner or later”,’ he says.
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