With the changing of the seasons, this month Nadia Ahmed discusses how to navigate change and the importance of creating a healthy daily routine.
As the golden colours of autumn now surround us, it is a reminder of the season of ‘renewal’ or ‘change.’ Since writing my last column, we find ourselves having to adapt to the cycle of shorter days and longer nights.
How do you usually feel in Autumn and Winter?
What can you do to adapt to the change in seasons?
The focus of this month’s article is ‘adapting to change’ and creating a healthy daily routine.
Having a healthy daily routine can help to reduce stress and anxiety that is often associated with facing changes in our lives.
The law of impermanence
The ‘law of impermanence’ is an important reminder, often linked to a Buddhist philosophy, that we should accept that change is an inherent part of life and nothing remains static. A classic example is the changing of seasons which reflects the constant flux and impermanence in nature.
Adapting to change
How do you adapt to change? Do you feel excitement or fear?
Adapting to change is a key part of our everyday lives and professional work. We may face a different environment or new team when starting a new job role, or find we need to manage a change in our own work routine. On a regular basis, there is likely to be some kind of change in our daily work.
What would help to make the transition easier?
Have you given thought to the impact of any changes in your workplace on your lifestyle and personal life?
One common challenge many dentists and their teams have recently faced is adapting to a shift from NHS to private work. This has resulted in a number of teams facing a big change in their daily work routine and the need to identify ways to work effectively with new people or new systems.
Effective communication and a willingness to learn and grow is essential in such circumstances, as well as a willingness to support one another in the team and create the right environment to deliver high standards of patient care.
Key considerations when navigating any change in our lives include: mindset, being flexible and seeking opportunities for growth and learning, so we can adapt more easily.
Creating a healthy daily routine
Do you have a daily routine?
Is your daily routine working for you or does it need to change?
It is certainly more of a challenge to do outdoor activities and find the energy to maintain a healthy diet when the shops are full of confectioneries in preparation for Christmas, and the path of resistance to the sofa to watch Netflix seems easier than going out to the gym on a cold, dark evening.
With the right mindset, our routines can be changed so we can improve ourselves and build new routines. Autumn and winter can be a challenging time of year to stay ‘on track’ with healthy eating, fitness and ‘self-care.’
Despite the weather often being less than ideal for a walk, I try to continue my routine of going outside at lunchtime to catch some daylight. It’s a habit I have developed since COVID-19 hit us. This simple act has so many benefits for my mental and physical health. It particularly helps me to feel more energised during my afternoon clinic and lift the mood, which has a positive impact on my patients too.
I am grateful to a friend and orthodontic colleague who introduced me to the ‘be well’ club that meets online for 30 minutes every morning to practise a guided meditation, gratitude, affirmations and to share some time to read a self-development book. It allows time for me to set my intention and goals before a busy working day.
I will be covering ‘healthy habits’ in a future article but would highly recommend adopting one of the following activities, especially in the morning or evening.
Healthy habits:
- Journaling (putting your thoughts into a notebook to de-clutter the mind)
- Affirmations (positive statements to foster a positive mindset or belief and encourage a more optimistic outlook)
- Gratitude (thinking of three things you are grateful for that day)
- Meditation (focusing the mind to eliminate distractions and achieve a state of relaxation or inner peace for mental clarity and wellbeing).
Daily routine is essential for good physical and mental health. Having self-awareness of what we require as part of our daily routine can make a real difference to the day. Think about where you could make a change in your daily routine and plan small shifts towards the ideal day you would like to have.
Where can you create time for your daily routine?
How would you feel if you had a healthier daily routine?
What is the cost of not having enough daily exercise or ‘self care’?
If I could choose only one activity that has been life-changing in recent times, it would be yoga. For many years I had thought about attending a class, but always thought I would not be able to reach the required standard of the pre-conceived image I had in my mind of a studio full of yogis doing headstands.
I started yoga practise during lockdown and have never looked back. My keen interest in health and fitness led me to start training to be a yoga teacher last year. This has enabled me to understand the physiology and medical knowledge behind it as well as the fascinating history. For any dental professional, it is a great way to support a good posture and prevent musculo-skeletal problems from arising in the future. Other health benefits include stress reduction, mental focus and increased strength/balance.
I hope that the above information has been helpful for you to think about how you could navigate adapting to change and also reflect on your daily routine.
Remember that nothing lasts forever and there is always a way to adapt to change as part of life’s journey!
Catch up with Nadia’s previous column:
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