Page 20 - The Villager April 2021

Life Talk

nourish to flourish

by NIColeeN DavIeS, DIreCtor lIFe talK ForUm

Self-care - this is a concept the whole family can benefit from and it’s
important to share it with your children to help them navigate the
challenges they will encounter in their lives.

oo often we just exist, what I call passive living, just eating balanced meals, doing regular exercise, and resting.
going with the flow and not actively thinking and Physical well-being has three pillars – sleep, exercise and
Tdoing. this can apply to everything, from day-to-day nutrition.
living, to recycling, to conserving water or electricity and
helping others, to a mild stab at self-care. however, you can Sleep
just as easily switch to active living. Soon it becomes a habit Sleep forms the foundation, on which everything else
and before you know it, you can make a difference to your sits. So you may ask why is sleep so important? well…
environment and to yourself. • Sleep affects one’s ability to learn and retain information.
through the life talk Forum, we work with schools, It’s been proven that if a learner sleeps properly, their
students and parents. we often find that at the core of so grades will be better and they will be healthier.
many issues our children and teens experience lies the lack • Sleep helps the brain to order, file and store information
of self-care. It is easy to experiment and follow the pack, give from the day, to facilitate memory recall.
in to peer pressure, and not ask for help. It is much harder to • Killer cells are released when one sleeps – these help to
stop and say, “Is this good for me? will this make me a better fight cancer and other illnesses. Science has proven that
person? will this have a positive or negative impact on me?” people who don’t sleep enough are at enormous risk of
eating disorders, drugs, drinking, smoking and vaping are alzheimer’s and Dementia.
all examples of choices that result in addiction, which in • Sleep improves emotional well-being and one’s ability to
turn impacts on the bodies, minds and emotional stability cope with day-to-day challenges and events.
of our children.
google ‘matthew walker’, a sleep neuroscientist, search
What is self-care? for him on youtube, and watch some of his sleep video’s –
there are several components of self-care which sit they will change your perspective and your life.
alongside and impact on each other. they encompass our
whole being and all should be taken care of. Exercise
we all know exercise keeps us healthy and, statistically, we
PHYSICAL CARE will then need fewer visits to the doctors’ rooms.
take care of your physical being by getting enough sleep, • exercise is good for our bone density and muscle strength
and keeps our heart strong. It lowers blood pressure and
is good for brain function.
• exercise is a great stress reliever and improves well-being
by releasing endorphins.

Nutrition
People often eat just as a function of living, without
thinking about the why. teens who think food is the enemy
are doing incredible harm to their bodies, some of which
may be irreversible.
• we need food to function – it is the fuel for our organs,
muscles and our heart.
• good nutrition will affect how we feel and reduce the risk
of chronic illnesses such as diabetes.
• It is vital for growth and development.

18 • Issue 4 2021 • The Villager