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Moving On

All Narrative Care related information shared on this page, has been derived from the book "Moving On, from Chronic Stress to Sustainable Resilience" (Published in 2021 and available from Orders@Xlibris.com.au). 

Narrative Care Skill 1: 

Build Basic Building Blocks into a Healthy Lifestyle wall)

• The first non-negotiable healthy lifestyle principle, in my opinion, is to build all the following Basic Building Blocks into your Healthy Lifestyle wall. 
• We have to accept that they come in one package (just like a strong wall consists of a number of interlocking bricks)!
• We have to accept that the following Basic Building Blocks are more effective together than separately:
• Sleep, Clothe, Walk, Cleanse or Clean, Eat, Work, Rest or De-stress, and Relate.
• We will deal with each one of these Healthy Lifestyle components separately.
• Please take note of the fact that the neurobiological, psychological and social benefits of practicing these skills are explained in detail in chapter 5 of the book "Moving On". 
• Photo: Shopbackdrop

• Remember: "Do the caring thing, not the scaring thing!"

Narrative Care Skill 3: 

Clothe

• I really believe that a third non-negotiable healthy lifestyle component for upholding sustainable resilience and wellness, is to wear effective protective clothing.
• This means that we really need to do whatever it takes, to protect our bodies and sensory organs from hyperthermia, hypothermia, dehydration, UV radiation, poison, dangerous organisms and objects, sound volumes or noise, or light intensity, etc.
• These threats are typically associated with our life, work, and recreational contexts.
• Photo: salgal2008
• Remember: "Do the caring thing, not the scaring thing!"

Narrative Care Skill 4: 

Walk

• A fourth non-negotiable healthy lifestyle component for sustainable resilience and wellness, is recreational walking for at least 30 minutes per day.
• In Narrative Care terms, walking is actually so much more than an excellent form of relaxing and fun filled exercise. It is also an excellent way to get rid of excess stress hormones in our bloodstream, and to facilitate the production of important neurotransmitters in our body and brain.
• At the same time, our eyes are exposed to regular sunlight, which is necessary to synchronise our biological clock with the circadian rhythm of the sun.
• Photo: frankly esoteric
• Remember: "Do the caring thing, not the scaring thing!"

Narrative Care Skill 5: 

Cleanse

• The fifth 5 healthy lifestyle component that is non-negotiable for sustainable resilience and wellness, in my opinion, is cleansing.
• This means that we have to tend, both to our personal internal and external hygiene, as well as hygiene within our home and everyday life settings.
• This is important both for the sake of our own personal health, and the prevention and spread of infectious, life threatening diseases in general.
• This is also important for the promotion of our own relationships and for our self-esteem.
• We have to attend to both our gastro-intestinal tract and our skin.
• This means we do not only have to get rid of dangerous pathogens or dirt on our skin, bur we also have to intentionally keep good bacteria (which form and essential part of our healthy functioning) alive and healthy, both within our gastro-intestinal tract and on our skin.
• The best time to brush our teeth is after every meal, to floss our teeth, is just before we go to bed, and to wash our hands is before preparing or eating food or after going to the bathroom, coughing, sneezing, or handling garbage.
• Photo: Net-a-porter.com
• Remember: "Do the caring thing, not the scaring thing!"

Narrative Care Skill 6: 

Eat

• The sixth non-negotiable lifestyle component to enhance sustainable resilience in my opinion, is to intentionally make water, fruit, vegetables and edible seeds of all colours and kinds, the core of a 6-small-meals-per-day nutritional plan.
• The best time for early morning breakfast is around 7:00, just after our early morning walk.
• We may have a light morning snack at around 10:00, while resting our mind and body for a moment, taking a loo-break, and having a glass of water.
• We may have a light lunch at around 12:00, and a light afternoon snack at around 15:00, again resting our mind and body for a moment, taking a loo-break, and having a glass of water.
• Just after arriving home from work and a few only-us moments with our loved ones at around 18:00, we may have a light evening meal together, and a very light evening snack again at around 20:00 (which gives us enough time to relax before going to bed by 22:00).
• Photo: unknown
• Remember: "Do the caring thing, not the scaring thing!"

Narrative Care Skill 7: 

Work

• The seventh non-negotiable lifestyle component to enhance sustainable resilience, is work - those things we intentionally do to make a living. 
• Work is important because it offers us an opportunity to make a very personal investment in life, in a way that makes a real difference. It therefore is probably the best way to optimise external supporter scenarios lie options, opportunities, control, regard, finance, and consistency.
• The best time to do mentally challenging work, is around 08:00 - 10:00, because then we are the brightest, neurobiologically speaking.
• The best general rule regarding work is probably to do our little bit proudly every day.
• Photo: We Heart It
• Remember: "Do the caring thing, not the scaring thing!"

Narrative Care Skill 8: 

Rest

• The eighth non-negotiable healthy lifestyle component is rest - while we are not asleep. Rest includes three time-out concepts.
• The first is timely deep-relaxation moments during the average day, when we totally relax and rest our minds and body. These moments are to be taken intentionally and specifically after stressful tasks throughout the day. 
• This means that we rest your mind and body for a moment, while taking a good old sigh of relief, a Loo break, drinking a glass of water and eating something.
• The second time-out concept is a day-of-rest once per week, when we refrain from doing any work-related activities. 
• A day-of-rest is to be taken intentionally and specifically after a series of stressful workdays during the week.
• The third time-out concept is any complex recreational activity, which requires concentration, focusing our attention on something other than our problems, challenges, or concerns.
• Rest plays an important role in the way we optimise external supporter scenarios like consistency, comfort, demand, control, standards, health, and regard.
• Photo: MySeaTime
• Remember: "Do the caring thing, not the scaring thing!"

Narrative Care Skill 9: 

Relate

• The ninth non-negotiable healthy lifestyle component is relate. 
• A great way to develop and maintain constructive relationships with our loved ones is by intentionally spending daily only-us moments with them (intentionally planned quality moments spent with them, while sharing a basic emotion, thought or need). 
• An only-us moment does not need to not be longer that one minute! 
• It is important that it happens daily, as far as practically possible!
• Photo: Unknown
• Remember: "Do the caring thing, not the scaring thing").

Narrative Care Skill 10: 

Calendar Reminders

• Add these daily 'Healthy Lifestyle Reminders' to your mobile Calendar Application today!
• 6:30 - Walk (your name)
• 8:00 / 13:00 - Work (your name)
• 07:00 / 10:00 / 12:00 / 15:00 / 18:00 - Rest (your name)
• 22:00 - Sleep (your name)