Are you getting your 5 a day?!

Are you getting your 5 a day?
Portion #1
Strengthen your emotional immune system
Keep your emotions free of toxins by being clear about what is and isn’t acceptable to you in all aspects of your life. Craw a grid on a piece of paper, dividing it up into work, relationships and home, friends, health, and family and write down two decisions for each. Creating boundaries protects you from toxic people and situations.

Portion #2
Forget food intolerances—get your life intolerances sorted
When we put up with irritating stuff—from clutter to so-called friends who always talk about themselves but never ask about you—it can result in extreme fatigue. It’s time to get tough. Make a list of 70 things in your life that you’re tolerating—from that leaking tap to tour boyfriend’s bad breath. Now create a daily ‘power hour ‘for the next seven days and blitz your way through them.

Portion #3
Get into healthy moods
Self-destructive ‘junk moods,’ such as guilty and worrying, create emotional flabbiness. Give them up and replace them with these three delicious daily habits. First of all, exercise. Even a 10-minute brisk walk can boost your mood for 2 hours. Second, have dinner with people you like. Research has shown that eating in good company increases your happiness rating by almost 20%. Third, music is proven to be one of the most effective mood boosters, so crank up the stereo volume on a feel-good tune.

Portion #4
Curb your cravings for sweetness
Being sweet and eager to please gives you a rush of energy. But by 4 pm you’ll feel a slump if you realize you’ve promised too much. This leads to ‘binge-meeting’ as you try to pack friends, family, work and boy friend into a short space of time.
Many of us are raised to believe that nice, sweet girls get more love so we turn on the sugar when we need something. There’s nothing wrong with sweet gestures such as sending a card but ask yourself what it is you need—is it praise, respect or a phone call? Where possible, ask for what you want—write in the card: ‘Give me a call!’ The direct approach saves emotional energy for both of you.

Portion #5
Fill up with small amounts and often
Many of us spend our lives running out of emotional energy because we don’t have enough love, time or money in our reserves. Ask yourself what you can do to fill each server to the brim—maybe build up a store of time by canceling one of your nights out to spend time reading. Consider hiring a cleaner, asking your mother for a cuddle or giving your partner three tasks to show he loves you. By building up your reserves you operate on slow-release energy, allowing you to achieve all you want in life.

Cosmopolitan Kenya August 2005, vol1, No.9