Tips to remain on top

Wellbeing expert, Calgary Avansino, shares her wisdom on leading the good life...
Calgary on WELLNESS:

Wellness is about feeling good and having the energy and the health to live a full life: one which is exciting, efficient and fun. Whether it is having a positive attitude, practising mindfulness or moving your body through exercise, every single element of wellness creates a more positive life.

Start by making one small change in your life. Small changes add up to something big. If you’re someone who never really exercises, for example, just start by walking, Healthy living doesn’t have to be difficult or overwhelming, you can take it step by step.

Stress rises when you let thoughts absorb every inch of you. Sometimes I try to be as quiet as possible and sometimes I turn on music with my kids. Whichever it is, I turn my mind off and just focus on the moment.

The concept of me-time is very important. It's about creating time for yourself to look inwards and to find calm and balance. We tend to think that this is a luxury, or an indulgence, but actually it is essential for wellbeing. 


Calgary on DIET:

Be aware of what you put in your body - don’t just eat mindlessly.  If we are stressed or tired or unhappy, we tend to go into autopilot and eat things just because we have always eaten them. 

If you don’t change anything else, just add more vegetables and greens into your diet. No matter how many you eat, you can’t eat enough.  I eat a lot of avocado, a lot of apples, blueberries, vegetables, and I make a lot of smoothies.

No one can be perfect all the time and no one should be or should expect themselves to be. I try to live by the 80:20 rule: I stick to what is right for my body 80% of the time and then the other 20% of the time, life happens and I just go with it.


Calgary on FITNESS:

Be open-minded when it comes to exercise. I am always trying new things: I run, I go on walks, I love high-intensity training and I love spinning. I mix it up all the time.

You have more energy after you exercise than before, which is a revelation to a lot of people.


Calgary on SUCCESS:

The best way to define success is to think about the goals or the dreams that you have always had for yourself. They can be small ones or big ones, but when you achieve them or attain them then you have really succeeded.

With the big goals, the important thing is not thinking that they are going to happen overnight. In our society, we want things to happen quickly because so much in our life does happen immediately. Often, the things that give you the most confidence take the most time to achieve.

Do not let failure come into your mind-set. Our thoughts are incredibly powerful. The more we have positive thoughts towards our goals, the more we are likely to achieve them.

We decide what kind of day, hour, meeting - whatever -  we’re going to have. If you have a bad morning you can let it spiral, or you can just smile and change your attitude about it.

We're shifting towards a more holistic view of what success really means. There is a movement towards people caring about different things. We're not only focusing on materialistic symbols of success - the big salary and big title - but by how balanced we fell and how much wellness we have in our life.

Be willing to try to make the steps towards changing towards a more 'well' life. It is never too late to feel better.

Calgary is working with Crowne Plaza® Hotels and Resorts on their Evaluating Success campaign. Visit www.crowneplaza.com/youfirst for more details.