Daniel Twomey is the Founder of DTW. Daniel graduated from the University of Limerick with a B.Sc (Hons) in Physical Education, and from Waterford Institute of Technology with an M.A. (Hons) in Management Education. He is presently a PhD Researcher in Trinity College Dublin in the area of mental health and physical activity. The title of Daniel’s PhD is “A university for life? Personal and structural nudging to enabling positive mental health for success”.
Daniel has worked as a post-primary teacher of Physical Education as well as a university lecturer in PE and Sports Studies. He has also been employed as a coach, fitness instructor and personal trainer. Daniel suffered severely with his own mental health during his twenties. Today, he is a wellbeing advocate and an international public speaker on the topic of physical activity and positive mental health. Through sustained effort, Daniel has grown and acquired the skills to manage stress and anxiety so that they don’t affect his life anymore. His passion is to pass on these tools and help others who may be struggling with their own physical and/or mental health.
The Core 4
For this blog post we’ll be discussing the core four fundamental pillars of human health; and by association, the four most important elements of self-care. Namely: sleep, hydration, nutrition and exercise.
Exercise
- Every day we need to be moving for 40-60 minutes.
- Three days a week we need to be exercising at a high intensity (indicated by a red face, heavy breathing and sweating more profusely) for at least 40 minutes.
- On the other four days, we still need to be moving, but a lower intensity will suffice (a brisk walk, a jog, yoga/pilates class).
Hydration
- When we are awake we need to drink two litres of water per day.
- Two litres of water equates roughly to five glasses of water (or four-pint glasses).
- If you are awake for sixteen hours (and you should be), you should be able to find the time to drink five glasses of water.
- By staying hydrated, every cell in your body works more efficiently – which, by definition, makes you a better person.
Nutrition
- Nutrition, by definition, are foods necessary for health and/or growth.
- We need to have a healthy, balanced and nutritional diet.
- If you know what you are eating on a consistent basis is not contributing to your health and/or growth, please stop eating that stuff and instead replace it with a more nutritional alternative.
Sleep
- Every night we need to sleep for eight hours (either continuously, or in two four-hour blocks).
- When we are asleep our minds and bodies are resting, recovering, growing and developing.
- Without adequate rest, we will be forced to operate at a sub-optimum level of personal performance; we will have lower concentration, we will be more vulnerable to the effects of stress and we will experience stunted physical and mental development.
- If we want to be the best version of ourselves we need to sleep – it’s as simple as that.
Tips for good sleep hygiene:
- Enforce a Digital Sunset (no technology after sunset)
- Meditate for 20 minutes every night
- Read a novel in bed before sleeping
- Do not drink any coffee after lunch (caffeine can stay in your system for up to 9 hours)
- Exercise daily
- Develop strong bookend rituals to your day (morning/evening)
- Make your bedroom as comfortable and as conducive to sleep as possible (make it a sanctuary)
- Get 1 hour of fresh air daily
- Buy an analogue alarm clock (do not use your phone!)
Find out more about DTWellbeing at www.dtwellbeing.com