What I came to love about the topic and practice of wellbeing this year is the amount of space there is for experimenting and discovering. My quest for finding new things, tweaking old ones and helping others can be a lifelong journey. And do not worry, if the prospect of never knowing everything about your wellbeing does the opposite of motivating you, just stick to this blog (and upcoming podcast) and I will guide you through it!
We, humans, are always changing and evolving and if you think you are not, you better take a second look at your life. Are you really in the same place mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually where you were two months ago? Anyhow, this constant change means that our wellbeing needs might look different today than they did some time ago. I know this is true for me. My constant search for what works best in my own practice has led me to a few discoveries that I want to share with you today.
The key to wellbeing
The deeper I dive into the topic of wellbeing, the more I observe my own progress, the more I read, the more I realise that the key to good wellbeing is listening to oneself. Learning the delicate practice of listening to our bodies and our souls is an essential exercise if we want to do what is best for ourselves. It’s simple really – how would you know what is best for you if you never take the time to tune in and ask yourself that question? Without this intimate knowledge of ourselves, our wellbeing choices are easily manipulated through marketing, listening to other people or being stuck in habits that do not serve us anymore. The upcoming colder months are a good time to slow down and look deeper into ourseleves. What does your body tell you? When is your soul happiest? What do you need to feel good?
Mind the gap (between seasons)
The next thing I have reflected on a lot this year is how the change of seasons affects our wellbeing – both how we feel physically and emotionally, and how we should address any areas where our wellbeing might be declining. As I am writing this, autumn is steadily making its way in my life. The transition is anything but smooth – it got cold, dark and rainy in one week. I can feel the effects of this drastic change. Sleepiness, drop in motivation to do anything remotely productive, increased desire to stay in bed are all things I experience every day. Initially, my idea was to force myself to do things and to drink more coffee. Typical bully behaviour regarding my wellbeing. Luckily, I’ve grown and I’ve learnt to listen to myself (which is the key to wellbeing). This year I am gentle to myself – I set maximum two high priority tasks for the day and if I get more done, that’s great. If not, I am content. I reduced the amount of coffee I drink and swapped it for delicious cacao and for the abundance of tea I have at home. I upped my vitamin D intake and made it a priority to take a short walk every morning when it is light outside. These are all small actions but taken from a place of self-compassion. The difference is big. Mind the gap and listen to what you need.
New minset, old activities
I cannot believe I am writing this but I have come to truly enjoy breathing exercises. I was not a very big fan of them before. Maybe it was because I was always doing them in a group and I often felt like I have to hold my breath as long as everyone else or that I was supposed to have the lung capacity of all the people in the room, which I couldn’t and I didn’t. (Now that I think about it probably a lot of people felt like me.) Anyhow, a few months ago I noticed that one of the wellness apps I use has introduced breathing exercises in their mindfulness section. I tried a 10-minute morning exercise and I like it a lot. I still couldn’t hold my breath as long as instructed but I did not care at all – I was at home in my pyjamas, not surrounded by 15 other people. Day after day I kept on returning to the same video and now I am proud to say that it is part of my morning routine. 8 minutes of breathing and 2 minutes of visualisation to start the day – doesn’t it sound great? I think so! My point is: do not let your current limiting beliefs about a certain exercise, method, food, activity, or whatever it might be, stop you from trying it. You never know when you will discover something that will fit the current you.
Doing less without the guilt
After reading “Do Nothing”- a brilliant book by Celeste Headlee, I am taking my rest time more seriously than ever. This easy read that I recommend from the heart talks about how humanity ended up obsessed with productivity and efficiency and how this business and overworking cult is damaging our brains, social life and the quality of our work (funny, isn’t it?). Reading all of this helped me see that I have the bad habit of wanting to do many things at the same time. The issues I have been experiencing with fatigue, loss of concentration and having trouble remembering things started making sense. I don’t have a degenerative disease that affects my brain. I simply multitask too much. And I am afraid you might be, too. This is my invitation to you to stop occupying your time with things that are not so important to you but important for your image, for your ego or for your need to please people. Take a look at your calendar and bring the number of things you do down by 30%-40%. you can try this as an experiment for two weeks to see what happens. Use the time you free up for self-care, learning, rest and improving your social life. Do less without feeling guilty and you will tap into the joy of life. And read the book, it might just change the way you see the world.
What are your most recent wellbeing discoveries? I am curious to know!
