Your physical and mental wellbeing

Wellbeing, this is a word that we have all become familiar with over recent years but what does it really mean. For some it is mostly about mental health, for others it’s just about being happy and for me it is about having a healthy mind and body and making myself a priority.

You will see from other posts I have written that I have struggled with my identity, I have struggled with my weight and body image, basically I have struggled to accept who I am. I now feel in a much better place with all of that and I think it is since I have been more conscious of the word wellbeing.

As I am a fair to middling woman I don’t have all the time and money in the world to go to retreats or go to fancy yoga classes so most of the stuff I do to focus on my wellbeing is at home. The most difficult thing for me to do, which I bet you can relate to, is to actively take time for myself. Just today I was due to start work at 10am but I wasn’t feeling great, or very happy with the world when I woke up and the closer my start time came the more I didn’t feel I would be giving the best of myself to my work today. So, I did a 30 minutes weights session at home using some pretty cheap weights from my local sports shop and it really helped. Doing some weights is great for your body but I find it is also great for my mind because it makes me feel strong.

Now I know what you’re thinking ‘I should be so lucky, she can obviously start work when she wants what about us who have to be in the office etc.’ and you’re right I am very lucky to work from home and I can take 30 minutes out to do a weights session. But this was just an example. You could do this before work, or when you’re having a horrible day and you know you have to go home and make dinner and you feel stressed as hell, you could promise yourself that whatever is going on at 7.30pm you will pick up the weights even for just 15 minutes and think about how strong that makes you feel.

What I have described above is just one way I take time to focus on my wellbeing. Sometimes when the world feels too crazy the only way I can focus on myself and make myself happy is to watch a TV show I like, with my husband and eat some chocolate. Taking time out to focus on yourself doesn’t mean you need to be alone, go and see a friend but don’t let them pile all their problems on to you, you don’t need that during your ‘me time’ just talk about old times or just random stuff that makes you laugh. Or maybe just be silent with your partner, I find that makes me feel safe and helps to relax me which makes me feel happier. But most of all do not put pressure on yourself!! It is good to take time out to focus on yourself and the way you are feeling but don’t let that become another stress to add to your life, it isn’t just another thing to fit in. You may go days without finding 5 minutes to yourself and that’s fine, just know that when you can you will make the time to just do something that makes you feel happy and good.

You’re wellbeing is your thing; I’ve told you what makes me feel good but that may be totally different for you. Taking care of yourself is the most important thing, whatever you define that to mean. Having a healthy body is important (I must stress I am talking healthy not skinny) because let’s face it we all want to live forever, but exercise might not be the thing for you that makes you feel good, it may just be another chore. If that’s the case that’s fine, just do the things that make you feel good and make the time to do it whenever you can.

All I would suggest is take 5 minutes every day, even if it is when you are in the shower, to think about yourself and think about something that makes you happy. Doing this will ensure no matter how busy life gets, you never forget yourself.

Over the coming weeks I’ll be talking more about my own wellbeing journey and tactics and hopefully that will be useful to you. If you find it difficult to remember to think of yourself then I will be there to give you a gentle nudge.