Are you Taking Care of your Health and Wellbeing?

• What does Health mean to you?
• What does wellbeing mean to you?
• ?Do you contemplate health and wellbeing only when something goes wrong- when you feel unwell?
• Or do you pay attention daily to key health and well being factors and actively work to keep yourself in shape?
• ?What would it take for you to prioritise YOU and your health and wellbeing?

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As a stress and anxiety coach and counsellor, I often talk to my clients about the wide variety of factors to consider, when getting back in shape and balance.

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I consider 5 core factors:

Physical, Emotional, Mental, Social and Spiritual.

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And they can be further broken down to sub categories – some examples include:

• Physical – Movement and Exercise, Sleep, Food and Water intake, Rest and Stillness
• Emotional – Regulation of Emotions, Balance, Being able to find calm
• Mental – Stimulation and brain activity, reflection, decision making, and reducing worry and anxiety
• ?Social – Heart to Heart Connection, Belonging,
• Spiritual – Purpose and Meaning – Serving Others and Giving back

?What is clear is that we are living in a fast changing and uncertain world.?The news is full of what is going wrong in the world, heightening our concerns and existential dread. I have young clients asking me why they are bothering – they feel there is no way to influence, no way to make a positive difference – so why bother. We have countries fighting each other, alongside political instability in many countries, we see women being oppressed – and even killed for what they wear (or how they wear it), we have floods, hurricanes and other climate crises – the list goes on.

The reality is we cannot change all of that as an individual.?But we can change things closer to home – how we react – and that is a great place to start.

?Let’s start with keeping ourselves well.?Here are some small, simple steps to get you started.?I invite you to choose 2 or 3 from each of the 5 areas and commit to doing those this week.

?Physical Health

Walk up stairs rather than take the lift

Park further away from work and walk even just 10 minutes morning and evening on the way into and home from work

Set an alarm at work so you get up and walk for a few minutes each hour

Have some sticky dots and put one on your monitor surround for each glass of water you drink – set a target for how many each day you wish to drink that meets local guidelines

Keep a food diary and indicate with green, amber and red, what foods are healthy and nutritious and reduce the red (pure calorific soothers over the weeks)

Be aware of how much fruit and vegetable you are eating each day and how many colours you have included

Replace energy drinks with a healthy alternative

Commit to getting 6-8 hours sleep each night.?Adjust evening routines, including reducing the use of digital media in the two hours before going to bed, reducing food intake prior to sleeping, creating a safe and soothing sleeping environment (consider lighting, temperature, disturbances etc)

Commit to spending a few minutes each day in a balanced or relaxing breathing pattern.

Consider doing a guided meditation each day

And of course feel free to add in your own ideas to make your plan your own to meet your unique needs.

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Emotional Health

Explore different ways to find a safe anchor / grounding and commit to doing that daily (for example, stopping what you are doing and looking around for 5 things you can see, hear and feel; placing your feet flat on the floor and feeling each part of your foot in turn on the floor).

Using a simple measure check in with how you are doing emotionally so that you are aware (only then can you do anything about it if you want to change it)

Choose to smile every hour (even when you don’t feel like it – it stimulates your vagus nerve which is great at creating relaxation).

Create a calm space you can go to when things get tough – inside or outside – have a safe calm place you can go and reconnect with yourself in.

Spend some time out in nature.

Have a menu of options for finding calm in any moment (for example physiological sighs – long breaths out – rocking – a cold flannel on your face – gratitude – have a list of practices that you know work for you that you can choose from when it is needed.)

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Mental Health

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How are you stimulating your curiosity – what are you reading? Listening to. Commit to doing something that spurs your interest each week.

Take time to reflect on the day – what went really well (and what did you do to contribute to that) – what could you have done to make the day even better. Spend time journalling about your day to stay in a growth mindset.

Have an effective anxiety tool up your sleeve – so if you start worrying about something that has not even happened you can bring your thoughts under control. I love taking my thoughts outside of me and watching them disintegrate (they cannot exist out side of my head). Creating pause and using the 54321 method; challenging your thinking and asking if it is really true (and how do you know it’s true) … there are many many methods – choose one you know you will do in the moment.?I have even been known to have a conversation with my inner voice – using my sarcastic sense of humour to say something like “really – you think that will fool me…”?It makes me smile and defuses the anxiety.

And decision making is key in an uncertain world – taking time to check in with your head heart and gut and ensuring there is a congruent, aligned decision – will enable you to feel more comfortable with decisions you have made (and are making).

And of course I would say – set up a gratitude practice – one which really works. You might like to check out our new book – The Ultimate Gratitude Diary – which gives the latest research about amplifying gratitude and making it even more effective.

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Social Health

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We are wired to connect – who are you truly, authentically connecting with?

Set aside time purely to connect with others

Identify who your tribe are and arrange a meet up so you can just hear each others stories.

Consider joining a social group if you do not have anyone you can connect with.

Reach out to someone who lives alone and invite them for a coffee or chat.

Connect with friends and let them know how much you appreciate them.

Arrange a night out.

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?Spiritual Health

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See a coach and reflect on your own purpose and meaning – your values and what is truly important to you – you many find due to COVID things have shifted since you last checked in.

Consider how you can do something for someone else – a random act of kindness – volunteer work – helping out a neighbour.

Reflect on what you give financially back to worthy causes. When did you last review your giving?

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This is not an exhaustive list – and I hope it has stimulated you to consider how are you truly taking care of yourself.

• What will you change as a result of reading this?

Make the choice today to prioritise your health and wellbeing.

We may not be able to change the world today – but our worlds can change by ensuring we are in the best of health.

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Dr Suzanne Henwood is the Director and Lead Coach and Trainer of mbraining4success (mbraining4success.com) and a Partner in The Luminosity Project (theluminosityproject.nz). She is one of two Master Coaches and Master Trainers of mBIT Globally and is passionate about helping people to deeply reconnect with themselves, healing old wounds, letting go of unwanted stress and releasing them to do more and be more in the world.

She also works with organisations to look at organisational connections, working to ensure psychologically safe workplaces, to reduce unhelpful stress and bullying and ensure future focused, modern leadership that is sustainable into the new world as it emerges.

If you would like to know more head over to mbraining4success.com (where you can also download a free eBook on mBraining); the-healthy-workplace.com, theluminosityproject.nz, mbrainingglobal.com or get in touch directly with her at [email protected].