LIVING SUSTAINABLY
Are you?
But what does that even mean?
For me, what that means is looking after our mental wellbeing to ensure we have the energy to fulfil our lives well. Maintaining our wellbeing to prevent burn-out.
Half way through the year
Yes it is indeed June, and it's easy to start wondering why you haven't yet achieved X, Y and Z that you had hoped to get done this year. The answer is easy, it's called life. Things happen. Maintaining an ideal way of living is what it is: an ideal. Don't let yourself get overwhelmed by all the creeping thoughts that quickly become a mountain of pressure on you.
Everyone is different, we have our own physiologies, our individual coping methods, our own lives. Here I share tips that I find help me, that I hope some may help you.
Ideas for healthy wellbeing
- Household Chores - these mount up quick! Don't forget to ask others for help. Ask partners politely "would you mind insert task for me/us please, it would really help me out." Sometimes, others simply don't see that they can help, or they may just need reminding it is for their benefit also! Change the word 'chore' to 'activity' for children, again letting them know you appreciate their help. If you live alone, prioritise what is immediately important. Then do something different to help motivate other tasks...
- Stop and smell the roses, quite literally! - Just the other day, my to-do list was increasingly huge. My garden isn't much of a priority to me, as I see it as a very time consuming task, and so, it's the last thing I ever want to tackle. However I was up super early one early and the bright light was filtering through. I was unknowingly just sitting and watching the birds in the garden when I suddenly decided to mow the lawn... which then led me to weeding, and then planting. It's not perfect and there's still a lot to do, but the tidier garden makes me smile, and it was a great reminder that being in nature really does make me feel better! I really should have been doing other 'more important' stuff that day, but afterwards, I realised how beneficial it was in tidying the garden, and it actually made me more relaxed and energised to then do what I was supposed to do.
Whether it's sitting outdoors, going for a walk, or just looking at a plant or a flower, just gently remind your brain to stop for a moment and enjoy it! - Think small - don't think about the whole list of things to do. Just pick one and start it. Most times, you'll continue on to the next without realising, or become more motivated to do so.
- Communication - don't forget to communicate to loved ones how you're feeling/what needs doing! The day-to-day grind can make you assume that others should know exactly what is happening, and you can start to think that people are so ignorant. We are all very different people which is why talking is so beneficial!
- Socialise - whether you work from home or in other environments, reach out and socialise with someone else or somewhere else even if just to say hello
- Hobbies - Turn to a hobby you enjoy for a little while, it'll make you realise what enjoyment means again!
- Unsubscribe - I wake up to so many emails a day, it gives me unnecessary anxiety first thing in the morning. Most of them however are newsletters from companies I've supported over time. Unsubscribe from the ones you automatically delete without even opening, it'll make your inbox less full and you won't instantly feel like you have so much to catch up with throughout the day
- Stop - and remember to breathe. When everything gets too much, I stop reading the news. It'll just feed on my negativity which then breeds more negativity. Sometimes I pause just for the day, sometimes even weeks. Till whenever I'm ready. It doesn't make me ignorant for doing so, I'm just making myself better equipped to deal with it all. This also refers to any social media applications too.
- Breathe - I cannot tell you how beneficial it is to stop and take a deep breath. Take a long breath in, hold it, then take a long breath out. Repeat as you like. This instantly resets your mentality. I've even done it mid-argument before, it acts as a reminder that I'm getting heated up and will just raise my voice which means I stop properly listening to the other person. The pause in taking a breath at that point re-instates my calm, it makes me think about what the other person is really trying to say, and makes me think of what can be done to alleviate/remedy the situation constructively. Just breathe!
Remember, please look after yourselves in any way that works for you. If you are struggling and/or feel alone, reach out to trusted friends, family or organisations that can help you.
xoxo