Imagine a life which is well balanced and you feel contentment within. This is possible. If we make well-being the pivot from which we live, using the four basic principles: nourish, nurture, move and rest.
Well-being has been defined as ‘our ability to feel good and function effectively‘. It is therefore a holistic way of BEING in the world; you are taking care of the physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and environmental factors that contribute to the way you conduct your life. Wellness differs as the primary focus is on physical health and behaviour modification to achieve improved health, for e.g. losing weight, doing exercise and checking blood levels. The focus with wellness is how ‘bad’ you are, i.e. you are not thin, fit or healthy enough so you had better (see the finger wagging and the whip coming out) do the following (x diet or y exercise programme). This is often perceived to be a short term solution to achieve a goal, but what happens after that? We all know, relapse in many cases.
“The difference between the two is the MANNER in which this is done. It is an INTRINSIC transformation and therefore a much gentler energy is associated with improving well-being.”
Moira Burmeister
Attending to our well-being is a personal choice to, achieve a sustainable WAY OF LIFE, that supports your well-being. Committing to take CARE of your most precious asset – the body, mind and spirit (note the gentleness of the process). As without this, our lives feel out of harmony, constantly searching for a way to ‘feel good and function effectively‘. There are many aspects of well-being to consider. Choose one or two which are most important to you, commit to them so that they are SUSTAINED and become INTEGRATED in your life and go from there.
4 PRINCIPLES OF WELL-BEING
In order to sustain life, all organisms need to be nourished, nurtured, move and sleep.
NOURISH
Nourishing our bodies with food and fluid that will support the function of the body and cells and organs should be the focus. Large amounts of information is available on this subject, find what works for you. Each time you are going to eat or drink something ask the question: Is this nourishing my body, if not make another choice.
Sunlight and connecting to nature nourishes not only the body but lifts the spirit!
Research indicates that connecting to nature improves your well-being by decreasing your heart rate, blood pressure, thereby having an impact on anxiety and depression. Explore what earthing/ grounding can do for your well-being it’s astounding. See more detail on my upcoming blog – ‘nature and your well-being.’
Thoughts and communication. Research indicates that when we use positive thoughts and communicate in a kind and gentle way with empathy and compassion your oxytocin levels increase. The opposite of this is being anxious/depressed which has a huge impact on your heart and other organs. Try and become aware of the voice that is constantly telling you, you are not good enough. Catch yourself in the process and change the communication to something more positive note the difference.
NURTURE
Find the time and space for nurturing the following:
Connections with family / friends and colleagues. Research indicates that these connections are more important than anything else to sustain longevity and well-being.
Your spiritual connection through prayer, meditation and being in nature. Stop,
be quiet and listen; it is amazing what you may “hear”!
Activities that bring you joy. Sing, dance, create, connect to nature,
animals and/or whatever brings a spark in your life!
MOVE
The physical body thrives on movement, it is also designed to move. So get going DO something everyday (it doesn’t matter what), take 20 – 30 mins to move. You can also split the time into 10 minute bouts throughout the day.
Suggestions: Try walking, yoga and something that gets your heart rate up a bit; walking up stairs is excellent!
PAUSE/ REST/ SLEEP
Sleep. Just as movement is important so is sleep, to regulate the hormones and cells in the body. With the advent of technology, many people feel sleep deprived or are not sleeping properly. Try to stop all screens half an hour before you go to bed, and remove all screens from the bedroom, that way you will ensure a better quality of sleep.
Rest. Take a few moments in the day to have some rest, especially if you are a busy person. Take that lunch time for yourself and use it to recharge your batteries; in that way, you will be far more productive towards the end of the day.
Pause. A good practice to foster is also to pause between different activities in the day. Stop, take 3 deep breaths, feel your feet on the ground, and then get on with your day. It works wonders, try it!
These principles are the foundation for well-being which can shift you from feeling
like you are surviving to a life that is balanced, harmonious in which you can deeply feel the joy and contentment within. Challenge yourself this year to start the journey towards that which you innately know is the way to go – to feel good about yourself!!
If you need assistance, I offer:
- Life coaching – to assist you to take the leap to improving your well-being and quality of life.
- Mindful Walks in Nature – an opportunity to pause, listen and rejuvenate. (check bookings for upcoming dates)
- Well-being Course in Nature -improve your well-being in 4 weeks by
connecting to nature, learning practical skills to manage stress, communicating with self and others, and much more…. (coming in March)
Contact me to find out more.