Simple Ways To Improve Your Well-Being

It is fair to say that for most people 2020 was not a 'walk in the park'. From home working, uncertainties over child care, or worrying about your business, your future income or the health of those you love, 2020 challenged us in unprecedented ways. When challenges such as these mount up and stay with us for a prolonged period of time, learning how to manage them in a sustainable way is critical to our well-being.

As the story above illustrates, many of us are able to handle these challenges for a short period of time, but when we remain fixated on them for a prolonged period of time, that is when we can start to breakdown. Here we explores just a few practical ways in which you can look after and improve your well-being as we start 2021. All of the suggestions here fall under one of 3 simple headings:

• Switch Off
• Reach Out
• Recharge

In each area you have different options to choose from. Some of these options are quick-fixes, whilst others have more long-lasting impacts. Both can support you to cope in the here and now, as well as assisting you to thrive in the future.

Switch Off

Quick-fix:

• Choose to take some time out where you can breathe, or meditate.
• If it is your work that is your main source of strain, choose to protect some time to focus on activities unrelated to your work. If work is not your source of strain, identify what is and take action.

Long-term habit:

• Get to know your emotions and what they mean to you, before choosing to accept them. Consider examining your emotional intelligence and focus on developing some of your inner emotional habits or patterns.
• Choose to block out some time in your week to enjoy yourself. The neuropsychological benefits of taking part in an activity that brings us joy have long been recognised. Reserve and protect time to do this on a regular basis.

Reach Out

Quick-fix:

• Spend some time being present with a loved one, a friend or a neighbour. Being present, REALLY present, helps us to connect on a deeper level, leading to enjoyment in the moment and a more meaningful relationship moving forwards.

Long-term habit:

• Purposefully choose to surround yourself with supportive people. Successful and happy people go out of their way to ensure they are surrounded by lots of supportive people who can have a positive influence on them in all walks of life.
• Seek out and choose to participate in communities that will stretch and encourage you and where you can stretch and encourage others.

Recharge

Quick-fix:

• Choose to get enough sleep.
• Go 'absent without leave'! If you life allows you to be unreachable for a short period of time ... be unreachable. Turn off your phone, shut down your email, just for 30 minutes, or if you are feeling really brave a whole evening!

Long-term habit:

• Review what you eat, when you eat and how much you eat. Seek professional guidance from a nutritional expert who can inform you as to whether your nutritional behaviours are balanced. Choose to make intentional nutritional changes that will benefit your well-being and how you feel.
• Identify the activities in your life that help you to recharge. It may be taking a holiday, seeing friends, playing with your children, doing something creative, or even taking a break from technology! What ever it is for you, choose to build 'your activity' into your life.

Key Take Aways

• The choice is yours. All of the pointers above start with you making a choice. If you do not switch off, do not reach out, or do not set aside time to recharge, it is because you are choosing not to, or at least that you are not choosing to do so. - Make the choice.
• To help others, you must first help yourself. Many of us serve or provide for others whilst neglecting ourselves. If you are motivated to dial up well-being for you, that is great. Whilst if you are motivated to dial it up so that you can continue to help others, that is also great.  Which ever it is, start today.

What Happens Next?

If you have found this article valuable for your own well-being and it leads to you shifting some of your behaviours for your better well-being, then let me be the first to congratulate you. Whilst if you are ready to invest in further support in these and other behavioural areas, take action now and register your interest for our coaching programmes and join the thousands of others who have invested in coaching and who have taken back control of their lives in the process!

Sam Bruce, Business Psychologist & High Performance Coach