This month, our personal development columnist, Holly Moore, asks what is in your wellness first aid kit?
I recently recorded a really interesting podcast with Angie Tiwari, the yoga, breathwork and meditation coach, and attended a talk where Angie and Em the Nutritionist talked about the importance of recognising what makes you feel well, and what makes you feel unwell, so this month, I am encouraging you to do a little wellness audit of your life – taking a few moments each day to consider how you are feeling, both emotionally and physically.
Let’s start with journaling. If you are not doing this already I would highly recommend starting. Journaling is simply writing down your thoughts and feelings to understand them more clearly and is recognised by mental health and wellness specialists as a very powerful tool help you gain control of your emotions and improve your mental wellbeing. If you aren’t sure where to get started, turn your phone off and set some time aside to write, it might not come easily at first but with good practise you can discipline yourself to write down your thoughts. Just write what you are feeling in the moment, your thoughts about what’s happening in your life right now. Make notes on your physical wellbeing too, as the way we feel often impacts our bodies, too.
After a few weeks you will see a pattern, what are your thoughts taken up with? Happy memories and things you enjoy or constant stressful situations?
When you have a few weeks of recording these thoughts, now start to link it to your back to your physical health. Are you suffering with digestive problems, headaches or any other symptoms? Could they be linked?
If you do see a pattern there are small and immediate steps you can take to reduce stress and inflammation.
Keep foods simple and consistent, this will give the digestive system a rest – avoid processed foods where possible and ensure protein is high on the agenda.
Water – you should be drinking at least 1.2 litres per day, and it’s best done little and often.
We all know daily movement is key, but walking is only something I have got into in the last year and now I don’t know how I did without it. I like to stroll with a purpose, such as walk to a coffee shop to do some work. What are the ways you could incorporate more steps?
Social media isn’t there to make you feel bad about yourself and if anyone’s posts trigger you or make you feel “less than” then they shouldn’t be on your feed.
If a particular food made you feel sick you would avoid it; so if a situation is bringing on anxiety, a rash, a headache - that should be avoided too.
My final say is the things that don’t make you feel “well” are not always physical things. It’s a good idea to look at every element of your life and look at how you score in each area. Take one area at a time and build a first aid kit of things to make you feel better.
My podcast with Angie Tiwari is out now.
Holly Moore is a Cheshire-based business owner, running three businesses in Wilmslow, founder of podcast Anything is Possible, and the annual personal development conference, Anything Is Possible Live.
