With all of the stress and turmoil that we’ve gone through over the past few years, we are in need of a self-care reset. During the pandemic, so many other things took precedence (survival being one), that we were forced to put our restorative needs on the back burner. Now, here we are several years later, trying to put the pieces back together. Let’s hit the reset button so that we can move toward a place of balance and wholeness.
The Physical
Are you healthy right now? How are you really feeling overall? When I asked myself this question about a year ago, I realized that I didn’t feel that great at all. The question then became, what can I do to get my health back on track?
I started by making sure that I was caught up on my routine wellness and preventive care visits. Right now, is a great time to get a baseline check-up so you have a clear picture of the areas that you need to work on.
This was scary for me because I just knew that all of my bad eating habits and lack of exercise during the pandemic were finally going to catch up with me. And in some ways it did. There were many days that I felt my energy waning, and I would arrive home from work totally exhausted. I am the first to admit that my pandemic snacking was like a runaway train for a while, and I knew I needed to reverse it.
I started eating healthier and walking more. Nothing novel, but I had abandoned both completely for a long time. I knew that if I continued down my unhealthy path, the results could be lasting.
Are you incorporating exercise into your daily activities? With the huge shift to Zoom meetings, it became easy for us to adjust to the decrease in physical activity. Walking has definitely been my saving grace lately. As a sales professional, I do a lot of walking every day, so it really helped me to become more consistent with my activity level. I know this isn’t the case for everyone, with many of us working in the office all day, but fit it in where you can.
Remember that Peloton that you swore you were going to use (Unfortunately, I’m speaking from experience)? The one that you waited patiently for during the Peloton ordering blitz, which is now sitting all alone in the corner. Dust it off and give it another go.
Cruise through your cabinets and get rid of all the snacks that got you through the Netflix binge-watching sessions. Stop buying them. Hard stop.
Nothing happens overnight, but I feel a lot better now that I’m slowly turning the ship around, and you will too. It’s time to reverse the Pandemic slide.
The Emotional
Do you know what your stressors are? If so, how are you managing them? There are many things that we could be worried about on a daily basis, but which ones are actually worth our time? We have to be able to process our stressors and let go of the non-essential concerns.
This has definitely been tough for me. Once a stressful event lands on my radar, I’m usually off to the races. To counter this, I’ve started managing how I process them. Once it hits my radar, if it is beyond my control, I immediately release it back into the universe. By doing this, I am being intentional about the things that I allow to occupy my mind.
I have another coping strategy that I will share with you. This strategy has served me extraordinarily well over time. When I am really upset about something (barring loss etc.), I give myself 24-48 hours to sulk and be upset about it, and then I get on with things. It’s always important to acknowledge the pain of an upset, but how long we stay there is entirely up to us. I refuse to allow myself to stay in that negative place, and I make a concerted effort to pivot toward the positive. This practice has enabled me to re-direct my energies to things that will empower me.
At the end of the day protecting your peace is absolutely essential to your inner wellness. How we respond to the things that life throws at us can have a huge impact on our happiness. Choose a path for yourself that supports your inner peace.
The Spiritual
Do you know what makes you happy? This is something that we definitely need to explore often. Since we are ever-changing, the things that bring us joy may change over time. We need to be aware of them so we can incorporate them into our everyday lives. This will also support your inner wellness.
Where are your opportunities for spiritual growth? Are there things or activities that you can incorporate into your life that will enrich you as a human being? An example of this would be volunteering for a cause that you are passionate about. Just being of service to others can go a long way toward making you feel spiritually whole.
Are you looking for some soothing self-care activities? Try these:
- Soak in a Lavender-scented bubble bath
- Take a long walk/hike after work
- Unwind with a cup of tea outdoors
If you have some time check out my previous post “Homebody…A Self-Love Story”
https://herpicketfence.com/homebody-a-self-love-story/
Let’s get back on track with our wellness. We have to start somewhere!
