Looking After Your Wellbeing By Finding Balance.
Our world is changing rapidly at the moment and with the current health situation, many of our normal routines and daily activities are changing. Naturally this can be unsettling, and we can find that the things we usually did to look after our well-being have become difficult. It is important to remember to offer care and compassion to yourself, and to those around you. Whether you are working from home, or in some form of physical isolation or distancing, it can be helpful to organise a daily routine that involves a balance between activities that
- Â give you a sense of achievement
- help you feel close and connected with others and
- you can do just for pleasure.
Wellbeing Wheel.
Pleasure:
Plan to do some activities each day that are pleasurable and make you feel joyful. For example, reading a good book, watching a comedy, dancing or singing to your favourite songs, taking a relaxing bath, or eating your favourite food.
Achievement:
We feel good when we have achieved or accomplished something, so it’s helpful to include activities each day that give you a sense of achievement. For example, doing some housework, decorating, gardening, a work task, cooking a new recipe, completing an exercise routine, or completing ‘life admin’ such as paying a bill.
Connection:
We are social animals, so we need and naturally crave closeness and connection with other people. With the current health crisis many of us may be physically isolated or distant from others, so it’s important that we consider creative ways to connect in order that we don’t become socially isolated and lonely.
How can you continue to connect with family and friends and have social time in a virtual way? Perhaps using social media, phone and video calls you could set up shared online activities e.g. a virtual book or film club. You could also explore local online neighbourhood groups, and see if there are ways to be involved in helping your local community.
An imbalance of pleasure, achievement, and closeness can affect how we feel and our overall wellbeing. For example, if you spend most of your time working with no time for pleasure or socialising, then you may start to feel low and isolated. Conversely, if you spend most of your time relaxing for pleasure and not doing other things that are important to you then this can also impact your mood as you might then feel unproductive.
At the end of each day, could you check in with yourself and reflect on ‘what did I do today that gave me a sense of achievement? Pleasure? Closeness with others?’ Did I get a good balance, or what can I do differently tomorrow?
For now , I wish you a wonderful Christmas. With the promise of easing lockdown to allow time together during the christmas season, I hope everyone finds reuniting with family and friends gives some much needed opportunity to share some smiles joy and love. Stay connected.
Best wishes,
Adeola
References:
Psychology Tools.
Living with worry amidst global uncertainty.
Recommended Reads: Health Talk with Adeola – Caution.
