Simple changes and habits can encourage health and happiness. Lifestyle can be healing. Wellbeing can be a personal choice. Here are some choices that work for me.

I am not an expert, nor am I giving advice. These choices definitely help me and you could try these wellness strategies too.

Might I also add, I don’t feel wonderfully amazing all the time. Does anyone? No, I just feel uplifted when looking after myself.

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Smoothies

I received a few physical things after my grandmother passed away. My favourite item was the Thermomix. A decent substitute for a normal high speed blender, this machine saves me. The smoothies are powerful because I can sneak in all sorts of important ingredients for diversity. They also give a quick guilt-free calorie boost when I need more energy. Life is wild. I need a smoothie (or more) to get through the day.

smoothie bowl with fruit and granola surrounded by flowers — My life depends on smoothies like this. Image: Unsplash.

Get social!

Conversation is important. Shared energy could make a difference. I am getting social because it’s encouraging, nurtures the mind and improves health beyond what I can understand.

Now there is enough freedom, I am finding ways to find community in-person however possible. It takes balanced effort, allowing the time for people. I am a parent and may closest friends are located in all sorts of different places. I can’t be everywhere but I can do something.

I continue to use Zoom and other online calls for those who live in different countries or just pretty far away. That’s a benefit of this era - I have experienced more online community involvement during the pandemic. It is likely to continue in meaningful ways.

Keep a balanced schedule

Again, this one is more easily said than done. But I see real health benefits to an attempted balance. I believe I need a bit of everything for my emotional wellbeing - creating, organising, talking, eating and stopping. Create for the sake of creating. That’s what I am doing now. I also allow time to plan what’s coming up. I am more able to allow time for self-care if I am more prepared with everything else. I also let myself focus on the kitchen in the day. A home-cooked meal is so much more healthy than most take away foods. Everyone should meal-prep at least a couple of times in the week. Also, I let myself stop for a bit. Maybe do literally nothing for a few minutes or an hour. Those rests need a limit or they could dominate the day. But if there is a lot to sort out, sometimes I need to clear my mind to avoid becoming overwhelmed. Balance has been too often dismissed as an unrealistic ideal. That is because it means different things to each of us. Completely constantly even balance might not be achievable in each hour or day. But we can attempt some balance in the week. I really believe if life is wrecking you that much, something has to change. We need to look after ourselves.

Walking

I am the type of person who needs a purpose for walking around. Honestly, I recently started walking more after I had avoided it. My phone calls nudged me to walk. I have been talking on the phone more for various reasons. To mindfully focus on the conversation, I go for a wander around the leafy parts of my neighbourhood. It is the best way to get fresh air and sanity.

We are temporarily living in a spot that I wouldn’t describe as scenic. Before that, I was in the freezing cold and didn’t get out much then either. The best I can do is walk to the train station and travel to a beautiful location. That is a blessing. It is accessible and achievable.

Public transport also forces me to walk a bit more. I don’t catch the train every day. That is lucky because I don’t like the feeling of air conditioning. But when I do commute further, I can walk for more than twenty minutes to the train station. That is more movement that otherwise may not have happened.

Gratitude

Ok. I have yet to allocate a dedicated booklet for gratitude journalling. But I am grateful to the people who remind me of the things I should be grateful for. This attitude is said to improve wellbeing - of our minds and more. I have felt outright nervous and anxious lately. A hint of hope returns when I realise that, in the present moment, some things are alright. I can be grateful for the sunshine, fresh air, the leafy nature around me and the food I can cook. Even when it seems as though everything is going crazy, something is going right. If nothing else, we can be grateful for each breath we breathe.