Wellness
Taking care of all aspects of your overall wellness will not only help you physically and mentally but will also help you achieve your best at work.
What do we mean by wellness?
Since the pandemic, taking care of yourself is more important than ever as remote working continues to blur the line between work and your home life. There are multiple factors that go into your overall well-being and more often than not, these factors intersect to create many different combinations of how you feel at different times, which is why how well we feel changes all the time. If you think of your wellness as a circle split into sections representing certain important aspects of your life.
How to improve your wellness
Looking at the sections individually, you'll probably notice that you are probably unconsciously already doing things that are actively maintaining your overall wellness. Here are a few ideas to get you started.
Physical
It's not rocket science. Trying to keep good physical health will always improve your overall wellness. The key to sustaining a healthy activity is to pick something you really enjoy doing. Whether that's walking the dog or dancing in your kitchen, if you enjoy doing it, you'll keep at it and before you know it, something super healthy has become part of your daily life.
Emotional
Emotional well-being is an important part of your overall wellness. It is really important to feel you have the ability to talk with someone you trust about any emotional concerns and share your feelings with them and others if necessary. Do you feel any of the following statements apply to you?
- You can set your own boundaries and stick to them without feeling guilty - You are able to share your feelings openly with people you trust - You feel confident making your voice heard if you need to - You have a support network you can tap into as and when - You are able to relax and enjoy the moment - You feel content with your life most of the time
Have you signed up yet?
Financial
Financial wellness is about feeling secure and in control. It’s about trying to make the most of your money from day to day, dealing with the unexpected, and being on track for a healthy financial future. Whether we like it or not, we need money to survive and financial stability is the key to taking unnecessary stress out of your finances. Research shows people who experience financial wellness are much less stressed about money. This, in turn, has positive effects on their overall mental and physical health, including relationships.
Purpose
This involves expanding your sense of purpose and meaning in life. Studies show that factors such as thinking about your mortality, spirituality, satisfaction with life, and psychological well-being are variables that are all strong predictors of your overall well-being.
Career
This involves thinking about the personal satisfaction and enrichment you need or want to get from the work you do. Considering also you will probably spend more time with your colleagues than anyone else in your life and most of the time and we often do not get to pick who we work with, it is really worth giving this some thought when you are thinking about QWE. So, think about the work environment and culture that aligns with your needs and choose accordingly. If you are passionate about human rights and civil liberties, you are probably not best suited to working in mergers and acquisitions.
Social
It's a cliche, but it's true. Good social networks and support systems are important for everyone to have even if sometimes we don't feel very social. How many times have you not felt like going out, been persuaded by a friend, and had the best time?
Why is self care so important?
Self-care is one of those terms that gets banded around but no one actually knows what it really means and yet it's so important. We feel it means taking decisions about your life that will advance your ability to take the best care of yourself. Whether that's healthy eating, regular sleep patterns or even taking some extra vitamins, the idea is that you appreciate that in order to get the best from yourself, you need to think about giving yourself some tender loving care now and again.
Managing stress
Everyone experiences stress in different ways. Some can get overwhelmed, while others are able to find an outlet. However you experience stress, and we all do, the key is to find something you love doing which makes you feel better, whether that's going clubbing, walking the dog, or getting a massage. Then learn to incorporate it into your life as one of your 'go-to' ways of managing your stress levels, especially when you feel things are starting to get overwhelming.
