What would it take to be a better you? More friends, better relationships in your family, better health, less physical pain, more of a purpose in life….. What areas are strong for you? What areas are causing you pain? Let the following questions guide your thinking and vision of a healthier you as you envision an inspired life!
In a recent survey (still would love your opinion:-) I sent out to my readers, I asked women how stress was affecting them. Part of those survey results revealed that worries and concerns for adult children and physical chronic pain rate high on the list of chronic stressors. How does that resonate with you?
Much research and print these days is dedicated to your happiness, health and lowering stress. Wellbeing isn’t just about being happy, or wealthy or physically fit. In the book, Wellbeing, The Five Essential Elements, Tom Rath and Jim Harter give insights behind the research and ways to incorporate the research into your daily life. In this blog, we’ll look at the first three elements – social, physical and career or purpose.
Social Wellbeing- Who do you spend time with?
Research shows that our social networks matter. No surprise here! Positive social interaction with friends, family, co-workers increases our positive emotions of love, peace, joy and interests. Data suggests we need six hours of positive interaction a day! I wonder who gets this and how they get it:-) This can be on the phone, with co-workers, emailing and other communications. Even three hours of positive interaction reduces the odds of a bad day to 10%. Rate your social network on a scale of 1-10. How can you strengthen your social network, such as people around your friendship table?
This social network of friends becomes even more important as you navigate those relationships with your adult children. Bouncing off ideas with a fellow mom is invaluable in lowering stress. Since our adult children are going through some tough times right now, my college roommate and I decided we would call each other every Sunday night so we could encourage and pray for each other.
Physical Wellbeing- What choices do you make every day?
Regardless of your physical health, each day you make a choice. You are either getting healthier by the choices you make, or less healthy. For example, I need to be exercising outdoors on a daily basis as it helps my mood. Am I? No, for some reason, getting out the door is challenging. The list goes on – eating, exercising, rest,…(I love naps!) What about you? How would you rate your physical wellbeing and self-care? What do you need to do to get more things involved as habits?
Facing chronic pain makes self-care even more challenging. When I was facing chronic daily headaches, my doctor describe the view through my pain as looking at the world through glass doors smeared with vasoline. That description resonated with me as I felt pain colored everything I did and viewed.
With chronic pain, one choice is to be gentle on yourself and find out how best to manage your energy. Pain takes a lot of energy. One friend looked for energy saving devices such as a cane and a motorized cart when traveling long distances. Another gave herself permission to rest and do nothing the day after three long grueling days of a conference. What works best for you and how can you conserve the energy you do have?
Career Wellbeing – Do you like what you do each day?
In thinking about your work or career, the basic question is, Do you like what you do each day? We spend the majority of our waking hours at what we consider our job, work or career. In Jeff Goins, The Art of Work, he envisions work as more of a “passion-fueled calling that makes each day an exciting adventure.” How are using your strengths on a daily basis? Where are you on a scale of 1-10 with ten being madly in love with what you do? (even if it is not a career) Your career greatly impacts your health, your thinking, your emotions and your outlook on life. If you are leaving a career, what purpose do you wake up to each day that is meaningful?
How did you score on your wellbeing so far (rate each area on a scale of 1-10)? Top score would be 30 if you are off the charts in every area. You will probably find you are lower in some scales than others.
How surprising was this to you? You can make changes in your wellbeing. What will be your next steps? For me, it was working with a coach because I was very low in physical wellbeing and career wellbeing. One client I am working with currently is working on her social wellbeing and developing a better social structure that works for her as a single, retired woman.
Coming up April 1st is our Create Your Vision day long retreat that will be focusing on a healthier you. This day will give you a chance to envision what is calling your heart to be a better you! Contact me at nancy@nancyboothcoaching.com for more information.
Let’s get ready motivated and energized for a healthy summer!
Nancy Booth is a certified life coach and certified brain-based coach. She loves creating safe spaces for women going through life’s transitions to discover and support their visions for health and well-being in an overwhelming world, explore possibilities for next steps and find hope. She writes about taming the overwhelm and reducing stress, looking for ways to motivate, energize and inspire you! You can sign up to receive her weekly blog or contact her to find out ways you can begin to shed overwhelm and stress. It’s time to explore possibilities of new relationships, better life pacing and gain hope and peace.