Wellbeing: Nourishing Your Soul

I remember after a very busy work day, coming home and preparing to write a report that needed to be submitted by morning.  I stayed up the whole night to meet the deadline.  I was so exhausted I nearly missed the deadline because I feel asleep at my computer.  We've all done it.  Burnt the candle at both ends.   For some this can become a way of life - working until our bodies say, "Enough", and we can no longer get out of bed.

Living in overdrive is easy response to stress.  You might say, "But I am busy all the time because my life demands it", and there in lies the problem.  If we believe that life dictates our choices, we will be constantly running to meet external expectations.  When we realise that we have a choice about how we respond to life's demands, we define our own path, and we are in control of our own destiny.

In the past I associated the word nourish with a plate full of the most delicious food, ready and waiting to be consumed by my insatiable appetite.  More recently I have discovered to nourish myself is to fuel my body with things that create health, well-being and growth.  The act of nourishing the soul is perhaps one of the most important aspects of well-being in a busy, post-modern age.

1. MAKING CHOICES  Knowing our unique identity and understanding more about who are is an empowering exercise.  What we like and what we don't; how we behave and react in different circumstances, differentiates us from other people.  Identity formation starts from birth and becomes very intense at about the age of 2 years.  Have you ever been in the supermarket behind a toddler when they are stomping their feet in front of the chocolate isle?  This is because the treats are calling to their deepest desires.

Our choices are based on our YES and our NO.  If you find yourself saying over again, "Oh, I don't mind, you choose", you are really saying, "You decide for me, as I am still learning about my uniqueness."  Letting other people make decisions for you leads you to a life of servitude and subjugation.  Learning to say YES, begins with asking yourself how your next decision fits your life vision.

NOURISHING TIP:  Be firm about your choices, and learn to negotiate with others.  Let your YES be YES and your NO be NO.  Knowing yourself is about understanding what you are agreeing to and why.  You are responsible for your use of time, energy and money.  These resources will serve your person-hood, family and community well, if you are able to think consider wisely about how they serve big picture of your life.

2. FINDING THINGS THAT GIVE ENERGY Understanding your personal love language is a great way to understand what fills your 'emotional love tank'.  In a book, The Five Love Languages, Gary Chapman explains that there are different ways to make your heart sing.  Are you a person who likes to receive encouraging words?  If your partner loves giving you gifts, but never encourages you with words then you may not properly recognise or receive their love and attention.

5 Love Languages: Receiving gifts, Physical touch, Encouraging words, Quality time, Acts of service.

Personality traits:  Extroverts vs Introverts - Understanding you are a person who gets energy through people interaction versus taking time out to be alone, will help to restore and reset your energy levels.  There are a lot of personality traits, so completing a personality test can help us understand how we currently react and respond to our current contexts.  (Personality traits can change over time and can be retested based on our contextual experiences.)

NOURISHING TIP:  Know your top two Love Languages.  Know your personal Top 5  Strengths and Traits.  See yourself as a whole person; mind, body (physical), emotion, spirit, and explore activities that nourish your whole well-being.

3. SELF CARE  As people we display our human traits through our physical, emotional and behavioural responses.  Recognising your feelings and understanding how you can meet your needs, means you are able to 'nourish' yourself and create a positive well-being.

For example, feeling lonely may mean you need to ring a friend for a chat.  Feeling sad may mean you need time to process a difficult situation or share your thoughts with a close friend.  Feeling anxious or stressed may mean you need time for vigorous physical activity e.g. going for a walk, run or bike ride.

NOURISHING TIP:  Acknowledging how we feel can help us to understand how we can positively meet our needs.  Instead of slipping into harmful patterns to meet our unmet needs, acknowledging our feelings and positively meeting our needs creates positive well-

being.

4. THE CREATIVE PROCESS  It's easy to find creative people and to measure ourselves against the professional artists in our midst.  The truth is that we are all creative beings.  You have your own creative language.  Specific types of creative processes can fill our lives with energy, ideas and expression.  Allowing time for creative expression helps us to make meaning of our current circumstances and our personal thoughts, this nourishes our thought life and helps us work through our feelings and emotions.

NOURISHING TIP: Drawing, writing, recording, painting, sketching, making and creating, without judgement, is a safe way to de-stress.  Journalling daily or weekly is a great way to deal with the emotions you are working through.  Asking yourself, "What am I curious about?" leads to exploration and creativity.  Seeing creativity as an opportunity to 'play' allows your brain to explore new ideas; leads you towards innovation,  expression and breakthrough.

5. CENTERING YOURSELF  Under stress we exude stress hormones and adrenaline.  Centering yourself means you are able to stay calm in the wake of chaos.  When we are not centered we are externally driven; however, when we find our center we become internally driven.

NOURISHING TIPS:

• Close your eyes

• Deep breathing:  Straight posture, sitting feet flat on the floor, closed eyes.  Breathe in deeply through nose, and exhale through mouth.Focus on something you are grateful for. 

• Speak it out. (Continue breathing deeply).Acknowledge your next goal. 

• Visualise everything about achieving this goal.  (Continue breathing deeply).

• Notice the sounds, taste, touch, smells, what it felt like completing this goal or activity (if possible).

• Now release this visualisation from your torso, up and through your body.

• You are now in your Peak Performance state.

6. FINDING SPACE  In a fast paced world we are often driven by the fear of missing out on the next text or video clip so that we feel 'alive' and 'on top of things'.  The truth is when we give up our digital 'candy fix' and take time to reflect and process our thoughts, we are become more in control of our choices.  Some people find nourishment in quiet spaces and some in natural settings, but both give the brain time to rest and rewire, ready for the next day of challenges.

NOURISHING TIP:  Getting away from the busyness is a necessary choice to stay fit and energised for our weekly challenges.  Taking time for 15 minutes of meditation each day or scheduling in a bush walk or hike can restore your well-being.

*QUICK QUESTIONS

Can I find space to slow down?What are my stress triggers?How can I meet my needs in a positive way? (mind, body, emotions, spirit)Do I know what I like; love to do; what things I am good at?Can I find time to center myself?What creative mediums can I explore to fuel my emotional love tank

#Wellbeing #Nourish #SelfCare #SpokeInsight