The importance of looking after your wellbeing

For busy people, a typical day has a packed agenda with little personal time for yourself. There will often be missed lunch breaks, working long hours and not spending enough time with family and friends. It is no wonder that the outcome is often feeling stressed and missing out on doing the things which you find fulfilling.

Looking after our wellbeing is important because it equips us with what we need to be effective in our work and find fulfilment in our life.  Therefore, building into your everyday routines what you need to stay well  is vital, and will help to keep stress under control.  There are many ways which you can quite easily do this.

Easy ways to look after your wellbeing

Plan your day - Spend a few minutes each morning to plan and prepare and be in control of your day. This will help you prioritise and set realistic expectations of what you can achieve. Remember to build in contingencies and travel time.

Take time to reflect - Taking time to reflect will help you to appreciate what has gone well, learn from experiences and let go of what is unhelpful. The result will be a healthy perspective on your day and prevent feeling overwhelmed.

Write down your thoughts - Putting thoughts onto paper, or a journaling practice, is a healthy way of getting stuff out of your head. This will help you to reflect, be creative and to make plans.

Take regular breaks - Plan short breaks and make sure you have a proper lunch break most days.  This will provide time to switch off and give you more energy to achieve your goals. Even a 10 minute break will help you feel less stressed and more focused.

Eat healthy meals -  When you plan your day, ensure to include when and what you will eat! Make sure you have healthy food available to prevent the temptation to reach for unhealthy snacks. Resist the urge to work through, or skip, lunch.

Get enough sleep - Rather than 'burning the midnight oil' trying to get more work done, ensure you get enough sleep to keep well. A fresh perspective is going to help you tackle workload much better than a tired mind.

Make time for family and friends - Ensure you spend time with the people who matter. Don't neglect the people you love in favour of work. Make sure you plan quality time for them and protect this time in your diary.

Take time to exercise - Regular exercise is necessary to stay healthy and will also have a positive impact on your mental wellbeing. Take time to exercise or find ways to incorporate this into your everyday life. For example, take a short walk during a lunch break.

Do things which energise you -  Make a conscious plan to do something which you find energising each day. Rather than seeing this as indulgent, know that it is important to keep you well and more effective in your work. For example, read a book, do something creative or listen to music.

Talk to someone - Sharing our thoughts or worries is a valuable way of being supported. Often just talking to someone makes us feel better. Don't keep things to yourself, find someone you trust to talk to.

Work with a coach - Coaching is a great way of investing in yourself and prioritising your wellbeing. A coach will support you in exploring effective ways to do this, and help you to put a plan in place to achieve it.

Summary

Looking after your wellbeing is important and often quite simple. It will help to keep stress under control and result in you being more productive. There are many ways to look after yourself which are easy to do with some thought and planning. If you make a commitment to yourself to build these into your daily life, you will reap the rewards.

Thank you for taking the time to read this blog

My name is Diane Benson and I support busy professionals to be more effective, reduce stress and achieve a healthy balance in life. Providing clarity and focus for a more fulfilling personal and professional life.

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