If you had to rate your wellbeing out of 10, what number would you give yourself? If that’s given you pause for thought, then this guest post by Felicia Jones on how to boost wellbeing and feel fab is going to help you get that number closer to 10!
Following some simple ways to feel fab rather than making wholesale changes to your lifestyle means that you are more likely to boost your wellbeing long term. Recognising that you need to look after yourself properly first is a great place to start when it comes to helping you boost your wellbeing and feel fab: it’s no accident that you’re advised to put on your oxygen mask first before helping others on a plane should the worst happen!
Small steps to help boost your wellbeing and feel fab
Put together a range of simple ways to feel fab and you’ll create your own wellbeing routine made up of easy-to-follow healthy habits – small steps taken consistently are the best way I’ve found to achieve this as a working mum: I simply don’t have the headspace or the time to follow elaborate wellbeing plans on a daily basis. Felicia’s advice to boost your wellbeing and feel fab now and into next year? It simply takes a) knowing what you want to achieve and b) doing one small thing each week to take you there.
I look for simple life hacks like this which will boost my wellbeing so I feel fab, have a significant impact on my daily life and which will enable me to get as much out of life as I used to decades ago…
For those of us who are of a certain vintage, we may be finding that we haven’t got the same levels of wellbeing that we had when we were in our 20s and 30s and part of this is due to not having enough antioxidants whizzing around dealing with free radical damage.
One breathtakingly simple way to add more vitality to your life is to switch your own antioxidant production back on for better cellular health to help give yourself more vava voom: remember, age is just a number…
If your January wellbeing goals always fizzle out and you’d like some help to set aspirations which stick, then this is definitely the article for you:
Wellbeing for 2020 by Felicia Jones of www.stresslessliving.co.uk
“I want you to imagine your best-self reaching out and gently whispering, ‘if you want to do something, gain something or change something in 2020, set your new year aspirations NOW.’
Now, why now you say when there are still months to go before the new year?
Why? Well because whilst the new year brings the possibility of much love, much joy and great expectations, it can also be a confusing time. We can be fuelled by the momentum of January and everyone getting excited about going for their goals. BUT we may not be aware that we’re also getting caught up in the cultural ‘goal setting’ boom. Think of it like a huge balloon.
And now I know that you know what I’m going to say before I’ve even done so. Yep, the chances of that balloon popping by the end of January (or even if you do manage to last until February) are huge. Some stats say as many as 80% of us won’t get the goal if we do it in January.
So why does this happen (every time)? Well, it’s in part because our brains are wired to live a life of ease. So, anything that falls outside of this parameter signals that we’re in a danger zone. It could also be because the goals (or aspirations) that we have may not be anchored into something that we really truly want. Or it could be that we simply haven’t considered how much it will take to achieve our goal.
Goals or aspirations
The sad thing is that when our goals or aspirations fail, three things can often happen.
1) We say things like ‘it wasn’t right for me’.
2) We limp along not really enjoying what we’re doing (and secretly knowing that it won’t be long before we’re done).
3) Or we go on, maybe through pain and gritted teeth, but someone we do it.
Now we’d all like to go on, but in truth most of us don’t, and really, is that how we want to do things, through gritted teeth? Is that the only way? I believe that yes, we do have to put in hard work, but if we’re not enjoying the process (even in the tough times) it’s simply not going to work.
So how do we change the story? How do we change our parameters?
Start achieving your 2020 wellbeing aspirations now
You don’t even have to be super new year excited. It simply takes a) knowing what you want to achieve and b) doing one small thing each week to take you there.
So, if you want to start running but know that it’s cold outside, one small thing you could do is to buy a new pair of running socks. Or start walking part of the route that you’re going to run. Or download the couch to 5k app. Volunteer at a park run or simply get out there and run for 5 minutes. Only 5 minutes, and then the next week do 5 minutes more. By doing it slowly and steadily you’ll be signalling to your brain consistently that ‘YES I CAN’ and by the end of the month, that’ll be 20 minutes and you’ll be half way to 5k!
Get a buddy, friend or a community
One thing I saw time and time again when I worked in weight management (and still do) is that the people who keep going have a sense of community. But it isn’t simply the community that keeps them going. It was/is helping others which also helps them. The best thing in the world is having others to celebrate with and it doesn’t only have to be a face to face community. It can also be like this, an online community. Be brave and reach out. When you do, others who feel the same way will meet you.
Celebrate the small wins
I had a client who did really well on one of my programmes in a relatively short period of time. Even in the hard times, she seemed so happy. I wondered what the secret was and whether it could it be replicated so that all of my clients could feel the same! What I discovered was that she rewarded herself (something I always encourage clients to do). But, for this client there were no huge treats, instead it was things like going for a bicycle ride. Another thing was staying overnight when she was going to visit a friend rather than coming back exhausted on the same day. Another was treating herself to a nice flask to carry her herbal teas in.
I loved all of that.
Our easy-safe-win brain wants us to gain dopamine hits as quickly and regularly as possible. When we’re trying to achieve things it’s not always going to happen quickly. We might not get a ‘hit’ a day. But by celebrating the small wins we can get through to achieving the big goal.
Martin Luther King Junior said ‘If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run, then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.’
Listen to the small whisper. Do something small and do it now. 2020 is meant for you.”
Thank you Felicia. If you’d like to find out more about Felicia’s nutritional and stress management work, please visit stresslessliving.co.uk or her Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/stresslessliving/
Simple ways to feel fab
For more simple ways to feel fab, please check out the other articles on my blog about sleep; energy; mindfulness; beauty; presenting well; exercise; looking fab in photos; style ruts and facing your fears to name just a few topics…
