What do you do to support your own wellbeing?

[IShallConquerThis]

I'm looking for ideas, big and small, wacky and wonderful.

I'm on a mission to improve my overall wellbeing after a very difficult year last year and some ongoing challenges that I'm dealing with.

So far, I've started counselling sessions and joined a wellbeing choir. I'm looking into a local walking group and a book club. Trying (but not yet succeeding) to meditate daily. Trying (but failing miserably) to declutter and sort out my house. Trying (and occasionally succeeding) to eat more healthily and get more sleep. I already volunteer in my local community and have been doing this for years.

I'm interested to know what other people do to proactively manage their own wellbeing. I'm interested in anything that might improve my mental or physical health, enhance my home environment or help me to make new friends and connections/feel part of a community.

I am quite time poor as I work full time in a demanding job and have significant caring responsibilities. I'm married with grown up dc. Very unfit and overweight, I need to exercise more but don't enjoy it. Have adhd so struggle to organise myself. Have a couple of very close friends - would like more but don't know how to make them. I'm always better at prioritising other people's needs over my own.

Please share your tips, strategies and ideas with me! Or if you don't have any, then join me on my journey and hopefully we can learn from other people!

Get back into it! love doing jigsaws. I have a few brands I love and I buy new or off Vinted then sell it pass on. It’s the only time I don’t actually think about picking my phone up. As PP said I do feel better of if I have spent my time reading rather than scrolling. Be where your feet are.

Thank you. I definitely need to work on routines and to reduce the time I spend on my phone, but I do really struggle with this.

What does "doing Zoe" mean, please?

I will!! Thank you!

Take NMN, turmeric, magnesium and mushroom supplements.
Weight train three times a week.
Yoga once a week.
Walk every day.
Swim regularly (outdoor in summer).
Don’t drink alcohol.
Always be learning something. I took up art three years ago, and it’s been life-changing.
Be with my animals as much as possible - horses and dogs.

Honestly I know I sound really boring but I prioritise eating well and exercise because when both of those things slide (time pressures) I really notice it in all areas of my life.
I’m incredibly fortunate that at this particular moment of my life I have more time than ever to do these things. Prepping lovely fresh healthy lunches and making my bookings for exercise classes, have a buddy I go cold water swimming with and a plethora of people to meet for a walk. Also having the money to do it.
Barely drink because I came to the conclusion that the hangxiety wasn’t worth it.
Just good food and as much fresh air as I can fit in. Dh and I work full time but I have a few days wfh and dh cooks dinner every night.
our dc are pretty much all adults (one teen still). I appreciate I won’t always have this much time on my hands but while I do I don’t waste a day of it.

I started drinking more water and joined a gym last year. I enjoy lifting weights, have lost 27 inches, not much weight actually but definitely less flabby and bit more definition. It's also really helped with my sleep and mood.
I changed my hours at work too, compressed them so I get a day off in the week. It's made such a difference to have some time and it means I'm not rushing to get everything done in a weekend. I've got back into reading and crafting as a result.

I go to the gym 5 mornings a week. Try to eat well (I calorie count) and started therapy in Sept last year. I also try to remember to double cleanse at night. I read 68 books last year on my Kindle so I'd like to match that again this year

Zoe is the app/gut thing by Dr Tim Spector, I am going for a very budget version of his Zoe 30 supplement

https://www.marksandspencer.com/food/35-gut-booster-mega-mix/p/fdp60734964#intid=pid_pg1pip96g6r4c2

I am trying to do little things for my own overall wellbeing after two babies in fairly quick succession (youngest a toddler now) left me feeling wrung out. I am trying to always carry a paperback so in any windows of down time (small as they may be) I pick it up and read rather than doom scrolling past Trump, Andrew the royal formerly known as prince, or any other of the awful stuff on SM.

I am also on a low buy on another thread so that I don't get overly stressed by CoL, and I use what I have and appreciate it more.

Its just the Zoe diet (Tim Spector where they test your blood sugar / gut bacteria and tailor a diet for you. Essentially its just eat as big a variety of fresh veg as you can and beans and pulses. Life on Zoe

I visit an art shop near to where I grew up and buy the odd postcard also the park from where I grew up. I visit friends and family. I ask for vouchers for birthday and Christmas and go for massages and pampering exfoliating treatments and pedicures when they’re on special. I visit the library. I buy flowers! (Only started in the last two years after I realised I do nothing. I had convinced myself it was money related that I did nothing for me but it wasn’t

Read heartwarming books and watch feel good TV.
Drink lots of water
sensible eating (not dieting) with some treats
A 10 minute YouTube workout every morning
Walk a lot. Really feel it mentally if I don’t get out of the house for more than a day.
Keep learning, I’ve been learning German with Duolingo and go to Art classes. I also learnt to crochet last year.
Take supplements, vitamin D, probiotics (I have mild IBS, cortisol balance supplements and Collagen gummies.
Prioritise sleep
Romantasise your life, routines/treats
should say limit alcohol, but I’ve been for a bottomless brunch today so haven’t really followed this.

I’ve found that I’ve had to focus more on wellbeing after a difficult couple of years. I’m 51 and on Tamoxifen after having breast cancer. Should also add, making plans to see friends and as far as possible do things you want to do

Buy mounjaro.
It’s done more for my health than anything.

Drink more water and do at least one thing each day that I want to do, rather than constantly focusing on everyone else's wants and needs.

E.g. last week I fancied making soda bread, so I did. I started listening to audio books when I fold and hang the washing. Little things like that.

Exercise is what helps the most, also had breast cancer and it cuts reoccurrence chances by 30-50% if exercise 3 hours to 5 hours a week. Over that seems to improve it further from what I can see.

I do swimming at a private pool which is fairly cheap and has a sauna, steam room and jacuzzi and people often chat to me there as well so that's nice.

This time of year I think getting out in daylight is important so today DH and I did gardening for 3 hours and I cleared most of the leaves in the garden whilst DH started laying a new garden path and got about 3 metres put down and old taken up. We have silkie chickens that follow us round, a squirrel, a robin and various birds also joined us and were particularly happy with my leaf clearing as worms becomes easier to spot. The bulbs are starting to come up and some snowdrops and other flowers out. I have solar dandelions for the garden as well and they are nice to see lit up.

If I feel myself slipping I write a mood diary e-mail to try and analyse what makes me feel sad and what helps. I did that the other day and realised it was lack of daylight so I got outside and now feel good again.

Love holidays seeing wildlife, rainforest etc and nice days out to have something to look forward to. Spa days sometimes.

For fruit and veg we use the farm shop though recently closed so currently on weird and wonderful Waitrose fruit. Having lots of fruit and veg in and keeping a list helps keeps eating healthy. I also keep at normal BMI as that is good for health.

I’m not much for exercise but have discovered gym classes and I absolutely love them.
I also enjoy most creative crafts and find that makes a big difference to how I feel.

I stopped asking for permission to rest. Or feeling like I needed to justify it.
.
Weirdly it was because I sent a voice note to a friend and what they said in return stopped me in my tracks. They said "I can hear your exhaustion in your voice"

So now, I'll sit on the sofa and do jigsaws or watch football all Saturday if that's what I want.

I've also stopped following conventional timings. I have bursts of energy where I can achieve anything I want to. But they're short lived and then come back.

So if that means I'm sealing the bath at 3 in the morning, or painting my hallway at 7am, or reading my book at 2pm with a cup of tea well that's when my lunch break is.

Also, not setting any "new" goals that Are because I should and not want ...There are things I want to achieve this year, and I will, but Imincreasing steps to 10k isn't one of them whereas climbing Scafell is ...

Try to have an early night once or twice a week. It does wonders for me!

I've also had a rough 12 months. Ive taken to baking more, got back into cross stitching and started climbing.

This time last year I was morbidly obese, ate nothing but junk, did no exercise, didn’t drink any water just fizzy drinks, didn’t do anything for my mental health or wellbeing. I started mounjaro and used it as an opportunity to completely overhaul my health and wellbeing. I started slowly, changed my diet, gradually started walking more, then did couch to 5k, found some exercise that I enjoyed, started thinking more about my mental health and wellbeing and built up from there. I am a healthy weight now, have a good level of fitness, have made new friends through the classes I attend and have more confidence than ever before. Here is a list of things I now do which might be helpful:

Daily yoga at home plus a weekly class
Walk to work every day (1 hour) taking a detour through the park
Weekly Pilates class
Parkrun every Saturday plus 2 runs during the week
Weekly swim
Eat a protein and vegetable rich diet, no snacking, very little junk food
Drink 4 litres of water a day
Monthly hike in nature with organised group
Monthly soundbath
Monthly park bathe
Keep a self care journal and update daily

I also try a new activity at least once a month - last month I did a mandala painting class and today I am going to a free Thai boxing class. I keep an eye out on Facebook and Eventbrite to see what’s on, there is always something free to try!

The most important things for me are taking time to myself, taking Vitamin D supplements, going to bed at a decent time and keeping lots of routines so I stay on top of things.

Do you have any book recommendations please?

how about popping some music on and cranking the volume up to tidy the kitchen/ do some tidying and make an conscious effort to dance while moving around the space to tidy? You can try to start off with one full songs worth to see how you go then maybe up it to two songs length at a time as you mentioned adhd

I did c25k and now enjoy running. I also like walking.
I use an Adidas app which tracks walks and tallies up distances. It may sound daft but I like looking at the routes. Its good for also getting my children out with me as we'll try to walk a route that looks like something e.g. Last weekend we tried to walk a 'mouse' but we missed a leg off when we checked back home! Its a great way to get the kids to do an extra km or two.
Also like crafts/painting. DH will encourage this, we actively try to turn the TV off and do something else.

I have decided to:

Become teetotal for good.
Make cooking & meal planning as simple as possible.
Simplify routines - at home & work.
Look at having a digital detox.
Only buy 5 items of clothing this year (I've already purchased 1 item that I've been mulling over for ages).
Limit socialising to 3 - 4 times over this year - to reduce stress & spending.

Quitting alcohol is the best thing I ever did for my physical and mental health and wellbeing. I can’t recommend it enough.

You say your weight bothers you. Would you consider/be eligible for Mounjaro?

I read a lot and am good at saying no to social outings if I don’t fancy it. I need lots of downtime compared to most and I make sure I get it.