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!

I love a sound bath. 😍

Well cats of course. Coming home to them everyday adds to my happiness in spades.
Last year after an illness lasting a year and a half, thank God my boss let me work from home, I decided that from now on Im going to look after number one. I live alone.
I went on mounjaro and lost more than 5 stone, Im joining a gym and in May Im going for a facelift. Next year im going for a boob lift.
Just because Im 64 and single doesn't mean Im going to let it all go.
I have other plans too. I have a social life to catch up on. It all went south because I was ill for so long.

I exercise very regularly. Both cardio and strength. I’m 58.

You say you don’t have time but is that really true? you seem to have time for lots of other things like choirs and volunteering. Be honest, it’s because you don’t enjoy it so you don’t want to. I get it, I don’t always enjoy it either. But I do it because it’s the biggest single thing (aside from eating well) that improves my mental and physical wellbeing.

Sorry to hear blunt but you can’t kid a kidder. I spent years telling myself I didn’t have time either.

Making sure I get enough fiber, fruit and veg. Getting to the gym on my lunch breaks - not pushing it too hard or doing crazy intense workouts, but just 40 mins of gentle movement feels so much better than nothing.
Having a soft warm light in my room.
Buying jigsaws and books when I want them.
Quitting all social media (other than MN lol).

kindle have loads of heart warming books

I’ve been really bad at this since my DS was born 2.5yrs ago, but I’m trying to fit more into my life.

• going to the cinema (I’m happy by myself but go with friends sometimes)
• I drink my tea out of our posh cups
• long dog walks
• audiobooks on the commute rather than than rubbish radio
• making an effort on my lunch for work
• attending interesting talks/lectures
• visiting art galleries
• pay attention to my skin care

Working long hours. Also have ADHD. Had a breakdown last year.

I started therapy.
I use finch wellbeing app
I make sure I listen to the birds in the garden every morning. Just 2minutes calms me and sets me up for the day
I go to the gym . Started weight training and I love it
I stopped drinking on week days
I try to get more sleep
I started being more open with my family when I was overwhelmed
I do breathing technigues every day
I listen to music more
I do something every day that is just for me...can be as small as blasting out music I love while getting dressed or taking 5minutes to just calm down after work before switching on mum mode.

The tools learnt in therapy were the biggest game changer but I just have to keep making sure I prioritise the small things that help me.

I give myself things to look forward to as a treat for me. If I always have something in the calendar then it just keeps me upbeat. So craft workshops (shiny shoe workshop as an example), facials, a show, gigs, spa days (with a friend - other stuff I will do alone but not a spa day because for me its about a good old chinwag) or a nice meal/afternoon tea with a friend.
I don't spend a lot day to day, so a splurge of £40 to £100 once a month for me seems reasonable. I am a crafter so I do spend time sewing, and I also teach it now and again (bagmaking) I love this because its something I enjoy (unlike my day job) and its social.
I am trying to do more exercise this year and signed up for a one off 'in person' class with Justin Neto in London because its exactly the kind of exercise I love to do (dance) It cost a fooking bomb for what it is, but for me its worth it for the experience.

Cook good food and make time for my interests.

Just a gentle thought: are you trying too hard on this well-being thing? You've described what you do already and to me it sounds like a nice, full life but you want to add new things too. I think you might have inadvertently turned self care, maybe even enjoying yourself I to a chore you have to tick off.

I would definitely say I garden for my well-being but I also find it's quite easy for it to tip over into "chore I feel guilty about." I also sing in a choir and have a tendency to worry if I've practiced enough, if I'm good enough etc.

Sometimes it's okay to just be. What would that look like for you? It's really really hard when time is pressured. You don't want to use precious time just mooching or "wasting time" but you actually can't optimize your downtime completely. If you try to, you'll end up never feeling satisfied with your efforts. My hunch is you have enough going on in your life already and what you need to do is create some mooching space where you don't do anything particularly good for you or improving.

@TheChosenTwo are your walking buddies from a group or friends you've known a while etc? I'd love to have people like this but difficult to either arrange or walking groups are when I'm at work!