Mental Health Awareness month is coming to an end and I wanted to take a minute to focus on our overall wellness. These last few years have taken a toll on our emotions, our body and our minds. The added stress and strain of an uncontrolled virus and the worry of “what if” as we tried to learn how to avoid and still be able to live our lives. This pandemic has resulted in death, divorce, depression, suicides, and just an overall hostility in the world. (Mental Health is Health)
As May is coming to an end and the summer season is approaching fast, I think now is a good time as any to take a second to look into our own overall wellness. There is actually 8 dimensions (or categories) that outline a person’s wellness. Each dimension plays off the other and if we can center in on a small element of each…well I would like to think we may be just a little healthier for it.
EMOTIONAL
When someone starts to talk about mental health, you think of your mind and your emotions. And you are right, but there is so much more to it. Emotional health and wellness is a little more complex than just saying you feel a certain way. One of the hardest parts in emotional wellness is understanding why you feel that way and consciencely deciding what way to feel. I was put to the test on this a few times recently.
Heard the phrase, “Don’t sweat the small stuff”? Recently, I had asked to do something different at work that was completely new, but I knew that it would really help the company in the long run. I even had fellow coworkers excited that I could help them, only to be told “no”. Now, fast forward 2 months and I am loving my college work and enjoying all that I get to learn about mental health and wellness. The test came at work when one of my executives announced that someone else was taking on a new role.
Now, I had an opportunity to really get mad and angry. But I chose not to. I actually started laughing after I read that email. My choice was to get mad, which could have resulted in resentment towards my company. Or I could look at the situation a different way. Like, because they told me no, I chose to go back to school instead. Now, I enjoy my classes, loving everything I learn, and I am happier because of it. So, had they told me yes, would I have all I have today? I chose to “feel” happy for the blessing in disguise.
ENVIRONMENTAL
Did you know that your surroundings have a major impact on your overall wellness? Take a look around, at all of the places you go to. Either on a daily basis or on vacation and one-time trips. Now, take a second to think about how you tend to feel when you are in those locations. The environment you spend most of your time in can add or reduce your stress. Now, do I wish I could live and work from a lakeside home, yes. But, when I really start to look at that, I can see myself getting tired and bored. This is why we live, work and play in so many different environments. Our home, (probably) looks nothing like our work. Obviously, those that work from home have a harder time separating the two, but it can be done. That is when one room becomes work, and the remaining house is home.
TAKE A LOOK AROUND
It is also why; we tend to travel to locations that relax us as a vacation spot. Even when you are looking to travel somewhere you never have been to, the location intrigues you because it has an element that relaxes you. But let’s take a look at it another way. You have been working all day with heavy pressure from management and your phone doesn’t seem to stop wanting to ring. Or how about you have been surrounded by people or kids all day long with a headache developing. What would happen right then if you were to step away and go to the neighborhood park to sit under a tree? Or maybe the next day you drove up to the mountains for a nice morning hike? What about a little walk along the beach? If you are sitting there right now reading this, can you imagine yourself doing one of those right now? How do you feel by just thinking about it?
My relaxation environment is to be in nature. I could go somewhere simple like the neighborhood park or somewhere grander like to the Grand Canyon. I grew up about 1 mile from the beach. Now, I only went there about 10 times during the 25 years I was there. But a drive along the coast to watch the sunset or see the city lights in the distance, that was what centered me each day. I even had my regular route I drove along PCH from Huntington Beach to Laguna Beach and back.
JUST THE START
I have only touched on 2 of the 8 dimensions on wellness. I hope that in some way, I am helping each one of you to learn new ways of centering your mind, body and soul. To give you a chance to understand you, just a little bit better. Life makes it too easy for each one of us to get lost in the crowd and swallowed whole. By giving yourself that one second, that one minute to reset your mind and emotions, I bet you will begin to feel just an ounce better.
With great warmth,
