As you prioritise your wellbeing, you also need to shift your mindset away from viewing wellbeing as work. The whole point of bringing more wellbeing into our lives is to lower our stress, not add to it. Here are six ways to prevent wellbeing from becoming just another item on our to-do lists.
Stop glorifying busyness
We often wear our busyness as a badge of honour, believing that we should be in a state of perpetual motion. For many of us, this extends to wellbeing, which becomes something we must do, just another form of being busy. But wellbeing isn’t a moment, it’s a mindset and one that’s an antidote to the mindset of busyness. Wellbeing is a way of living and working that can only happen when we leave busyness behind.
Define wellbeing for yourself
If wellbeing begins to feel like a checklist of things you’re supposed to do, that’s a good indication that you’re subscribing to an idea of wellbeing that’s been defined by someone else. Wellbeing is different for every person, so it’s essential that we define it for ourselves. That starts with thinking of what’s important to us and defining our non-negotiables. Some people like to meditate, some don’t. For some, wellbeing might involve an activity. For others, it is about doing nothing. When we focus on what truly makes us thrive, it is easier to integrate our version of wellbeing into the fabric of our daily lives.
Start small
Prioritising wellbeing isn’t about overhauling our lives or making huge changes. Start with a small step to build healthy habits. Maybe you don’t have time to work out for an hour a day, but can you get a few more minutes of movement in? You don’t have to cut out gluten or meat or foods you like, but can you add a piece of fruit as a snack? When we make these steps small enough, they become easier to make into habits.
Be intentional about setting boundaries
Having a set of wellbeing non-negotiables doesn’t do much good if we don’t make time for them. To make sure I make time for mine, I add them to my calendar and let my wife know so she can keep me accountable. If I have it in my calendar, then they are locked in.
Accept that wellbeing will change
With COVID we learnt life is has constant change. Wellbeing isn’t a destination. As we move forward on our life’s journey, our conception of wellbeing is likely to change. When we accept that, we’ll be able to continue finding new ways to bring wellbeing and happiness into our lives that don’t feel forced.
Give yourself some grace
The last thing our relationship with wellbeing should be giving us is guilt or a sense of failure. Self-acceptance is accepting the fact that we’re not always going to meet our own definition of wellbeing or find the time for it – is itself a wellbeing practice. So, give yourself some grace, knowing there are times where we just won’t get done what we planned to do and thinking about how you can get it done.
