This holistic well-being is all encompassing. It takes applied effort, over time. And when I say time, I mean, a LIFE TIME.
That is not to say, it’s necessarily difficult or arduous effort. The experience is often pleasurable and enjoyable and also, the fact remains that consistent EFFORT is required.
Routines and rituals become easier and more enjoyable the more we do them. The more our neurological pathways are REINFORCED; the more we miss them when we can’t do them… Morning meditation, daily yoga, breathwork, healthy eating, walking in nature etc. Whatever your bag is, if you do it regularly, you miss it when it isn’t there.
When it comes to holistic wellness, there are a number of pieces to the puzzle, so there are a number of ROUTINES & practices which would be good to get into place. Some will be easier than others. I like movement, so I have always walked and practiced yoga. What I find more challenging is meditation, being still and relaxing. Often, what we find the most difficult is what we need the most. & so, these quiet, stillness practices are the ones I needed to focus on. It was sustained effort that made these a daily addition to my well-being routine. They are also, interestingly, the easiest for me to drop. Even now after all these years and all this KNOWLEDGE, I have to steer myself to stillness first. If it isn’t part of my early morning routine, I skip it.
The first bit of this is to be HONEST, take a good look at yourself, your routines, your destructive behaviours and ask yourself what would be good to change. If you are super poorly, you may want to address a few things straight away. Which is what I had to do… There is nothing quite like not being able to sit up, to get you focused. However, if you are tweaking things, you may find it more accessible to do one thing at a time. Maybe that’s ditching sugar. Maybe that’s getting moving or coming to stillness & rest. Maybe that’s saying ‘no’ – for all of us people pleasers out there… Maybe that is learning to speak kindly to yourself – there is so much evidence to suggest that the way we talk to ourselves has a significant impact on our wellness. You might need to journal, explore self-expression techniques, look into EMDR or experiential healing. You might need to detox, learn lymphatic drainage techniques etc
There is a level of ACCEPTANCE required. It doesn’t need to be critical or negative, just honest. You need an awareness of what is going on for you, in order to focus on what needs to change.
There is a requirement of agency, OWNERSHIP. A recognition that the effort needed is YOURS. All the time we expect other people to pick up the pieces, we will never truly be well.
It seems to me that our society is much to blame for this. We have been taught that the person in the white coat has all the answers and the pill will get us well… It is simply not true. Medication has side effects. And also, many people are taking a concoction of drugs that serve to chronically toxify the body, making it harder and harder for the body’s AMAZING systems to do their jobs.
Wellness then looks like an honest evaluation of where you are at. Ownership so that you are empowered to take action. Implementation of various practices and routines that will necessarily be individualised, you need to do what it is you need and then it’s about repetition & CONSISTENCY… You need to do it & keep doing it.
