In the post of last week, I described the reference base for my physical, emotional and mental health: A daily routine. It is an approximate schedule supported by the way my energy tends to flow. This energy is directly linked to my physical and mental health. I have refined it since last fall and it has become solid and consistent to resist the curse of boredom-that is to say when I usually give in to try something new or throw the routine entirely. The novelty of the novelty will always be my siren song.
Anyway.
Today, I want to discuss my well-being habits in more detail, with flexibility in the foreground. Again, none of this is new, none of this is revolutionary. What is new and revolutionary (for me) is the reason Why I give priority to these habits on others.
Why I give priority to well-being habits
The reason why these well-being habits have been stuck is that I do not do them to achieve a specific objective (like checking the boxes every day). I do them because they make me feel better. Some days I can focus on one or two of these habits. Some days I do them all. Most of the time, I am 70%. It is not the time spent or the intensity – it is a question of remaining consistent.
I do not give priority to each wellness pillar as well. One is generally more dominant than the others during a given week, and this scale can tip over in a different direction each time I need it. Most days have a lot of variety. The pillars make it easier to assure it that I can continue my life in my unique way and protect myself from the cycle that I know so well: depression and professional exhaustion.
It is not the time spent or the intensity – it is a question of remaining consistent.
A unique well-being plan to you
A note before entering it: what makes me feel good may not be what makes you feel good. My definition of good could be different from yours. I strongly recommend that you ask you what “good of good” means for you and build your routine and your wellness pillars around this. There would be much less confusion in terms of health and well-being if we deprive listening to our inner intuition and our body clues on someone else's routine. Your body, your choice.
That said: these are my four wellness pillars and examples of the way they appear in my life.
My personal well-being pillars in 2024
1. Sleep and rest
This pillar is number one for a reason. Without that, I Toast. I like to consider rest as an activity instead of considering it as doing nothing. Prioritizing rest is a gift for me! For me, this pillar is not only limited to the act of resting my body; It relates to all habit that helps to overwhelm. You will find below a list of what I do to fill my cup.
Well-being habits linked to sleep and rest
- I sleep at least seven hours a night.
- I try to wait at least one in the morning before having a coffee. (It's difficult and I run up often!)
- I limit caffeine during the day, which helps me sleep better at night.
- I practice mindfulness when it is overwhelmed.
- I work in twenty-five minutes sprints with five-minute breaks between the two. (This is called the Pomodoro technique! More information here.))
- I write things about trying to hold everything in my head.
- I do not drink outside of social occasions.
- I keep a calendar and a notebook next to my bed to capture everything I should remember tomorrow.
- I don't use my phone before bed (or before breakfast most of the time).
- I rarely watch television before bed.
2. Fuel
This pillar includes meals that feel good in my body and also on the things that I nourish in my mind: what I read, the films I watch and the entertainment that fill me. I found that I draw the best party from my “fuel” activities if I am alone or with my family (A real introvert). It includes activities that sometimes ride the work, but the very important distinction is that these activities leave me energized and fulfilled – not drained and exhausted. The list below is a bingo card of things that give me energy. For me, the fuel could look like one of the following elements.
Well-being habits that combine me and energize me
- Cook a nourishing meal
- Be outside
- Prioritize healthy fats, proteins, leafy green vegetables, fruits and vegetables in my meal plans
- Eat dark chocolate
- Read cooking books
- Listen to music
- Read a book in my favorite chair
- Watch a movie on my “watch” list
- To cross ANNOUNCEMENT Magazines and Coffee table books
- Master a masterclass
- Organize my spaces
- Unclutter my house
- Build with my children and Joe
- Meditating
3. Activity
The next pillar concerns the activities that I give priority. Many of these examples strengthen confidence and resilience because I am not “comfortable” during the process. I do them to challenge myself and, almost always, I feel better accordingly. These are my activities “do it” – oen that in not always want to do but never regret afterwards.
Well-being habits that prioritize activity
- Do pilates, whether in a reformer or home course
- Go in the long term or walk
- Play tennis
- Work on business plans
- Publication on social networks
- Increase in the sense of personal finances
- Writing
- Design
- Gardening
- Learn a skill that does not naturally come to me (for example, speak French, play the guitar)
- Socialization with a large group of friends
- Organize large dinners
- Take children in an adventure
- Have a game evening with my family
- Cook with children
- Plan travel and travel
I try to juggle these three pillars, knowing that there will never be a “perfect” balance. There are seasons where sleep and rest are a higher priority and others when I am in a state of flow and work later or more often than usual. There are seasons where it is imperative to surpass me discomfort. The pillars are there (like My daily routine) to serve as a guide and support my energy.
A note: for a long period of excessive personal care, I found that the feeling of challenging me was as important for my mental health as sleep and rest. It may not be the same for you. But it is worth it to be considered if you find yourself stuck in a state of apathy.
And speaking of energy, the last pillar is …
4. Boundaries
The limits do not come naturally to me. I mean yes to all things. I love a full plate. Feeling like what I do is important for someone else fills me. I love my friends and family and I want to give everything I can to connect with them. But we cannot do all Things, especially not at the same time. Because of this, I always come back to consider my energy – which fills my cup and what exhausts it.
This pillar is the place where I learn the most these days. It is uncomfortable to set hard limits when a part of me wants to go to this program or undertake this additional project that I cannot fully get involved. What helped are a list of what exhausts me. Then, if I can see a link between what I want to get involved and how I know I will feel after, it's an easy “no”.
Things that exhaust me
- Ambiguous projects with ambiguous deadlines
- Unpaid work
- Gossip
- General negativity and helplessness
- Be with people who catastrophize
- Thought in black and white
- Multitasking
- Comment on the sections on social networks
- Doomscrolling
- Virtue signaling
- Rumination and concern
- Self-assistance as a way to repair
I hope that reading my well-being habits and my pillars was at least intriguing, even if yours is very different from mine. Next week, I'm going to write about the changes I have brought to my journalization and personal growth habits. It is the field of my life that has changed the most so far in 2024.
Kate is the founder of Wit & Delight. She is currently learning to play tennis and is forever Test the limits of his creative muscle. Follow her on Instagram at @WitandDeLight_.
