Each and every one of us will have been affected by events in the outside world over the last year. The IYE team have been feeling it just as much. That’s why we’ve swung into action, and created 4 tips to improve your wellbeing through challenging times, to help make life a little easier for you.
Talking is almost as essential to us as breathing! We’ve been meeting up several times a week on Zoom to share tools or just have a chat about how our week has gone. Being able to express how we feel to people who are holding our space can really give our spirits a lift. However, the less said about some of the impromptu singing sessions at the end of meetings, the better!
Journaling is another great tool to express how you’re feeling. The act of writing your thoughts and feelings down allows you to release any negative ones, leaving you feeling lighter. This doesn’t need to just apply to world events or a serious situation in your personal life. It can be put to use for any scenario. Even that grudge against the neighbour’s cat for using your garden as his litter tray!
Whilst releasing pent up emotions is good for our health, so is looking for the positives in life. Sometimes all it takes to brighten our day is a change in perspective. It can take practice, but is worth the effort. Any one of the IYE team here will vouch for the fact that everyone finds that some days are better than others. You can be doing a great job, seeing things with fresh eyes, and then suddenly something happens that spirals you back into an old pattern. And the only way we know how to move through these times is to keep using the tools.
Writing in a gratitude diary is one way to keep focusing on what’s going right in your life. You could list anything from landing your dream job to having a great breakfast. The act of writing really helps to cement things in the mind but, if you’re short of time or don’t have your diary to hand, you could list things you’re grateful for out loud.
One of the IYE team’s favourite ways to improve our mood is to increase the uplifting and inspirational things around us. There’s a lot of scope for this one. You can stop listening to the news that seems to have been produced for dramatic effect and replace it with reading something educational or listening to an informative podcast. Taking a walk in nature is a great way to feel grounded and recognise the beauty around you, so is also up-lifting. You don’t need to turn into full-on tree hugger mode for this (but if you want to, we won’t judge!). And the number one way for the IYE team to feel more upbeat is through music. Whether that leads to some dancing or singing, it’s all good.
So that covers our 4 tips to improve your wellbeing through challenging times, a handful of tips we have up our sleeves to make life a little lighter through the tough times. Ultimately, the best thing to remember is that ‘we’re all in this together’, just as the High School Musical cast like to say! Connecting and sharing makes a world of difference to us all.