Keeping well – in our new normal

THE NEW NORMAL

As we get used to our new normal once again, we naturally seek to find ways to help us cope and the best ways that nourish us for our well-being. What works best may differ depending on the person and their own individual needs required for keeping well. Some of us like to tuck ourselves away, read or settle into a home environment and find comfort in a quieter routine. While others struggle to be no longer in their usual busy stimulating environment with others and more social contact. Our natural make up of whether we tend to be more introverted or an extroverted also determines how trying we find being in our new normal.

HOW OUR PERSONALITIES IMPACT US

More introverted people may find it easier in their bubbles, if you are the opposite and thrive more on people contact it can become overwhelming being more isolated. If you are more of an ambivert, the combination of both an introvert and extrovert type of personality you may need the balance of quiet solace and social stimulation so over time more on-going isolation can be difficult.

Being collectively in the situation together can help, supporting yourself and others to stay well is an essential factor in our daily well-being. As we may all find something difficult, reaching out to others, extending compassion, kindness, offering help is also important to feel connected and helps provide focus outside our own situation. Acting as inspiration for our everyday life and helping to provide inner motivation for us to keep moving forward.

THE WAYS TO SUPPORT INNER WELLNESS

Finding the ways that help keep you well are vital for day to day balance. Trying to include the top two or three from below into your day can help support our mental wellness and overall picture of health. See our well-being tips to help ease stress, find some balance in among our new normal and the way we can find some stillness within ourselves while much around us can feel out of control.

Mindfulness

Is a meditation practice we hear much about. It can be the optimal way to experience calm and once learned can be a life long well-being tool. It is the simple act of being present, helping us accept our current feelings without judgement of whats right or wrong. There are many different mindful techniques, the most simple place to start is quietly sitting and just being aware of your breath, just noticing the rise and fall of each breath, through your nostrils and chest, if your mind wanders just gently bring it back to your sensation of breath. You can begin with just practicing this for one- two minutes a day and building on that as you go.  Mindfulness not only helps to control our nervous system response helping us to de-stress and feel calm but can flow into many other areas of our life.

Staying in contact with family and friends

Staying in contact with others helps keep us well by nourishing our social needs and speaking to others can help give us a emotional boost. If we offer support and in return are supported we often feel better and fulfilled. A phone or zoom call can help us feel connected.

Setting a routine

Having a routine helps to keep us motivated and supports emotional focus. Whatever works best for you could be your new routine. Setting up your hours of work or family time alongside getting out and about with outside time with exercise or just being out in the winter sunshine not only helps our vitamin D levels but our mood. Finding some control in our situation often helps assist feelings of stress and our emotional health.

Sleep habits

The way we sleep and how much time we do spent sleeping impacts our energy levels and mood. Setting up good habits for bed-time helps for how much we will have to give to ourselves and others the next day. This can be more of a difficult task with young children, trying to set times around sleep for yourself where possible and with the support of others in your households. Finding time where everyone can catch up on some much needed sleep in those situations where night time sleep can be affected.

Movement

Finding the best way to include physical movement into your day helps release feel good endorphins, supporting our inner health, supporting feeling good and helping our happiness. Physical exercise also supports gut bacteria diversity helping with mood and brain health in more then one way.

Including new challenges

Setting new goals can help distract and provide focus. Choosing something that you can work towards achieving while there may be space for more of an work life balance helps to inspire us. Including a new exercise routine, trying mindfulness techniques, making new recipes and even for some work tasks that can be completed while working from home can all be goals that help keep momentum while we are in our new normal.

Finding the ways that work well for you are essential in keeping well for our new normal and for moving ahead into our new path forward. Supporting ourselves and others helps our well-being for any situation. Reassessing what is and is not working for us can be common in more difficult situations, helping us find all the ways that do nourish us and act as inner motivational tools for our total well-being.