Sarah Jordan, a Cambridge-based life coach and NLP practitioner, offers some sure-fire ways to boost your mind and body this year
First things first, let’s take a moment to shift our mindset around wellbeing. We often put our needs way down the priority list: other things often seem more important than taking care of ourselves. But how about making your wellbeing the top priority? After all, this doesn’t just benefit us – it helps everyone around us. Remember the aeroplane safety speech about prioritising your own oxygen mask, so you’re in a position to help others? The same applies in life! Here are five simple things to improve your world this year.
1. Connect with others
Scientific research shows that social connection is a fundamental human need, and we all felt that profoundly during the pandemic. For many, increasing social activity can really boost wellbeing. This may include quality time with family, booking a catch-up with friends, or joining group activities like a book club or walking meet-up. Volunteering can also have a huge impact: the recent ‘Time well spent’ study (carried out by the National Council for Voluntary Organisations) found 77% of volunteers agreed that it improved their mental health, in the 18–24-year-old group especially. Find local opportunities at cambridgecvs.org.uk.
2. Make more time for things that bring you joy
Try to actively carve out time each day for something you enjoy. Maybe that’s having 30 minutes alone reading your book, taking a walk in nature, playing with your kids, or getting creative. It sounds simple, but is often overlooked: make some time for your own happiness.
3. Consider giving meditation a try
The world of meditation and mindfulness has exploded recently – and for good reason! It has been shown to decrease stress, manage anxiety, improve sleep, enhance self-awareness, and increase compassion and kindness to ourselves or others. I would highly recommend a meditation course – the ones held at the Cambridge Buddhist Centre are a great place to start – or, alternatively, there are some wonderful apps such as Insight Timer and Headspace.
4. Get your body moving
We all know being active is good for our physical health, but it’s great for mental wellbeing, too. Exercise produces powerful endorphins – the feel-good neurotransmitters responsible for that euphoric sensation after exercise – and research has shown that regular physical activity increases self-esteem, reduces stress and helps us get better sleep, among other benefits. It’s suggested we try to be active daily, getting 2.5 hours of moderate exercise per week week. You could start with just a brisk, ten-minute walk and increase this over time – there are lots of tips online to help you get going. The Couch to 5K app is great for those non-runners like me who want to give it a go!
5. Give yourself permission to switch off and rest regularly
More and more people are experiencing burnout: a form of exhaustion caused by excessive or prolonged emotional, physical and mental stress. What could be a better example of that than the pandemic? But it doesn’t have to be like this. If we value and protect our downtime, affording the space to rest and switch off, we may find life more sustainable and enjoyable. If you are finding things tough, reach out and talk to someone – whether friend or professional.
Follow Sarah on Instagram @sarahjordancoach or visit her website for more information: sarahjordan.co
