As I was doing research for my article, I decided to look for articles that focused on the topic at hand, and boy was I entertained. Most of the articles mentioned reasons why you are the issue and how you should change your life and do better, while other articles focused on how you can change your lifestyle to gain that better life you want.
I agree with them on one thing though, the emphasis being on YOU! At the end of the day, the power is in your hands, and everything starts with you. However, not everyone is a go-getting wellness enthusiast. So, I am going to be your personal wellness guide and assist you in being whatever version of yourself you choose to be.
Before I get into the nitty-gritty of things, let me remind you that wellness as a lifestyle has so many broad subcategories and themes surrounding it. The subcategory that you choose should be of great benefit to your overall wellness journey.
7 Activities for Broadening Your Wellness
1. Learn Something New
There is nothing more fulfilling than learning something new or discovering a new thing that completely belongs to you. The feeling is amazing. During COVID, I discovered that I was great at cooking. I always knew that I could cook and bake but I never really connected with it on a physical level. Cooking made the isolation days bearable.
Next on my to-do list was to learn a foreign language, specifically Spanish. This made me feel excited. It took my mind off the usual stresses of life and gave me something to look forward to. This can be your new go-to, discovering something new or even re-learning something old that you had started but never finished.
It takes you 21 days for something to become a habit. Just 21 days. Challenge yourself and do it in fewer days. Be it painting, dancing, cycling, or hiking. The hardest part about everything is always the beginning. Once you pass those first few days, you are halfway through.
If you are keen on learning something new in a new country, visit the Inca Trail in Peru leading you into Machu Pichu. The trail follows the route the ancient Incas took over 650 years ago. Much of the original stonework is still in place. The hike is not easy and usually takes 4 days in changeable weather However, this is the best challenge to help push yourself.
2. Connect with New or Old Friends
Before COVID, going out with friends or loved ones was something that came naturally to us. We picked a place, and time and met up. During COVID, we had to adjust to video calls and Zoom meetings. This slowly became our norm and brought us even closer together.
My friends and I recently had a video call catching up on what has happened in our lives and the things we have achieved.
As we were sitting there for over an hour laughing and connecting, I realised how much I had missed this part of my wellness. The social part that grounds me and reminds me that, no matter how far get taken by life’s issues, my totem poles will always be there to remind me of how amazing life can be.
That moment was so amazing. It left me beaming for the entire weekend and set the tone for the rest of my week. The activity was so simple but had a profound impact on my overall wellness.
In the spirit of connecting with my friends and making sure we create memorable experiences to last us a lifetime, I discovered an amazing Spa in the UK, named Beaverbrook. It dates back as late as 1866 and offers you six treatment rooms all designed by Brian Clarke. The design is based on a unique flower colour found on the estate.
Beaverbrook offers you experiences ranging from classic relaxation massage to hyperbaric oxygen therapy. In addition to being connected to wellness, these experiences are amazing for that reconnection and reboot feel.
3. Practice Breathwork
How conceited are we to take for granted how vital breathing is? Every day without fail, your body manages to do what it has to do for your physical well-being. When my best friend was diagnosed with COVID, the one thing he spoke about was how the difficulty to breathe made him realise how precious being able to breathe was.
Practising some breathing work helped him get over his newfound fear and it became a daily routine that he relied on. Breathing exercises may seem trivial if you are not sick or trying to gain something. However, one thing that has become an addition to meditation has been doing some breathing work.
Taking in a deep breath and releasing is an activity more people are doing, and it has proven to have some positive results as it contributes towards your overall physical well-being.
To find your zen and truly immerse yourself in the experience, you can book the North India Yoga and Meditation Tour. This is a package of 10 nights and 11 days, offering you a relaxing 3-day stay at the world’s number 1 spa destination, Ananda Spa Resort.
The spa will leave you feeling completely rejuvenated and energised. The tour also includes sightseeing at the extremely well-known Golden Triangle cities of Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur.
4. Invest in Pot Plants
My late grandmother was an avid gardener when I was growing up. She had a beautiful colourful rose garden and I understood why she had it as an adult more than I did as a child. Plants have been proven to have some phenomenal effects on your well-being. I love and prefer flowers because I never understood the admin behind owning a pot plant.
I had a friend who owned about 10 different pot plants and spoke highly about every one of them as if they were his babies. So, just like everything else that I do in life before committing to it, I researched and asked questions. Turns out my friend was not so insane after all.
I decided to purchase myself a peace lily and the admin did not feel like admin but something fulfilling. I even started speaking to my pot plant and watched it grow, die, and be brought back to life again.
The whole experience was life-changing for me. It brought me a sense of growth, pride, and wellness. I am now sitting on three plants, and I am trying very hard not to get more. My advice for beginners would be to get the following: indoor plants which are low to maintain (a peace lily, palms, snake plants, aloe vera plant, and the Zamioculcas zamiifolia plant). Happy pot plant shopping.
If you crave more than just a trip to the flower shop. Book yourself a 5-day privately guided tour of the wildflowers in Namaqualand which starts in Cape Town and lets you explore the arid interior of the West Coast.
The main attraction of this tour is to experience a dazzling array of wildflowers that occur across the wild valleys, farmlands, and fields. The tour also exposes the visitors to the quaint little villages and towns that make up South Africa.
5. Stick to Good Old Journaling
We used to laugh at girls in movies as they read out loud diary entries about their favourite summer vacation or their new crush. Most people found the activity to be very dull until therapists around the world started preaching about how amazing journaling is.
Not only as a good tool for record-keeping but also for everyday use as well. As you can tell, I am a lover of all things journal-related. The brighter the cover, the more inspired I feel to write.
Journals have become the new go-to for people who want to pour their hearts out into paper but are not ready for the deep dive that comes with seeing a therapist.
Journaling is not only for pouring emotions and healing work. It can also be used in different ways. Life can get so busy that you forget to take some time out and be appreciative of everything.
With that in mind, you can use your journal to write about how grateful you are and about every good thing. You can even use it as an affirmations book or whatever it is you feel is beneficial for your overall well-being.
There are some cool apps available on the app store for the busy bees of the jungle that hardly have time to put pen to paper.
6. Declutter Your Space
My third therapy session began with my therapist suggesting that I declutter my life. This statement frustrated me because I had no idea what she was talking about. My house was clean, and everything was where it was meant to be. I asked her to clarify, and my mind was blown away by how such a small word could carry so much power.
De-clutter does not only apply to cleaning the house, but it also applies to cleaning your mind and your physical being.
I recently discovered something amazing as well that is part of balancing your energies. The trick is to move 27 items around in your house or room. This automatically makes you feel positive and balanced again.
I did not believe it at first, however, once I started cleaning, I could feel how the de-cluttering was not just another cleaning act, but an emotional and physical one as well. It is so easy to hold on to things you no longer have use for. The box you received as part of your 35th birthday gift or the ribbon your Christmas gift came with.
De-cluttering your space also serves as a gateway to getting rid of the access weight your brain and body have held on to. Be like Elsa and ‘let it go’. It will do wonders for your mind.
How to De-Clutter
To assist you in decluttering your mind, a friend of mine shared their experience of a sensory deprivation tank where she was in total isolation with herself and her thoughts.
Sensory deprivation tanks use the REST theory which stands for rest, environmental, stimulation and therapy. The tanks are infused with salt water and nothing else but pure bliss and silence.
7. Walking Your Way into a Wellness Horizon
Last on our list is connected to physical wellness. Let us be honest, in a perfect world, we would all wake up at 5 in the morning, hit the gym, go to work, have lunch with our friends, go to the gym, have dinner with our significant other, watch one episode of the latest Netflix nature documentary and go to sleep.
However, life is so strenuous that the only thing you get to do that comes close to physical activity is walking to your house or the office. Walking is something we all do. Like short walks in between the house and gate or office and parking. However, we walk because we must, therefore there is hardly any mental rest involved.
I decided to walk to the gate and the next thing I know it became my mental escape. The walk became a part of my everyday routine and a time set aside for my mind to zone out and just breathe. This also became something my body enjoyed and helped ease any anxious feelings I had. I started walking with purpose and that became my new favourite pastime.
A New Discovery
While searching for places to extend my walks, I discovered this brilliant app that gives you information about all the different places you can walk, run and cycle in the UK. Finally, there is an app that is easy and convenient to use.