Tips for Wellbeing

From the World of Business Leadership

I have had a few conversations with entrepreneurs recently about wellbeing and self-management. People who are busy struggle to look after themselves, sometimes, and can suffer from burnout, depression, anxiety, and more.

One of them was excited for me to share some tips, and so I created a list. Here is an edited version: I hope it helps you, and maybe those you support, with your wellbeing.

1. Chamomile tea for sleep and / or melatonin (can really help with sleep, my doctor recommended it: you can order it online, and the one I bought tastes like berries! )
2. ⁠Walking. Nature is restorative.
3. ⁠Putting the phone away / turning it on aeroplane mode. ✈️
4. ⁠Biscuits. ‘A little bit of what you fancy does you good’ – all things in moderation. (Old adages are sometimes really good: received wisdom from the ancients!)
5. ⁠Maybe putting on some music you enjoy listening to. I sometimes dance!
6. ⁠Reading a book. Not just a serious one. I enjoy Alexander McCall Smith’s novels, a very comforting and light writing style. I’ve also been reading a fantasy novel about Arthurian/ancient British legends and Atlantis. Wonderful stuff – very escapist!
7. ⁠Jigsaw puzzles. They always make me think of my dad at Christmas.
8. ⁠Dancing (I actually love this: you put on some music and just dance. It makes things better: something about taking control of your body. I think it’s like with exercise, shaking the cortisol – stress hormone – off your body!)
9. Go for a walk with a friend. Observe what is going on around you; what do you see, feel, hear, smell, notice? Imagine you are an architect, or an historian, or a town planner: what do you see now?
10. Healthy meditation / prayer (obvs) and/or reading spiritual books, perhaps holy writings.
11. Sitting in silence. Listen.
12. ⁠Talking to friends, sharing with them how you’re doing.
13. ⁠⁠I find church and the regular community of my church home group really helpful.
14. Being creative – writing. Write a poem. Write a story, a play, a speech, an article.
15. Being creative – visual. Take some photography, perhaps with an analogue camera. Journal. Draw. Paint.
16. Play a musical instrument and/or sing.
17. ⁠Swim. This is a really good one! Ideally in a natural environment, like the sea, a river, or a lake; stay safe!
18. ⁠⁠Watersport. Kayaking is great: I found it really helpful when I had suffered a period of poor mental health some years ago – that sensation of floating is a bit like being held. Water is great for that. (From my faith, as it is written in the famous Psalm 23: ‘You lead me beside still waters. You restore my soul.’ Water is really calming and restorative: there are studies that say so now.) A walk along a canal is also really good.
19. ⁠⁠Following on from the above, get to the seaside if you can. Hear the sea. Feel the sand. Go for a swim if it’s safe to do so. Go surfing / hire a paddle board (or even better buy one).
20. Keep reading Health & Wellbeing Magazine!

Photo by Peggy Paulson on Unsplash

I hope this really helps you. If you want to talk, please find someone who is willing to listen. There are lots of us out there.

Main – Photo by Anthony Dalesandro