Hobbies and Wellbeing

Hello!

Welcome to 'Hobbies and Wellbeing' the final step of your transformational journey of 'Seven Steps to Your Personal Wellness and Recovery'. If you haven't read the previous six steps take some time now to grab a hot drink, a warm blanket and curl up to read and reflect on the other areas of your wellness and recovery.

Today you’re going to reflect on the hobbies and activities you love and how they bring you joy and contentment because it is so important you include this form of self-care into your life to increase and maintain your health, happiness and healing.

You’ll also carefully consider which hobbies and activities bring you both a sense of excitement and a sense of peace as well as which of these you can do with others and which you can do alone, and think about how all of them will benefit you in their own unique way.

Also, you can choose which hobbies and activities you’re going to a add into your weekly schedule and how you’re going to prioritise this, without feeling any guilt. 
 
Yes that's right, this is your time to put yourself first! So let's jump in to this sumptuous topic that will make you want to get going asap!

Are you ready to start?  Fabulous, let’s go!

So, it is a fact that doing what you love with the people you love is a perfect way to maintain good health and wellbeing, it is like a tonic for the soul.  Close your eyes and imagine this now...who are you with, what are you doing together and how is it making you feel? I hope this brings you a sense of warmth and delight and is something you want to put in your diary now!

Equally, if you're health isn't in tip top shape right now and especially if you're recovering I know it might feel a little overwhelming at first to catch up with others, even when you really care for them, but I believe building it up slowly over time means you can avoid becoming withdrawn which is something we all do from time to time.

Try spending time together first, doing what you love with those you love, for just an hour and see if that's manageable and then trust yourself to increase your interaction times little by little, remembering your limits!

You've heard it before (because its true and please learn from my mistakes!) ...'you can't pour from an empty cup' so when you need to rest or just leave because you're ready to, go! Otherwise you're likely to be tired, grumpy and moody later or the next day.

Pushing but not exceeding our limits is always good.

Enjoying your hobbies will help you get your life back on track and then in time you will return to your former self and be ready and willing to serve others again, when you are both recovered and ready.  

Do you think you value your hobbies and wellbeing?

Prioritising your hobbies and activities is a form of self-care and it enhances your wellbeing and it is necessary for your overall wellness.  Remember, if you aren’t filled up, you can’t fill others up properly either right?

Maybe like me, you've done things that you just can’t face doing for the time being like serving at church or helping friends and family in certain ways but now it is time for others to give you time to fill your cup again.  If you your hobbies and wellbeing then when the time is right you can return to those things once you've healed.

You might be bigger, better and bolder than before...I think I am!

I truly believe that one of the greatest parts of a person's health, wellness and recovery is doing the things you love with the people you love.  It is that simple, it will revive you, refresh you and restore you.

You are unique in your preferences, desires and gifts and when you reconnect with what sparks joy in your life you will feel like a different person!

What does spark joy in your life? Who sparks your joy?

This is self-care and involving yourself with hobbies and activities you enjoy, with people you care for will massively improve your mind, body and spirit.

So, what hobbies and activities are you going to do? 

Reflect now about the things you love are naturally talented at and make you feel good then write them down.

If you can’t think of anything really take time to consider what you enjoyed doing when you were young, it can be so easy for us to forget because life gets in the way as we grow up, but you’ll know what makes you have a sense of wellbeing. 

You might also be thinking that you can’t do what you used to do so you’re not going to bother because it’s too hard...but you could focus on what you CAN do, not what you can’t do.  

If you can’t run marathons anymore can you walk for 10 minutes every day?  You’ll still enjoy the fresh air and the beauty outside won't you? 

If you can’t sing in a choir anymore can you sing a song or two every day?  I’m sure you can…'if there’s a will there’s a way!'  

It’s important you stay as closely connected as you can to what brings joy to you and practicing these things does wonders for your happiness, health and healing.

Plan activities that ignite you, that are energising and uplifting in a healthy way. Activities with others are scientifically proven to bring you connection and joy.  

It’s so good to connect with others, to naturally sync with them, which is why activities like dancing and singing are so appealing to many people because you come together as one which is a great bonding experience and is known to increase healing.

Equally, it's vital to plan activities that calm you, that de-stress you and that you can do when you’re tired and alone, but that still bring you a sense of fulfillment.

So, have a think…what are these things for you?

Activities you do alone can help you to be mindful and peaceful and this is a good to de-stress and to bring greater calm into your life. 

To do things alone that bring you contentment is a great way to relax and to be independent and its helpful for you to have a balance of things that bring you joy, with others as well as things that bring you peace, alone.

Hopefully you already know instinctively which hobbies and activities you’re going to bring back into your life or continue to do if you’re already doing things that bring you happiness.  
Here are some ideas which can be done outdoors or indoors and with others or alone.  Have a look and find some extra inspiration and then pop some into your weekly schedule.  

Outdoors: Gardening, walking, BBQs, Photography, cafes.
Indoors: Pampering, baking, reading, crafting, meditating.

What about you, which calming and fulfilling activities are you going to plan into your weekly schedule? 

Remember they help your health and wellbeing and are so important for your overall wellness and recovery and the effects can be more powerful than medicine.

Wishing you an equally active and calming week of wellbeing.

Here's your coaching questions to enjoy and your weekly planner to complete:

Finally, congratulations for completing your Seven Steps to Your Personal Wellness and Recovery...you are an absolute warrior!

Lucy x