Wellbeing spotlight: Steps to energising your mind, body and soul this autumn Part 2
Here is part two of tips from Kevin Walls from the Career Transition team at Health New Zealand Waitaha Canterbury - offering practical steps and strategies to relax and reenergise your mind, body and soul as we head into autumn.
View part one of ways to slow down, relax and rest your mind, body and soul this autumn.
5. Have a digital detox
The more time we spend on our devices, the more problems we create for our mental, emotional and physical wellbeing. Studies show that excessive use of smartphones creates an imbalance in brain chemistry, with negative effects on our social and emotional development and mental wellbeing. Every time you pick up your smartphone, your brain is bombarded with information that it has to filter, make sense of and store. Just imagine for a moment how relaxed you would feel if you took a short detox break to unwind from social media, stopped being accessible 24/7 and allowed yourself just to be.
6. Get creative
Creativity in any form, whether it’s art, craft, gardening, pottery, sewing or other activities, is a great way for our minds to recharge. Indulging in a creative activity has a calming effect and encourages the brain to release dopamine, the feel-good happy hormone. Creativity helps to reduce anxiety, depression, and stress. Allowing time to express yourself through creative activities is a wonderful way to feel good about yourself, which in turn slows down the negative self-talk that we can have. It can help build your self-esteem as you create and believe in yourself to try something new.
7. Look for opportunities to daydream
As children we daydream all the time, but as life gets in the way and things get busy, we are either deep in our work, surrounded by to-do lists or buried in our smartphone. Giving time and space for our minds to wander allows the brain to process information, boosts creativity and problem-solving skills and relieves stress. When we stop taking in so much information and allow the brain to catch up, it can quickly recharge our minds and allows us to return to our lives more refreshed and energised and ready to take on new information.
8. Clearing your mind by journaling
A great way to get things out of your mind and onto paper is to write in a journal. So often we can feel overwhelmed from trying to figure something out or solve a problem. Putting things down on paper creates relief and space in your mind, and also provides a new perspective that you might not otherwise have seen, which could possibly change the outcome. Journaling boosts memory and comprehension, clarifies your thoughts and emotions and can help you further understand why you think and feel the way you do.
So, go for it! Whether you do just one or a number of these steps, it’s up to you, but your future self will thank you for trying out new ways to enhance your wellbeing over the coming months