What you do to maintain wellness/good mental health/balance in your life?
“First, it is important for me to note that while I aim to, I don't always maintain wellness, good mental health, and balance in my life – and that’s okay. Life is not perfect, and it has a way of throwing curve balls that disrupt and challenge the ability to maintain wellbeing. Some times the curve balls are work related. Other times they are family related. And then, there are the times where they are coming from all angles. Throughout my life, I have been building up a tool kit of ways that help me navigate the curve balls and stresses of life, to appropriately manage my finite resources, both physical and emotional, and to focus on my wellbeing. One of the main tools I use is reflection – I often reflect (normally in the early hours of the morning without the business and noise of life) on how I am feeling, what is working well, and what may not be working. I take that time to consider what to focus on, how to move forward, and how best to acknowledge and address the human elements that may be encountered along the way. Another go to tool for me is taking the time to organise and prioritise my day. At the start of each day, I set times throughout the day for work as well as for the other aspects of life that help me with my wellbeing and mental health. I prioritise activities (both work and personal), and then I aim to give myself the set time for each of those activities during the day. I don't always get to start or complete all of the prioritise activities, and when I don't, I apply another one of my go to tools – being kind to myself. By this, I mean that I acknowledge that as humans we are all fallible and that sometimes things just don't work out. I no longer chastise myself over not completing all the set activities. Rather, I take the time to reflect on whether the missed activities were in fact priorities, and if so, how I will achieve them tomorrow.”