Tools for Wellness ~ Use Them for Your Body-Mind-Soul Health and HealingBy Guest Author, Carol Engelmann.Do we hold the tools for wellness in our hands? The scientific definition of wellness is absence of disease. But as women we know that wellness means much more to us. It's that wonderful feeling of well being we experience when our body-mind-soul is in balance. Lets take a brief look at what undermines our wellness. None of us can escape problems completely, whether they be physical, financial, personal or global. Then there are the moods, health niggles, sleep deficit, being unfit, overweight, lack of confidence, worry and stress. Our tools for wellness are the personal strategies we discover that help us to overcome some of these things and cope better with the rest. Most of us have spent our lives putting our needs behind those of all those dear to us. So the first step might be to take some time and some peace and quiet to look inside, at the days in our life, how we feel and how we are living. If stress and worry about all manner of things haunts our every moment, then changing our perspective can ease those symptoms and eventually help us to cope much better. Whether we call this "positive thinking," "mindfulness" or "the law of attraction" they are just some of the powerful tools for wellness that are free and enormously effective. Research has found that being optimistic not only makes us feel better but it has a huge impact on our health and physical well being. These simple techniques help us to focus on a solution and visualize a better outcome. That alone can lift our mood and put hope where fear was. What about "Me Time"? Discussed in every magazine and TV show but do we have it? No, because we would have to take it and that plunges many of us into guilt. Me time" is one of the tools for wellness that can help to unravel the small stuff like being overweight, unfit or not sleeping. If you always think "oh that will go away" or resolve itself, now is the time to look into doing something for you! Taking the time to walk every day or eating a healthy diet to lose some weight. Everyone else will survive if you decide to go to a photography course 2 nights a week just because you want to. The dimensions of your personal wellness and well being are about equal to how important you are to YOU! As we get older moving in the direction of our own personal wellness can be daunting because it means reclaiming our identity. As mother, sister, daughter, wife and friend we have given and still give our all. Do you sometimes feel reticent about giving up so much time to help? Do you dread doing so many jobs for people? Maybe its just a case of always felling like you need to fit in? Do you go to the same place on holiday to suit others whilst in your heart you want to go somewhere totally different? In our collection of tools for wellness, assertiveness is perhaps one of the most difficult to apply. Being able to gently but confidently let others know we have an opinion and a choice is something worth working on! Sacrificing our inner wishes can only lead to discontentment even if we try to hide it. Lack of well being including, lethargy, comfort eating or drinking, moods, lack of sleep and that inexplicable lack-luster feeling can often be traced back to "living someone else's life." Learn to say "no" and you will smile at how many avenues open up for you to do your own thing! Yes, I believe the we hold the tools for wellness in our own hands. When we take time for ourselves and look inside we know what is hurting! We can discover who or what can help us to change that. Surround yourself with positive people, read books, do whatever you need to do to look better, feel better and re-invent the rest of your life. A quote I like: ‘Optimists walk on the same clouds that pessimists walk under!'
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