Wellbeing & Meditation
OUR wellbeing works likes a wheel with different areas of our life and the various wellbeing pillars acting as the spokes of the wheel.
If any area is out of balance or not flowing properly, life won’t flow and we won’t feel right in ourselves.
We have different wellbeing pillars: physical, mental, emotional, creative, financial, social and spiritual. At the level of our life, we have a work and a home life, a social life and an internal world.
If any of these areas are out of balance or not moving well, the wheel buckles and we have to slow everything right down, and perhaps even stop to give attention to that area and solve related problems.
Your physical wellbeing involves having a good diet, exercising (150 minutes a week is the recommended amount), sleeping enough, taking some time to relax daily and breathing well.
If you are not exercising enough you may ‘get away with it’, but you will not feel as energized as if you were. Mental wellbeing comes when we think positively and resourcefully and are able to focus well.
Meditation helps greatly with both. Being a life-long learner is also a great boost to mental wellbeing, making your mind stronger, more balanced and flexible as you continuously give it new food (knowledge and ideas) to grow it and make life interesting. Emotional wellbeing comes when you connect with what you want in life rather than what you don’t want or aren’t happy about.
Social wellbeing happens when you enjoy good relationships with others which normally starts with a good relationship with yourself. Financial wellbeing happens when you achieve balance financially and spend less than what is coming in every month (or what you have). If you are spending more than you earn consistently, that will cause active stress and many other problems too.
Spiritual wellbeing comes when you are connected to what brings meaning and purpose to your life. That is often a higher power but it does not necessarily mean religion or spirituality. The main thing is that you spend time engaging with what you value and brings meaning and that you connect and contribute in some way to that in your daily life.
Creative wellbeing involves creating something that is new – that could be a work of art or it could involve you introducing two people to each other because you feel they will get along. It could involve writing or so many other things. Ultimately, it is about connecting the dots in some way that is new for you and then acting on that to bring something new into existence or solving a problem. Everyone has a unique creativity. When we are creating, we are always in the moment.
If any one area is out of balance or not moving, the spokes on the wheel are off-balance and the wheel slows down or even stops. Bigger problems cause bigger stress which can be very debilitating the longer they go on or the more severe they are. If you are not sleeping, that leads to so many other problems.
If you are not getting along with family, friends, or colleagues at work, over time that eats into your wellbeing. If you are not being true to yourself and meeting your own needs, that causes other problems.
There isn’t a one size fits all formula for wellbeing as we are all unique. There are general parameters and we need to keep all areas moving forward to be at our best.
This week, look at your own life. If any area needs special care and attention, look after it and enjoy the results.