It’s good to take a moment as we progress along the road-map, and in a sense press the ‘reset button’. Intentionally thinking about what small things we want to build into our routines as the UK ‘unlocks.’ Imagine a garden trellis – supporting a plant and giving room to grow – what is your post-lockdown personal ‘trellis’ going to look like? 

What has helped you survive during lockdown? According to social media – between March and June 2020, downloads of the Couch 2 5K app were 90% higher than the same period in 2019. We became a nation of gardeners – increases in seed purchases were fivefold. Flour manufacturers doubled their output for home baking and still didn’t meet demand… and Zoom and Teams became our go to platforms for most things. We could put these down to some interesting features from lockdown, but in many ways it’s no surprise that these are the kind of things that kept us going – they bring to life the 5 Ways to Wellbeing, a piece of work undertaken by the New Economics Foundation, commissioned by the NHS is 2010. 

So, what are the 5 ways? It’s impossible to fully do them justice here, but here’s a quick tour:

Connecting – whether extrovert or introvert, there will be times in the past 15 months where we have all craved connection. So much of that has been over zoom, but as restrictions ease, how can we build ‘face to face’ connection back into our lives? 

Giving – looking outwards can be good for our well-being, and giving (time, expertise, potentially money). As the world opens up, how can we start to look outwards again? 

Take notice – during these past few months, I have noticed more than ever the signs of spring (impossible not to see on the daily walks). Notice what makes you smile or brings you joy – it could be something very simple, but important to prioritise. Perhaps it’s watching the sunrise or set, a coffee in the garden… or a G&T on a summer evening!

Keep learning – there’s been no rule book for navigating the pandemic, but just look at what you have learnt about yourself over this period – you may have found a new hobby you would like to continue. 

Be active – going to the gym isn’t everyone’s thing, but how can you build in more movement into your daily routines? You will always find a warm welcome at the Fitfish Exercise Sessions – suitable for all levels, and you can be guaranteed to have fun at the same time.

It would be easy to fall into the trap of seeing the 5 Ways to Wellbeing as a ‘to do list’ of things that must be done, but seen that way they are not helpful. Instead, it’s more about being intentional about self-care, especially as we are emerging from a period where new habits have been created – not all of which will have been positive! Importantly too, many of us will be able to look at these through a Christian lens, and from the perspective of having an active faith. Our relationship with God is completely intertwined with our wellbeing, and therefore how we might want to ‘lean in’ to any of the 5 ways. Perhaps a good place to start, is to make a cuppa, and read through the 5 ways again, asking God whether there is an area he is asking you to focus on.

Have a great day!

Sharon, Fitfish Life Coach