How To Tap Into Your Well-Being Fund To Feel Happier And Healthier

So…what is my well-being fund then?

So – the well-being fund – this is a concept I came up with given my background in private banking and wealth management. When writing my first book, ‘Wholly Aligned, Wholly Alive: Awakening your Inner Physician’, it occurred to me ‘wealth management’ is all well and good but what about our ‘health management’.

You can consider the well-being fund as something dynamic, however there are key categories to nurture that all feed our overall well-being.

Here they are:

Nutrition

This is all about what and how much we eat and in what setting:

Tips:

1. Eat in a calm environment as much as possible. Digestion is compromised when we are angry or stressed. A simple way to embrace this is to start by having no electronics at your dining table. Peace whilst you eat!
2. Start your day with hot water and fresh lemon. Many people begin their day with an injection of caffeine. It’s fine to still have your coffee or tea, just hydrate with water and lemon first. If citrus is an issue, hot water (or silver tea as my Mom calls it) is fine or you might like to add a bit of ginger instead or as well.
3. Chew your food. Along with eating in a calm environment (which really is about a calm inner state even if there is noise and busyness around you), notice how you might be rushing your chewing. This is all part of slowing down. Chewing is a key part of the digestive process. Enzymes are released in the saliva of the mouth to begin the breakdown of food. Unchewed food can also contribute to leaky gut and intestinal permeability. It’s good to slow down!

Sleep

This is all about how much, how deep and how easy you find it to get to sleep:

Tips:

1. Comfort in your sleep environment helps. Cotton bedding and nightwear are good, so your skin can breathe.
2. A cool temperature so you don’t overheat, especially if there is two of you in the bed.
3. Avoid checking emails and phones etc in the bedroom. Consider your bedroom as your sanctuary for deep and restorative sleep and intimate relations only.

Activity & Movement

This is about keeping your body active.

Tips:

1. Your body needs movement. So move in ways that you enjoy.
2. Include some form of resistance exercise such as weight bearing yoga poses or weight reps. This is increasingly important as we age to promote healthy bone mass and muscle tone.
3. I include breathing in this. Yes we all breathe, however most people are shallow breathing and this can add to anxiety and fatigue. Notice your breath pattern more. This is really a form of meditation and something you can check in with anywhere e.g on your commute, on the toilet, chatting to a friend. Notice your breath more. It is your constant companion and influences your whole body/mind system profoundly.

Purpose

Well-being also incorporates your sense of fulfilment; that there is meaning to your existence.

Tips:

1. Allow space to reflect on this one. Without putting pressure on yourself, let yourself imagine and feel into the things that you desire and wish in your life. What do you want? And then consider what actions you are taking to call that in.
2. Remind yourself that really what keeps us content is beautifully simple. Check in with where you can move more towards that rich simplicity.
3. Write and vocalise what you want – the brain will believe it more then. See it in words and hear yourself saying it.

Wealth

This is about access to money and basic needs fully met. This includes our learned values around money and how we speak about it.

Tips:

1. Relationship with money is a huge issue for many. Money is just one aspect of wealth, so discern what your beliefs are about money and where you inherited them from. It is possible to rewire and unlearn sabotaging beliefs. First we have to acknowledge a limiting belief is there.
2. Notice how you speak about money. Let that inform your beliefs around it, so as needed, you can then begin to change those beliefs towards a more abundant and hopeful mindset.
3. Practise gratitude for the wealth that is already present in your life. For example, your healthy children, your shelter, your food, your health. This begins to re-orientate the mind away from ‘lack’ and more into ‘wow, there are so many blessings’.

Support

Friends, family, community, work environment.

Tips:

1. Friendships and relationships require effort. Nurture those relationships that are dear to you and let those people know you care.
2. Contribute to your community. A sense of belonging is so important for health. Perhaps some ad hoc volunteering or just being the welcoming neighbour. It could be as simple as joining your local library.
3. Family is such a learning ground for us all. Where there may be grudges or past hurts, can we cultivate forgiveness or at least accept that everyone is doing their best in the circumstances.

Moving Forward

How do those feel to you? Where are the areas you instinctively feel could be improved? This is not about judging yourself and making yourself feel more stressed or upset, but just allow some moments to consider. If all these categories feel off, consider how that is impacting your overall capacity to be well.

What category do you feel you need most help with? I know many clients who I work with, sleep is such a biggie! And if sleep is out we are more likely to reach for high sugar foods to prop us up and feel less energised to move and be active.

Please don’t feel you need to be stuck in this cycle. I am a huge fan of small changes. It might be you can commit to drinking an extra glass of water each day or soak in an Epsom salts (magnesium) bath.

Equally, for the support category – can you allow yourself to talk more with loved ones about how you feel. It’s ok to express yourself. On the other hand maybe it’s time to acknowledge a loved one in your life who is an absolute rock to you and they need a bit of appreciation. We nurture the whole in this way.

We hope you enjoyed reading about your well-being fund.  Why not also read out post on 12 ways to put self-care first without feeling selfish.

Photo by Daria Shevtsova from Pexels.

Ciara Jean Roberts is an expert in kidney health, author, yoga teacher and nutritional therapist with a previous background in private banking. She loves variety! Wholly Aligned, Wholly Alive is her first book and follows the successful publications of a number of articles across media.

She considers her kidneys amongst her wisest teachers having been through teenage renal failure, dialysis and kidney transplantation. She lives in vibrant Crystal Palace, London, right next to a wood she can often be found skipping through.

Find out more www.whollyaligned.com.