Living Well is about doing little things each day that improve your health and wellbeing.
Your mental wellbeing is the unique way that you handle emotions, respond to stress and also your general outlook on life. It’s normal for a person’s mood and emotions to shift based on their different experiences. Having a strong sense of mental wellbeing will help you bounce back from challenges and get the most out of life. This helps achieve an overall sense of wellness as well as a feeling of being in control, happy, resilient and capable of handling life’s challenges.
Your physical health is also top priority. We all know if you leave the tractor in the paddock without TLC for too long, it’ll get rusty. Follow the basics: eat well, move regularly and watch your fuel intake.
Summer is a great time to invest in lifestyle habits that improve your health and strengthen your mental wellbeing. But you probably won’t be surprised to learn that the season can be a tough time to stay on track with wellbeing goals (read: it’s hot, Christmas and end of year celebrations are often aplenty – which can lead to overindulgence, and there’s added stressors such as feeling overwhelmed by the amount of activities and the financial demands of Christmas).
One of the main ways the summer season can help with mental health is through sunshine. With warmer weather and longer daylight hours, many of us spend more time outdoors. The increased sun exposure boosts vitamin D levels and can even improve mood, leading to better mental health. Spending time in the sun also helps your body produce more melatonin (your sleep hormone) at night, allowing you to sleep better and overall feel better.
There are six elements of “living well”: body, mind, spirit, people, place and planet. Building your capacity in each of these underlying elements helps you respond to the range of mental tasks you have every day. In the same way it takes a range of skills to build a shed, it takes a range of skills to keep your mind sharp and body in top condition. Do something that fits into one (or more) of these six elements over the course of a week, and you’ll be on your way to a happier and healthier life.
