Motherhood makes us seekers of many of us. As we careen through the joys and challenges of nourishing our bodies, souls, and that of our families too, while holding down jobs, we seek solutions and realise that the basics are the same across cultures and societies – the four ingredients to well-being are good food, sleep and rest, some form of mindfulness- so many options from breathwork to meditation to journalling, and exercise – again, the options are fascinating.
But I think for all of us, there is a fifth ingredient that is very specific to our individual selves that contributes to our well-being. It takes time to discover this of course. What activity do we pursue in our lives that speak to us things that only we can understand? For a friend of mine, it is gardening… carefully nourishing life in the soil, tending, watching, and waiting. For some of us, it could be crafting, knitting, cooking, writing, painting…it is that activity that no one asks us to do, no one is awarding us a salary or a reward for doing it, but we are drawn towards doing it anyways because it brings us joy, and a feeling of real relaxation. For a client of mine with two small children and an exciting but demanding job – it is a monthly outing to watch a play in the West end, sometimes by herself, a simple ritual that she claims for herself and gives her a huge amount of joy and energy that can only be contagious.
It may not always be logical, even to ourselves. For me, it is reading and spending time in various ways with books, and stories. It manifests itself in different forms – I like to read and spend at least two hours a week reading. I also like to end my lunchtime walk on Fridays at the bookstore down my street, just to spend about ten minutes browsing what’s new on the bookshelves. Now there is no reason to visit a bookstore every week, and sometimes I wonder what the shop assistants think, but they seem okay with it. It’s an urge I used to resist, but not anymore. I enjoy my Friday browsing, and always leave, just a little bit more inspired and energised after my visit.
So, this March I would love for you all to wonder what your fifth ingredient is. What is it that beautifully compliments the much-needed nutritious food, rest, exercise, and mindfulness that contributes to your well-being? Perhaps you already know what is, and I welcome you to share it if you wish. And if you don’t know it already, I hope you will enjoy the discovery. Please get in touch via my profile page to share your results and if you would like to explore more.
March 1, 2024
