Whitewed Advise: What you can do for your wellbeing

Here at Whitewed, I work with engaged couples, wedding venues and suppliers alike, and 13 years in the industry and many thousands of contacts means I have a true and realistic view into how both sides of the industry react, perform, cope, and what their processes, challenges and wins are.

In recent years, 'wellbeing' has become quite the buzzword and if you Google it you will be met with no end of resources at your fingertips.  

My reason for wanting to talk to you about your wellbeing and looking after you, is because it's been a tough 11 months, and many of us started 2021 looking forward to everything getting better - and yet here we are, back in lockdown.  This of course is what the country needs whilst we get a handle of the pandemic situation and the vaccine rollout continues -  but it does feel harder this time around, doesn't it.

I'm feeling a touch of 'here we go again' with the added challenge of it being winter - it’s cold, it’s dreary and I’m having to really focus on staying motivated to keep on keeping on!

I wanted to share some ideas with you for what you can do to look after your wellbeing, I completely agree with the sentiments that 'it’s ok to not be ok', you’re not on your own and you might need to be honest and share how you're feeling with others in order to get the support you need.  For those of you who are Whitewed members, then please use the Whitewed Facebook Community, everyone is so supportive and it’s a great sounding board.

Here are my top tips for looking after you:

Keep to a routine: It might be that you’ve gone from working with your children in school, to juggling work and home school, and I believe working out your new routine is everything. With the darker mornings and nights, we need to give our bodies and minds normality. Try to get outside for a daily walk in daylight hours, set times to switch off from it all, and have dedicated time away from technology.

Manage your expectations: If you set the bar too high and it doesn’t come together then you will feel disappointed. I’m not saying don’t have expectations, but make them realistic – now is not the time for perfection!

Stay connected: Keep in touch with those you care about, but also, try to think about speaking to those who make you feel lifted, who make you smile. If you love video calls then go for it, but if you were over it last April then say 'no thanks, but let's chat on the phone', or I find leaving WhatsApp voice notes for my friends a great way to stay connected without us all having to be available at the same time.

On that note, try to be honest with people about how you’re feeling. Last March, I felt everyone took an ‘I can do this, it won’t get me down’ approach, but I already feel like people are being more honest this time, they’re saying when they're feeling a bit down, flat and out of kilter, and that’s OK – it’s important to let people know if you feel overwhelmed, exhausted, anxious, as if people don’t know how you feel then they don’t know you need them.

Try to leave the house every day: Go for a walk, explore your local area, and if you’re worried the footpaths will be busy then perhaps consider going first thing in the morning or later in the day when it should be quieter, or head somewhere a bit more open if you're able to, I've discovered lots of lovely woodlands in my local area in the last year.

Put your phone on ‘do not disturb’ and give yourself some time to think and just be without all of the interruptions of modern life – make time for self-reflection. Understand what’s important to you and make time for it, I love nothing more than a good book and long, hot bath.

Give yourself a goal of certain things you would like to achieve daily or weekly; it could be a work related, home DIY, fitness related, you’ll feel such a sense of accomplishment and pride in ticking them off.

If the news is stressing you out then limit how much time you read / listen to it. A friend of mine finds the radio can be overwhelming with all the pandemic talk and prefers to listen to Podcasts, there’s so many different ones to choose from. 

Do things just for fun: Things feel very serious right now and the pressure on us to keep calm and carry on can wear us down, so try to take a break from the day-to-day by doing something purely because you enjoy it. Now is the time to rekindle an old hobby you have not practiced for years. Maybe you used to enjoy painting, singing, sewing, playing an instrument or gardening.

No matter your level or skill or commitment, and no matter what the activity is, giving yourself time to indulge in something that you’re doing purely because it puts a smile on your face is time well spent; it is a little respite from life and might give you a much-needed boost.

Practice gratitude: I've seen a number if people on social media share what they are grateful for that day. They are often very simple things, it could be someone you've spoken to that day - I often feel grateful for the support my Personal Trainer gives me, not just during our (currently virtual) workouts, but in her daily social media posts and within her client Facebook group.

But stopping and taking a moment to be grateful is a practice I find to be hugely helpful. It is most helpful on the darkest days, when it is hard to think of anything. Those tiny chinks of light in the darkness shine the brightest.

I hope this gives you something to focus on to keep you going during this tough time, and hold onto the fact that every day we go through it is another day closer to the life as we once knew it.

Kindest, 

Natalie Lovett, Director of The Whitewed Directory