Autumn Wellness Message

This month I am sharing my Autumn wellness message. We have nearly reached the end of our year-long wellness journey, and we are now at a point of balance and reflection. Don't worry if you have missed out - even if this is the first time you are joining me, this could be the perfect time for you to start thinking about your own wellness journey!

So, if you feel like you need a few minutes to recenter, refocus, and concentrate on your true inner self right now, read on! I always start by talking about Wellbeing vs Wellness - what is the difference (if there is one?), and why do they matter? I will explain both simply in my own terms, and will encourage you to think about what each means to you.

Wellbeing:

To me, wellbeing means asking yourself "How WELL do I feel in myself right now?" or

"What is my STATE of wellbeing?". This is all about your current feelings in yourself. Do parts of you feel tired, overwhelmed, stressed, anxious, or ill? Do parts of you feel content, calm, happy, or excited? We can often feel several different ways, about different parts of our lives, or at different times of the day. But if you close your eyes, and focus on the now, what is your general overall feeling of wellbeing? Do you feel healthy, or unhealthy? Do you feel satisfied or frustrated? Do you feel at peace or in a muddle?

Wellness:

Wellness is a little different. I describe wellness as a JOURNEY that we are on, all the time. In this journey we have to actively pursue healthy habits to enable us to THRIVE rather than SURVIVE! Health and feelings of satisfaction with life don't just come to us, we have to push ourselves to get up, go out, and achieve them. Whether this means exercise, healthy nutrition, better sleep habits, being part of a community, helping the environment, finding spirituality, or improving our career journey, we won't find it just by sitting around and doing nothing. We have to get out there and PURSUE them! Wellness is the name of this pursuit.

So, I would like to ask you to ask yourself right now, "Where shall I go next on my journey to thrive?". Where is your wellness journey going to take you next? Whatever your starting point, you can always begin or continue your journey onwards from here.

I encourage parents to take NATURAL, HOLISTC approaches to wellness. This year I have talked about a different area of wellness each month with parents (I think we started with SLEEP in January, as part of our physical wellness), and how we can make small changes to our lifestyles, to improve things. We have attempted to make one small change each month (because making lots of big changes all at once can be overwhelming and we often give up too soon!).

The aim this wellness journey is to improve our overall feelings of WELLBEING. So, this time next year, when you ask yourself "What is my state of wellbeing? How WELL do I feel in myself right now?", your answer may be a little different to your answer at the start.

The Seven Areas of Wellness:

• PHYSICAL

• MENTAL

• EMOTIONAL

• SOCIAL

• ENVIRONMENTAL

• SPIRITUAL

• OCCUPATIONAL

Wellness in Autumn

Autumn is a special time to think about Wellness because it incorporates so many of the different areas of Wellness.

• It is a time of thanksgiving

• It is a time of balance and reflection

• We hope for growth and abundance next year

• We share what we have with those around us

Autumn has been celebrated by many ancient civilisations around the world (I will share just a couple of my favourites with you now!)

ANCIENT GREEKS

The Ancient Greeks celebrated the festival of Thesmophoria in Autumn. Promoting fertility and abundance (both in agriculture and female reproductive health), Thesmophoria was celebrated exclusively by adult women.

Little is truly known about the festival as the rituals practiced throughout were kept private from men.

PAGAN CELEBRATIONS

Pagans believed that nature is sacred, and the pagan yearly cycle, known as the Wheel of the Year celebrated eight key points in the year. The Autumn Equinox (or Mabon) in late September is a point of perfect balance between light and dark, masculine and feminine, inner and outer.

Samhain (on 31st October, a date known to us as Halloween!) is a pagan festival that celebrates the harvest and ushers in the darker half of the year. Early traditions can be seen in can be seen in more contemporary practices of pumpkin carving and trick or treating today.

WHAT’S IN A PUMPKIN?

There's more to pumpkins than just Halloween! Pumpkins are far more special and significant than we often realise...

• Transformed into Cinderella’s magical carriage

• Considered a sacred food by the Native Americans

• A symbol of good fortune and prosperity in China

• One of the first wild foods to be cultivated

Don't wait for Halloween to release your pumpkin's magic! Get yourself a culinary pumpkin and cook yourself up a seasonal, highly nutritious wellness feast!

MY WELLNESS JOURNEY SO FAR THIS YEAR

Think about how this year has been for you personally. Close your eyes, take a few deep breaths, and reflect. Have a think about the following...

• You have gathered your harvest

• What are you thankful for?

• What seeds have you planted for next year?

• What celebration of life and abundance can you gather for?

• (What does your pumpkin represent to you?)

MY GIFT TO MYSELF

Trying to change or improve lots of things at once can be OVERWHELMING. Trying to make

ONE SMALL CHANGE is much easier.

Could you make one change over the Autumn and Winter to improve your WELLBEING for next year?

Wellness isn't just for grown-ups! Receive a Wellbeing for Kids activity each month when you sign up to one of my unique toddler parent support packages (One Year, Six Months, or Three Months with Me - depending on whether you need support with total toddlerhood transformation, or just the bare essentials!).

Thanks for joining me. Take care of yourself.

Remember, YOU CANNOT POUR FROM AN EMPTY CUP.

Isobel X