How are you nourishing yourself?
At the beginning of April last year when we were in the very early stages of lockdown I wrote a blog with this same title. I was reflecting on how much things had changed so very quickly. How so much we thought was within our control turned out not to be and the effect that was having on me and those around me. For some people turning to food for comfort was a thing. For others, like me, it was a struggle to manage the normal three meals a day thanks to the stress and uncertainty.
I decided to focus on the things that I could control. To ensure that how I spent my time, what I chose to eat and drink would nourish me and help me thrive in difficult circumstances. I could control what I read, watched, who I video called etc. I could also choose to exercise daily and get out in the fresh air and daylight.
My current circumstances feel very similar. Since my diagnosis with breast cancer at the end of July I have felt like I’ve been swept up in a whirlwind of emotion and treatment. In some ways the pandemic was good preparation for having the rug pulled out from under me again. There are things like my work that I know I would have panicked about hugely but having survived everything that 2020 and the first half of 2021 threw at us I knew that I could survive not being able to work again!
I find myself drawn to the question “How are you nourishing yourself?” once again and no matter what is happening in your life right now I would encourage you to stop and ask yourself the same question.
I am being careful about what I watch, what I read, what I listen to, who I spend my time with. I know that at the moment I need positivity, entertainment that is about as deep as a puddle and as little stress as possible. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not suggesting for one minute that I’m being Mrs Positive every minute of the day. Far from it. But I don’t need to be soaking in negativity from other sources whether that’s social media, the news or TV programmes. I’m limiting my news intake to once a day and making sure that I don’t disappear down the social media rabbit hole!
As I write this it’s mid September and I haven’t yet started my chemotherapy. I’m making sure that everything is automated ready to be published so that if I’m feeling rough my blog and email will still magically appear. (Am I the only one who feels that when tech works it's a little like magic?) I don’t know how my chemo will make me feel. The list of possible side effects is pretty epic so focusing on how I can nourish myself in every possible way really does feel like the right thing to be doing right now.
No matter what is going on in your life right now I would encourage you to think about how you are nourishing yourself – mind and body.
Things that I know nourish me are:
Getting enough sleep
Spending time in my garden
A daily walk
Listening to audiobooks
Daily meditation
Daily prayer
Speaking with friends
Time with family
Doing something creative like knitting or drawing
We’re all different. My recipe for nourishing myself will be different to yours.
So what is your recipe for nourishing yourself? Have a think about it and ensure that you’re building those things into your daily life.
