Wellness All Year
I have cyclic depression, usually been only up to a year since my first year-long depression in 2007, but since 2020 I have have 2 depressions of 2 years. Wellness practice is a life-line.
I have a number of daily wellness emails I receive, and really, I don’t look at them closely most of the time.
This past week, I happened to glance at one offering a free download of a Wellness practice chart.
I have adapted it here as an editable Google sheet.
My private copy, of course, is separate, and I keep adding stuff. If it’s useful for you or for anyone you know, please save it on your Google drive and share at will. The idea is anyone can personalize it with their own wellness practices, score card, however they feel it would be more useful to them.
Why did I create the chart, and why am I beginning to chart on the ‘first day of the year’, so to speak, i.e. September 1? Happy Labour Day, by the way, to everyone celebrating!
Not to put pressure or beat up on myself for what I am not doing.
To celebrate what I am doing toward my wellness. It could be as simple as having a shower, meditating even just for 20 minutes, and cuddling the cat. It could be as wonderful as completing the whole list or the majority of the list, which is relatively easy when I am in ‘high tide’ as I am at the moment. Regardless, how ever many I managed is an occasion for celebrating.
To remind me gently of possible wellness activities that feel achievable. In low tide, I’m not going to get the whole lot done. I’m just not. But some things are doable. Time with my husband. Talking to a family member or friend, even if it’s briefly. Reading a book and/or watching some leisure TV. Walking at least 6,000 steps, because this is one of my base commitments to myself, which I started in January and which has brought me so much joy, better fitness, emotional wellness, and vitality.
To stay connected to those I love. Spending time with my husband is a core part of the life-line during low tide. However, I have discovered that while it feels difficult to talk to friends and family then, it is still possible. Connection is vital at all times, most of all when at a low ebb.
To lengthen the high tide, shorten the low tide? A hypothesis only that I am eager to test is this: will practising wellness prolong high tide and/or stave off for longer/shorten low tide? Let’s find out.
To help others who struggle? I hope that by creating this editable Google sheet as linked above, others who enjoy this kind of chart or tangible record of how they are doing with their personal goals will find better wellness too. Apparently, according to my eldest, when I am struggling with something, it’s on brand for me to create something to help others as well as myself with it. By the way, very on brand for her as well, literally what she does for a living.
To try something new. I haven’t tried too much lately to attempt to mitigate the low tides which have been alarmingly long over the past 6 years. I believe it is time to attempt something different. Who knows? It might help.
If you’re still with me, thanks for reading! If you found this post helpful, please feel free to share or subscribe to my Substack.