What does wellness mean to you?

I am having a deep thinking moment (or two) but what does wellness actually mean?  It's been the strangest of years, who would have predicted a worldwide pandemic, with such far reaching repercussions.  It still feels unreal and impossible to relate to.  But it has meant we have focused more on our health - or have we - we are all complaining we have gained weight!  We had more time at home to exercise and yet many of us became more sedentary.  There are so many contradictions, from the Government's confusing rules and response, to our own personal reactions.  So today I am taking a look at the importance of wellness, happiness and mindfulness in our busy lives.

As an over-50 lifestyle blogger, I often get sent products to review and many of them are around health and wellness,  Personal wellness for me means feeling happy, healthy and living a balanced life.  I love to create life goals that help me to find that balance.  It is an ever changing, ever developing project!

I am neither an obsessive exerciser or a couch potato.  I keep busy, I move and I maintain a (fairly) slim figure.  I enjoy good food, I love fine dining, but I don't over eat sugar or junk food.  I love a glass of wine, but can't drink more than three or I feel absolutely rubbish - thank you menopause!!

I like to journal, I like to talk and share my feelings and I am always looking for ways to help keep my life in balance to stay happy and relaxed.  I've missed my friends so much, talking on the phone just isn't the same.  It is only when I meet up with girlfriends that I realise how much I have missed it!

Full outfit details below! Take time for a break outside in the fresh air!

The WHO defines wellness as a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity.

Try to include the following concepts in your daily life:

Connect
Be active
Take notice
Learn
Give

Each different concept made me think about what I do to look after my own wellness.

I love to connect with family and friends, I love to help others, I love to hear how others are doing and what is happening in their lives.

I try to be active, and I know that when I step outside my door into the fresh air I always feel so much better!  

My regular walks make me stop and take notice of nature around me and this supports my mental health and awareness of just being me.

I am always learning.  Whether it be how to be a better blogger, or fighting the social care system to understand how to get the right support for my mum.  I love to read and research!

And finally giving my time to help others is really important to me.  It is how my blog started, I wanted to share my ideas and knowledge and pass on some inspiration.

And self-care too, it is my absolute priority to slow down sometimes and not take on too much.  To stop and listen, to stop and relax, to stop and feel.  My ultimate self-care is a good book, on a sun-lounger, in the garden or overlooking the sea!  I love my own company and being quiet, I need head space to just slow down and think.  The photos below were taken earlier this week when we enjoyed two nights staying at The Beach Hut Suites in Felpham, West Sussex.

But the last year has made wellness so much more of a challenge.  Working at home, home schooling children, the uncertainty about our businesses, our jobs, our health.  Missing family worrying about older parents, missing friends, disappointment as one holiday after another got cancelled or life events couldn't take place.  And through it all still doubting the decisions around dealing with the pandemic.  Protecting our NHS seemed to get lost along the way and despite the vaccine success, the media overload has seemed relentless and the world is a very confusing place.  We all had day to day worries even before the pandemic but this last year means we have had less control over our decisions.

 Some simple wellness ideas and products you might like ...

Journal - I am currently doing some life coaching with Sian Winslade of Inspired Living and she has reminded me how much benefit I get from writing down my thoughts every day.  It only needs to be simple, but spend 5 minutes a day feeling grateful and celebrating your successes and record them in a pretty journal like this one.  Or if you love the idea of a Bullet Journal but don't have the time (or patience) to create your own, then take a look at MS Designs, a hardback bullet journal ready to use!

Happy Jars - This is such an amazing idea and so cute, Adel and Libby have created the most gorgeous wellness products!  Their business, adbra, make well-being tools to help busy minds like ours build resilience to life's ups and downs and become happier.  You can shop a range of Gratitude Planners, Happy Jars and Affirmation Cards on their website.  Adel and Libby sent me their Happiness Habits Jar: Your Month of Mindfulness to try out (lots of other options too - like friendship, self-kindness and motivation).  I love it so much!  They also sent a personalised note thanking me for offering to share their small business on my blog.  It is this kind of collaboration that really gets me excited and feeling happy.  The personal stories behind the brands, the reality of someone somewhere doing a happy dance because you chose their small business.  So if you know someone that needs a boost, or if you need an injection of happiness yourself, then go and check out their website now!  

Personalised Gift Box - WellBox is a small business that had to adapt during the lockdowns and they created a range of bespoke wellness boxes to boost morale, productivity, health and happiness with their staff wellness boxes.  Aimed at supporting staff that have been working at home, they offer hampers and food boxes, drinks and virtual cocktail boxes, health and mental wellbeing gifts, healthy snack boxes or gift vouchers.  WellBox kindly sent me their Unwind box to try out.  It contains nine gorgeous products to create your personal zen sanctuary at home.  What a great concept, and I am very against the whole working from home thing, so anything that supports mental health is good!

For each WellBox sold, they will donate one meal, or one meal worth of provisions, to someone in need.

Essential Oils - I am a growing fan of essential oils, I love the scent wafting around my home and I love how they support my health and wellbeing naturally.  Nourish London have a fantastic wellbeing range, designed as the destination for all-natural solutions and support with everyday life in the fast moving world we live in.  They sent me their new FOCUS essential oil blend to try out.  It is a stimulating blend of ten essential oils carefully selected to focus and sharpen the mind.  It has really helped me to concentrate more, my days are always busy, and adding an essential oil blend to my diffuser really does help.  Check out their other blends too - for sleep, calm and energy.   Another highly rated wellbeing product worth considering is CBD Oil - if you are interested in this, you could try the range from Blessed CBD, a family run business, offering the very best quality CBD oil supplements.

​Write a letter - Letter writing can be so cathartic, not only for you but for the recipient if you choose to send it, writing to yourself is also very good! It can help you get clarity on a situation and you can record gratitude and positive feelings.  Remember how exciting it feels to find a box of old memories, to read letters you received from friends or loved ones way back when?  And how lovely it is to get a handwritten, hand addressed letter with a real stamp arrive through your letterbox?  I have enjoyed many an hour reading back on letters from the past.  Treat yourself to some timeless and stunning writing paper.

Exercise - I'm well aware than when life gets tough and overwhelm takes over, I stop exercising, believing I don't have time.  And yet I know it does me good!  I'm working on this.  I have recently been introduced to Movement for Modern Life - a website founded by Kat in 2013 to revolutionise online yoga and wellbeing.  I am still exploring the website but go take a look, let me know what you think!

Eat well - I admit I am no cook!  Having spent years making family meals for fussy children, I am ready for someone else to come up with recipe ideas and help me with meal planning!  Mindful Chef and Gousto are my current favourites and help me with maintaining a calorie deficit and they make healthy cooking a bit easier.   I also love to make a quick healthy snack for a boost of energy late afternoon! 

I love wearing a poncho in the spring and autumn, this one is from Creative DeZigns

Outfit details: Ribbed cotton poncho from Creative DeZigns, worn with blouse from Baukjen and my jeans are the Maryland mid-indigo jeans from Mint Velvet

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​What do you do to make sure wellness is an important part of your life?

I hope you all have a lovely weekend - the sun is finally making a proper appearance and my daughter is home for the weekend so I fully intend to enjoy time outside.

Love from
​Michelle xx


Disclaimer: This blog post contains some gifted items and affiliate links.​

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Other blogs I link up with:

Is This Mutton
#WowOnWednesday 

​Mummabstylish
#Chic&Stylish

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