This week’s content is provided by Carrie Savaia, Carenet Health Coach. Carrie is a Certified Health Coach through the Institute of Integrative Nutrition and a National Board-Certified Health & Wellness Coach (NB-HWC). This post is the sixth in a seven-part series.
Our 7 Practical Ways to Nourish Yourself series is nearing the end. We have this post, and then the final installment is scheduled for next week. I hope you’ve enjoyed learning about some fresh ways to feel nourished during this chaotic time. I recently was able to participate in a new experience (like we discussed last week), and it truly empowered me and revived my spirits! If you haven’t had that opportunity yet, ask yourself how and when you can implement a new experience to your schedule.
Another really powerful way to nourish your mind and body is connecting to others who share similar interests and attributes. Isolation is not an ideal way of life and should be kept to a minimum. Even the most introverted person will feel the need to connect in community after a period of time. A sense of community support and energy is known to improve quality of life and provide an overall sense of fulfillment. Today, I’ll share some key points around the idea of cultivating interpersonal relationships as a way to nourish yourself.
Part 6: Community
Cultivate Interpersonal Relationships
● Consider a club. What do you love to do? Maybe it’s painting, reading or hiking. There’s probably a club for that. Meetups.com or even the Community within the Fitbit App are examples of spaces that connect individuals who have common interests. Your local library also likely has offerings. The value in spending time with other people who share similar interests extends your own joy. You can feel a sense of belonging and engage in conversations that encourage growth.
● Creating a close knit circle of friends, especially If you live far away from your family or don’t have a healthy family dynamic, can provide you with that sense of community and belonging. Knowing you have relationships where you can be authentic and also show up for others as support is nourishing to the mind and body. Regularly evaluate who you spend the most time with.
● Think outside the box when it comes to being together with your community. Write letters. Use Facetime or Zoom. Our recent cause for limited social contact and physical distancing has taught us to get creative with how we connect. In what ways can you stay in touch with the people who you value if you cannot be together in person? We tend to isolate more in the winter months, as well. You can change the method for connection without compromising the relationship.
● The immediate community you live in is a great place to start. Do you know your neighbors? Some of my best memories with my neighbors were walking around after boarding up our windows in preparation for a potential hurricane. We all came together with a sense of community and support during a stressful circumstance and that cultivated lasting relationships. Sesame Street taught us “Who are the people in your neighborhood?” way back in the days of PBS morning cartoons. Maybe you could connect through evening walks or organizing a community potluck. You never know the impact that could have on you or your neighbors!
These are a few ways you can become more connected and create new relationships with the idea of nourishing your mind and body along the way. Not only will you benefit from the effort, but so will those around you.
So as you move into the next week, how can you connect in your community? In what ways can you nourish others, while also nurturing your own wellbeing?
I look forward to bringing you more nourishing content as we wrap up this series next week. Week 7 brings us information on the value of rest and sleep.
Until then, be well!