Your say / Wellbeing
‘Take your wellbeing seriously in 2019’
Bristol has a long history of being the home of the green and sustainable movement. And when you introduce Bristol’s diversity into that mix, you start to see a very vibrant, tolerant, and accepting culture.
That creates a mindset of openness, and so when the rest of the UK was starting to catch on that wellbeing was just as important as physical health, Bristol was streets ahead.
As the lead clinician at the National Centre for Integrative Medicine (NCIM), which has its HQ here in Bristol, I felt like when I moved here, I met my tribe.
is needed now More than ever
People here value their emotional wellbeing just as much as their physical wellbeing.
For some people, the Christmas period is particularly hard; whether that be because of familial drama, personal mental health, the stress of hosting, or other reasons.
This is a good time, even in the depths of winter, to re-connect to green spaces. Instead of staring at screens all day, get outside and have a walk, even if it’s just a short one.
Taking time to walk and make the most of Bristol’s green spaces can help improve wellbeing
Emotional eating – which can be experienced by both men and women – often reaches its peak during December.
It’s one of the reasons that we’re running our popular Food for Wellbeing course in January – so that people who feel as though they have to ‘survive’ Christmas can learn to cook fantastic recipes from scratch, that taste delicious and are healthy, but also get some time with specialists to advise on managing stress and nutrition.
Take your wellbeing seriously in 2019
If you’re going to make one change in 2019 to prioritise your wellbeing, I would recommend exercise. Even walking for 20 minutes a day has been shown to be beneficial, and losing the car is better for ourselves and the planet.
Make sure that you take back control of your wellbeing at work. Here at the NCIM, we start each team meeting with a check in: how is our emotional health, how are people feeling?
We have worked with companies before to help them bring a focus on wellbeing for their employees and, being in Bristol, businesses are aware just how vital it is to keep their workers happy, as well as healthy.
Sometimes, it’s just being listened to
We’re built to be in a community, so if you want to make a big difference to someone else’s wellbeing in 2019, I’d recommend listening more.
It’s incredible what a difference it can make for someone’s life, especially as it’s easy to go through life feeling as though you always need to be listening to someone else.
What we all have to say and bring to the table matters, and learning to be a better listener can transform someone’s life.
It’s the most frequent feedback that I hear from our holistic doctor service, where a qualified doctor will listen to any health and wellbeing concerns you may have, and then collaboratively work to create an individualised approach to see positive change.
Just having the chance to be listened to can relieve a great weight from someone’s mind.
So, as we start 2019:
Be present, build a strong and positive relationship with food, walk more, and listen.
May your 2019 be the year your wellbeing goes to the next level.
Dr Elizabeth Thompson
Dr Elizabeth Thompson is the lead clinician and one of the holistic doctor team at NCIM, combining conventional, lifestyle and holistic approaches to improve health and wellbeing.
Main photo by Jim Cossey.
Read more: ‘We have to build a system that values wellbeing over economic benefit’
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