What's a Wellness Toolbox? And Why You Need One.

Perhaps you didn’t wake up this morning and think, “I’m going to embark on a Wellness Journey so I need a Wellness Toolbox.” Perhaps those words sound a bit cringy to you. But maybe they might sound inspiring. All I know is that however you want to phrase it; we all need some tools in life to help us through this chaotic world. And you are either using some wellness tools or you’re not. But I can almost guarantee you, nobody gets through this chaotic life with ease and bliss without finding some sort of tools to help cope with the modern world.

Utilizing wellness tools allows us to practice self-care and take the time to focus on our mind, body and spirit. When we take the time to slow down we can actually hear the messages our body is telling us and what needs are unmet in that moment.

Navigating this world ain't easy. We live in an modern world with ancient human bodies. According to Darwin’s thesis, evolution is slow and incremental with tiny genetic changes spread over tens of thousands of years, just gently pushing forward changes in species. So, it's kind of discouraging to think that we are in the same physical bodies in a world that looked nothing like it did 10,000 ago when humans lived in caves or simple huts and were hunters and gatherers. Our bodies were designed with alarming systems to keep us safe in the wild environment and keep us healthy with our limited food resources. And life simply moved at a much slower pace than our world today.

Fast forward 10,000 years and our bodies really haven't evolved to match our modern world. While standing in the aisle at your local grocery store, you realize that your brand of coffee is sold out. There is simply no Columbian French roast, medium grind coffee left on the shelves. You frantically start scanning all the shelves. Worry starts to set in. Frustration rises and you are on the verge of panic. Okay...let's pause here. So there's no French roast coffee; is it disappointing? Yes. Is it life threatening? No. But how does our body react? Well it dives straight into fight or flight mode as historically, a stressful situation could easily have been a giant tiger waiting to eat you or lack of food which meant starvation and possibly the end of the civilization for your village. You see, our brains have not evolved all that much where it can tell the difference between the two types of stressful situations. Nope. Literally, no French roast feels like staring death in the face.

Stress has an important job. It's there to keep us safe. However, it lacks in it's ability to categorize which stresses are potentially hazardous and which are simply trivial. When our body goes into stress mode it suppresses it's normal functions and it's ability to sleep, eat and heal in order to deal with the immediate situation. So essentially, triggers like the disappointment of no French roast in the shopping cart can be detrimental to our body's health if we experience the repetitive spike of cortisol, that pesky (yet once essential) stress hormone, on a continual, daily basis.

And while our modern world may not have tigers lurking in the aisles, it can still feel pretty overwhelming at times. However, we don't always have to live in the fight or flight mode. There are hacks. There are tools. There are ways to retrain your brain and your body to help when it's natural response system wants to make you look like the crazy person in aisle 3. It's called a wellness toolbox. And a few simple tools can make the world of a difference while trying to navigate this crazy, modern world.

You see, there's one thing that Darwin did not have the luxury of experiencing - the internet. Evolution has depended on natural selection as part of a process to help determine which genes to pass down to the next generation of humans, depending on which knowledge was found useful to survival. However, this could take a while to be embedded into our human genetics. Now, we no longer have to “download” information from our genes ‘to know something’, we have internet and smart phones and iClouds filled with endless downloadable data that can help us create a better life.

These are a few of the staples in my Wellness Toolbox. They will help you slow down and pay attention. And there may be times when life feels overwhelming and you just don’t feel like using any f*cking tools at all, but in my experience, it’s in those times that you need these these tools and some self-care the most.

So grab your toolbox people and start filling it.

MEDITATION:

Meditation is a powerful wellness tool. For me, it has reduced my anxiety and my fear of anxiety. And when used regularly like a doctor’s prescription, it effects actually last longer than a dose of Xanax, without ingesting unpronounceable chemicals into our bodies. Meditation has given me moments of peace that I never even knew were possible. It has provided me with a mindset of awareness and taught me to be mindful beyond my 18 minutes of a pretzel pose and repetitive mantras. It teaches me that I can be ‘in the moment’ and be present with every action I do and releases many of the instant gratifications urges that we as humans have grown so accustom to.

MINDFULNESS

Mindfulness is the art of simply being in the moment and paying close attention to whatever it is that you are doing. There is happiness and contentment in any given moment that we are in. We simply have to observe our moments and not multi-task life. It’s like being hyper-focused or using a magnifying glass for each thing that we do. For example; enjoying a simply moment of staring at my child‘s face; paying attention to my movements as I clean my messy kitchen; cherishing the first sip of coffee during a chaotic weekday morning; choosing to stare at the beautiful trees while stuck in rush hour traffic; thoroughly enjoying a bite of my dinner; or standing and letting the sun kiss my face amid an otherwise ‘not so blissful’ day.

MOVEMENT

Yoga, exercise, simple stretching and just moving our bodies are also essential wellness tools. My husband often says I’m like a dog that needs to be taken out for a walk. When I don’t get out and move my body, I start to feel stir-crazy And often don’t even know why. This often has a trickle-down effect and leads into grumpy moods and destructive behaviors. But a simple walk outside seems to do the trick every time. And when that is not possible - spending a few moments doing some simple stretches often eliminates my “resting b*tch face”.

Daily movement increases our circulation which helps distributes nutrients more easily to our organs and also removes toxins. Our bodies are not designed to be in a sedentary world full of sitting in desks, cars and couches. As humans, movement is key to our health and longevity. And the more we move the more we pay particular attention to our often neglected body, which allows us to check in and notice exactly how our body is feeling In the present moment.

COMMUNICATION | COMMUNITY | COUNSELLING

Having a counsellor or circle of people who inspire you to grow is a critical tool for wellness. I have had a counsellor for well over a decade. I call her my ‘wise woman’ and without her insight and mentoring I wouldn’t be where I am today jumping over the hurdles of life. I would probably be somewhere at the start line, crying over an untied shoelace! It’s important to feel connected and heard in a world which often can feel very isolated. We can choose to surround ourselves with those who help us be the best version of ourselves. And it’s important to assess your community and recognize who, if any, have negative impacts on your life, and perhaps chose to filter out those people or the amount of time spent with them.

NATURE

Our world is very populated and many of us live in a metropolis surrounded by buildings, roads and technology. This is NOT our natural environment as humans. We have grown accustom to it, however, there is therapeutic growth in allowing ourselves to be in touch with nature. Actually, I think some “creative” people have coined it “forest bathing”. But the connection and dependency between humans and trees is simple. We breath out carbon dioxide, trees breathe in carbon dioxide, trees breathe out oxygen and we breath it in. It’s simple and crucial to our survival. So while you don’t have to “go get lost” in the middle of a forest - you can just go outside and stand by a tree. You won’t look crazy I pi my swear. And besides, it only takes a few moments in nature to allow our bodies to reset, at least a little.

CREATIVITY

Creativity is an important tool for balance. It is also a practice in mindfulness. It allows us to completely submerge in an activity that does not require judgement of good, bad, complete, failure or success…it just allows us to exhibit joy. And the more balanced and well we feel, the more creative we will feel as well. So be creative. Choose your outlet: music, arts, writing or dance/martial arts/sports. And if you don’t know what your creative outlet is, simply choose something, just anything and I promise you that through the process of elimination you will find your creativity and ultimately some joy.

GRATITUDE

Gratitude. This one is huge. Practicing gratitude gives us the ability to change what can be a negative outlook on life to a positive mindset. Over 80% of the thoughts that go through our mind on any given day are negative. That’s a lot. We can change that percentage with habits and practice. Habits must be consistent to be effective. So everyday say what you are grateful for; outload or written on paper; in the morning, at dinner or before bed - whatever will work best for you. But practice appreciating all that you are grateful for.

JOURNALING

Journaling can include many things. It can be releasing and writing down your thoughts, free-style writing, listing your affirmations, setting long term and short term goals or even drawing in a journal. All of the above are effective ways to journal and give us an opportunity for emotional catharsis, helps us regulate emotions, keep us mindful and allow us to objectively keep perspective of our true self.

BREATHE

Just breathe. Also known in the word today as “breathwork”. It is something so simple - yet so impactful. What is great about breath work is that there’s no “one way” or “right way” to do it. We are all unique and we we will all have our unique way of doing breath work that benefits us the most. There are many, many different techniques you can try. Some types of breathing are meant to motivate and energize us - while some are designed to calm us or regain focus. But there’s a technique for every feeling you’re feeling and very feeling you wish to feel.

Its portable and can be used without much thought at all. Only have five seconds? There’s time for breath work there! Take one deep breath in, hold it for 5 seconds and let out one very long exhale. Do that twice. Don’t you feel amazing. Never underestimate the power of our breath!

These are some of the basic tools for wellness. And they can all bit altered to fit your lifestyle. And if it all seems overwhelming, simply pick just one. Start there and try do it on a somewhat regular basis. Then look back, assess, and see the changes. I promise, there will always be positive changes. And sometimes the smallest changes can provide profound results.

“The man who moves mountains begins with carrying small stones.” - Confucius

So what will your toolbox be filled with?