If last year was the year of the Corona Pandemic, 2021 is the year of sporting memories, especially with the delayed EURO2020 and the summer Olympics Tokyo2020. Also, let’s say that last year was more of restriction and lack of control especially at the peak of things and 2021 is more of self-regulation and self-preservation on an individual level.
Having said the above, let’s employ ourselves into this thinking of our ability to enjoy life and withstand challenges in our own environment with a focus on personal wellbeing. The next question in mind would be, what is wellbeing? Now, that is a big question with many diverse answers but let’s simply say wellbeing is the state of being comfortable, healthy and happy. Note that other views as to what constitutes wellbeing are in abundance if you seek to expand on this subject. However, for this purpose, I will maintain a different view of wellbeing as the ability to manage one’s life creatively, withstand challenges, and to enjoy life. Essentially I am saying that should we succeed at managing our life creatively, we are better prepared to respond to changes and ultimately improve our ability to enjoy life. For example, managing your life creatively could simply mean being aware of your body and doing your best not to harm it through your life choices, since life itself is made to manifest through the body. Our body thrives and enjoys the benefit of healthy living and when it is not functioning well, it can take away other aspirations from life.
Can we improve and empower this body to live happily, physically and mentally, through our health habits? My answer is yes! To say yes to health improving habits can be seen as cultivating long-term healthy behaviour in our daily routines as a way of sustaining our overall wellbeing. This may mean routine exercising to stay fit, eating well to live well, and resting well to mitigate stress levels just like you routinely brush your teeth to maintain good dental hygiene. However, in life we don’t always do what is in our own long-term best interest which is a weakness in our approach to improving wellbeing behaviour. Our biases and emotions frame us to irrational decisions that make us act like we do not know better.
What decisions have you made for the interest of your own wellbeing? This is a question to remind us that we often have to make that conscious decision to put ourselves first and to take the responsibility of our wellbeing, and can even see this as another form of self-compassion. Recently two young brave women in the name of Naomi Osaka and Simone Biles made such a decision that stirred serious conversation about mental wellbeing.
This year we saw tennis star Naomi Osaka withdraw from the French Open competition and skip Wimbledon open to focus on her mental wellbeing. According to her, everyone either suffers from issues related to their mental health or knows someone who does. In a similar manner Simone Biles pulled out of the women’s gymnastics team event at the Tokyo Olympics to focus on her mental health and physical safety. To some, their decision to withdraw at that moment is bad for their sport but many who understand the importance of wellbeing would agree that these young and brave women did what is best for themselves. They put themselves first and brought to the forefront the rare conversations about elite athletes’ mental health struggles. That emphasized the need to treat elite athletes as human beings who are subject to feelings and emotions, especially when it comes to the pressure of having to shoulder the expectations of various stakeholders.
Ironically, while the athletes are saying they should be treated as human beings, most people (or humans) habitually neglect their wellbeing, physical or mental. What about you? Have you ever prioritized your physical/mental health over the expectations of others?
Oftentimes, when we face mental health challenges, our need to project a sense of control and protect our self-esteem can become a barrier to seeking help and support. This attitude of suppressing how we feel can easily deepen our psychological pain and complicate our recovery. Once we sink into such a deep psychological wound, a simple task may seem monumental and making efforts to recover our depleted cognitive and attentional resources can become difficult.
It is encouraging to see these two young athletes instead of suppressing their emotions and how they feel dare to say it is ok not to be okay knowing fully well what is at stake. We should be encouraged that we can do it too.
In the summer I experienced the pressure of wanting to have everything under control in the face of a series of personal challenges. Nevertheless, I have learnt that all the other burdens of everyday life can vanish while I surrender myself to the calming breeze of nature. I am here in Nuuksio national park trying to find a cool spot to relax after wandering about like a squirrel that is in search of hidden nuts. Luckily and unlike the squirrel, I don’t have to pace here and there to find my ideal spot to chill while enjoying the good feeling of being away from everyday familiar and mundane settings. My time in nature is not for anxiety, stressing or elevating the pressure of everyday life struggle. Rather, it is the time to relax and recharge my depleted psychological abilities.The vegetation of trees around me and the body of water by the lake are here to serve that purpose. At least for now, all the common routines and expectations of life can wait for another time when I feel ready to come kicking at them. For now, I give myself permission to be my best again as one way of maintaining and improving a life oriented towards a wellbeing lifestyle.
To conclude, you should note that the vitality of life revolves around optimal wellbeing and that we have to find ways to create space that supports it individually and collectively. You could do this actively through sports or physical activities and quietly by spending quality time in nature etc. You may choose to join dance, yoga, pilates or meditation classes or go for a run/walk in the woods, hit the gym or even do a home HIIT workout. Start from what feels comfortable and then gradually complement that with a mix of other activities depending on your wellbeing needs. Do you take time off to replete exhausted mental or physical energy? If so, I encourage you to share it, someone may benefit from it. If not, what are you waiting for?
Written by:
Everest Obatitor, Wellbeing professional
