Welcome to Day 89 of the Wellbeing 9-a-Day blog! Yesterday, we continued our final look at each of the habits within The Wellbeing 9-a-Day Journal, considering how building a habit of Self-caring each day helps you build a better relationship with yourself. In today’s blog, I move onto Connecting and the importance of building a better relationship with the people you care about.
Connecting
Throughout my journey with The Wellbeing 9-a-Day Journal, I have had the pleasure of connecting with the people I love in a variety of ways.
From walks in nature to watching a very good friend compete in a charity boxing match, Connecting is one of the habits that I have been able to hit with the least amount of effort.
As one of four siblings with a loving family and circle of friends, I am blessed in that I do not have to search for people to connect with.
I have also had the pleasure of hosting in-person and online workshops for the Wellbeing 9-a-Day, where I have had the pleasure of helping people get the most out of The Wellbeing 9-a-Day Journal.
At times, especially during this challenge, I have wanted to connect less because of the amount of work I have had on, but this was a short-sighted view.
By connecting with the people who I care about, I have re-energised myself for the walk and ensured that I maintained the bonds I have developed over the years.
Connecting with Me
One of the biggest lessons I have learned about Connecting during this challenge has been the importance of connecting with myself.
Since my Day 60 Review, I have set myself the goals of connecting with myself, my girlfriend, and a family member or friend each day, helping to ensure that I connect internally, at home, and with the people I care about most.
From the outset of developing the Wellbeing 9-a-Day, my Connecting goals have always been about other people.
There’s certainly a great deal of value in building better relationships, and it will continue to be part of my goals, but my initial view had neglected to include myself.
Truth be told, I only considered connecting with myself when an attendee shared their goal during a W9AD workshop, an example of the great feedback we have received during our trial.
By realising the importance of connecting with myself, I have started to develop a daily ritual of checking in with the one person who is with me every step of the way… me!
Call to Action!
Think about the people you love to spend time with. How can you build daily Connecting habits that will help to ensure that your relationships serve you as you move forward in life? By building stronger connections with the people you love today, you can ensure that you have family and friends beside you for good or bad times that might occur tomorrow.
This blog was written as part of a 90-day blog writing fundraiser for Live Well with Cancer, a volunteer-led charity serving North Tyneside and the surrounding areas. If you enjoyed this blog, please show your appreciation by donating to my JustGiving page. Every penny raised from donations or sales of the journal will help deliver workshops, events and support groups that empower better health and wellbeing for those affected by cancer, including family, friends, carers, and healthcare workers.