What does your wellbeing look like to you?

So I’ll start by asking you “What does your wellbeing look like to you?”  and we’ll come back to this question.

For many, wellbeing is associated to how we feel. When life is good and running smoothly we can feel great. When life throws us challenges to navigate through a period of time, we can feel tired, drained and stressed.

Your wellbeing is yours to define and look after and is individual to everyone.

High stress levels will mean our cortisol and stress hormones rise. If we live with high stress levels for any length of time, it can ultimately impact on our physical and mental wellbeing. When life challenges us like this, it can also lead to a deterioration in how we feel and see ourselves.

Back to that initial question ‘What does your wellbeing look like to you?’ As a photographer, I frequently observe (and hear) a connection between how people see themselves in photographs and how they feel about themselves in general. Especially for those who don’t like getting in front of a camera.

This is unique to everyone – what may affect some in a negative way, won’t even register with others. There is no right or wrong in either.

So how can we maintain a happy balanced life that we enjoy and thrive in? One in which we feel good about who we are and what we see.

We all have ‘stuff’ going on in our lives to manage and navigate. The life skills we have learned and developed, enable us to go to work, run a business, raise a family. All these things can impact our outlook and wellbeing.

Is a good awareness of ourselves our key anchor point to maintaining some life equilibrium and part of our skillset to coping with challenging times?

Are you a person who spends time thinking, ‘when I lose (or gain) weight’, when I have XYZ treatment’, ‘when I get a bit fitter’ … I’ll feel better about myself. Do you think it’s actually important to like and love yourself as you are now, whatever size, shape, colour or package you come in?

Another big thing that can shape our views of self, is a learning for many of – ‘act as if everything is ok’, don’t talk about that problem’, ‘don’t make a fuss’, ‘this was all your fault’. We stay quiet and hope it will go away. But this can hide a plethora of problems that we end up living with.

It can be a big challenge and change for many of us to openly admit not all is well and find the courage to seek help and support.

Where can we find the answers to maintaining a healthy sense of wellbeing?

You can get help and support with so many things these days. Being a great subscriber in a more holistic approach to looking after myself, can vouch for the benefits of many therapies. To name a few, such as acupuncture, meditation, yoga, NRT, physiotherapy, hypnotherapy, alongside our more traditional medicines via GP’s and hospitals.

During early lockdown I spent many hours studying the work of Dr Bruce Lipton. He is an American stem cell biologist and has found the scientific connection and proof that our genes do not control our biology. Rather your mind is your key to the control you have over yourself. Well why wouldn’t it, after all it is all you. Your body isn’t some separate entity you have to live with. So this made perfect sense to me.

To return to the question ‘What does your wellbeing look like to you?’ How you see yourself and how you refer to yourself is very important. As a photographer, I see the absolute best in everyone and through my work with ‘Love Your Image’, help others to see it in themselves.

Truly loving ourselves, is one of the most powerful things we can do and greatly benefits our wellbeing.

You can find out more about Love Your Image on the website here

There are available help session within Love Your Image. You can find more information here

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