Today is the final in my A-Z of Wellbeing series as we have reached the letter Z. Let’s take a look at words beginning with Z:
Z
Zen – You don’t have to be a Buddhist to enjoy the state of zen. This is a state of calm and relaxation. You can achieve this through meditation if you wish, but perhaps you have other ways which can help you to reach this state. What helps you to reduce your anxiety/stress levels? Going for a walk in the countryside and enjoying the fresh air, or doing yoga inside or outside, breathing slowly and evenly. Having a routine can help you to get into a zen state, familiarity can be soothing. Why not do some yoga before work or do a 5 minute meditation before you get out of bed every day. There are many apps you can use for guided meditations so you can listen and follow to help you become relaxed and get to the zen state.
Zest – We’ve all heard of the phrase ‘zest for life’. But what does it mean? Well, what does it mean to you? Having a zest for life could mean that you are full of energy and excitement for what’s to come. You live life to the full and want to enjoy each moment but are realistic with your expectations. You let nothing get in your way of achieving your life goals. If you feel you need to have more zest in your life, what is it you want to achieve? Think of some goals, and start working towards them. Maybe you want to run 5k as you know this will help you to have more energy and be fitter. How will you get there? Break down your goal into smaller chunks and start working on them today. Be realistic though and try not to do too much to soon. Be kind to yourself with the progress you make. We all have a zest for life, but what makes me full of excitement will be different to what makes you happy and excited for life.
Zigzag – Life isn’t a straight line, your path will zigzag. As much as we want our life to be linear, often it isn’t that simple. Things will come up forcing you to go down another route but this should be seen as a positive challenge rather than a disappointment. It’s all about enjoying the journey and not focusing on the final destination. Along the way to where you want to be, you will learn more about yourself and it may even change your mind on where you want to go. So enjoy those zigzagging moments.
Zorbing – What on earth is this? Well if you haven’t done it before, you are basically put inside a clear plastic ball and rolled down a hill. It is quite exhilarating but I wouldn’t advise it if you are claustrophobic or get dizzy. Now I am not suggesting you need to all go out and try zorbing, but instead think of something fun or blood pumping that you wouldn’t normally do and give it a go. Sometimes we need to push our boundaries and not be afraid to do something different. It could be anything, what I see as adventurous may be different to what you think is. For example I might think abseiling is challenging and would give me an adrenalin rush, whereas you may think doing a parachute jump would be amazing or taking swimming lessons. They all push us out of our comfort zone and give us an adrenaline rush, but it doesn’t always have to be extreme. You may have never swam in your life and are terrified of the water so having a swimming lesson is quite frightening to you but would feel amazing, whereas it would be simple to others. Go on, have a think about what you want to do that will make you feel exhilarated and push you out of your comfort zone.
Z’s – Are you getting enough sleep? We should be getting somewhere between 7-9 hours a night. What time do you go to bed and what time do you get up? Make sure you are not missing out by staying up too late or getting up too early. I know it can be difficult to get the required amount of sleep for various reasons such as children, shift working, stress, too much to watch on TV, being on our phones too much. So why not look at setting up a bedtime routine. Start getting ready for bed an hour before you need to sleep, do your usual such as brushing teeth, washing your face, moisturising etc and then perhaps read a few chapters of a book or do a bedtime meditation or write in a journal about how your day has been and what you enjoyed before putting your light out. Avoid looking at screens and put your phone away, don’t watch anything on TV that is going to increase your heart rate and prevent you from falling asleep or be in a relaxed state. Spend some time over the course of a few weeks working out a nightly routine and what works best for you.
Thank you very much for reading and joining me on my A-Z of Wellbeing journey. It has been fun. I will be back with another A-Z very soon, so keep a look out.
Have a lovely week and look after you.
Love Emma xx
Wellbeing with Relaxing Lavender 