I took on the task of painting a room this weekend. It’s a small box room but was in need of a refresh. I spent a few hours prepping on Friday night as I knew it would save time on the Saturday. I am glad I did as it meant I could get a paintbrush in hand in the morning and get on with it as soon as I could.
It took me all day to paint the roof, walls with two coats and the skirting boards and door frame. I was overjoyed when I finished.
So what has this got to do with anything wellbeing? Whilst I thought I was stuck indoors and losing some of my weekend to dong a DIY job, it was in fact the opposite. There were five points which were all positive for my soul. At the time I didn’t even realise, it wasn’t until I was reflecting back over the day did it occur to me.
- Preparation – The preparation I did went a long way, it saved me time and gave me a neater finish and made it easier to just get on and paint. This is the worst part of painting, there is a lot to prep and it slows down getting to the main activity. But it helps to ensure everything goes to plan – well, as close to plan as possible. Being organised saves time.
- Total body workout – stretching up, bending down, moving from side to side, lifting paint cans, moving furniture. Anyone would have thought I was auditioning for the next Karate Kid movie. Afterwards, when I sat down and tried to get back up it was a challenge. My whole body felt like I had completed a marathon. I hadn’t even noticed at the time how much movement was involved. I thought by doing this, I was sacrificing going for a walk or doing some yoga, when in fact it was a workout itself. What activities or chores do you do that is a workout in its own right?
- Mindfulness – who knew you could totally lose yourself in the moment whilst painting, it was quite calming once I got going into a rhythm. Time flew by, I wasn’t focused on the transformation and how it was going to look. Instead, there was no rushing, it was all about focusing on that moment and going through the stages so nothing got missed. It is amazing how you can watch the colour transforms a space or being aware of each stroke of the paintbrush as the paint goes onto the wooden door. Have you completed something recently where you were lost in that moment? Purely focusing on what is in front of you and not what is yet to come?
- Making mistakes – oh my goodness did I make plenty. I spilt paint like you wouldn’t believe – so much so I always paint in my bare feet and have trainers outside the door ready to put on so I don’t trail paint everywhere. I drip paint on me, on the floor – it was covered in a sheet. I then stood in it or sat in it or put my hand in it. On the wall I smudged white paint onto the colour so had to wipe that off, I didn’t put the tape on straight in some places so you can see a little of the old paint. In some areas I had to do a freehand lines and they are certainly not straight. I made many mistakes, but it didn’t stop me, I just kept moving on, doing what I could and fixing the mistakes as I went. Never be hard on yourself for making a mistake. It keeps you on your toes and it gives you something to take notice of and learn for next time.
- Satisfaction of completing a job well done. The room is not perfect now it is complete. However, it was a job well done for me! It feels great when you set out to achieve something and you do it. Give yourself a pat on the back and acknowledge how big a deal it was. It is always satisfying to tick something off your to do list especially when there was a lot of effort involved.
Think of a project or task you have completed recently and reflect back on it. We rush through life and forget to stop and notice how things actually were. What did you get out of the activity that wasn’t only the finished job? If it was a group task, did you leave having made new friends? Maybe you found something you didn’t think you would enjoy as much and are now thinking about doing it more often.
Whether it is a DIY project or a task at work, you will get more out of it than you realise.
Have a great week, take care and look after you!
Love Emma xx
Wellbeing with Relaxing Lavender 