We hear all the time about how we need to take care of our bodies whether it means being told to eat right, exercise, or to get enough sleep. We’ve all heard it, you know, the whole works. What we don’t hear much of is that we need to take care of ourselves as a whole being, one who has more to them then just the body. A human being who also has a mind and soul that need to be cared for, a mind and soul that need to be embraced, exercised and made to feel important.

That means that focusing on our physical health is an important part of a much larger picture. Without a strong mind and a connected soul, we may still find ourselves adrift. Our mind needs to be fed. It needs to be considered in the bigger picture.

Challenging Your Mind

Think about it. If you spend all day at a job where you aren’t challenged mentally, you find your thoughts wondering. Day in and day out of this will quickly drain you. Your mind needs to be exercised just like any physical muscle. It begs to be stretched and not forgotten about. It wants to be challenged. Sometimes we forget that we are holistic beings and even though we might be taking care of our physical bodies, if our emotional wellbeing isn’t taken care of our physical bodies will soon become drained and exhausted too.

Nourishing Your Soul

Your soul is just as important as the mind and body. A well-nourished soul, connected in whatever form you find fitting will make you more satisfied and complete than many other changes you could make.

Mental exertion comes in many forms for different people. And stress in our lives are often unavoidable, but here are some simple ideas to connect more with your mind and soul as well as your body.

• Socialise – Meeting people is a great way to reconnect. Whether you’re an introvert or a raging extrovert connection with people is important for mental well being. In fact, statistics show that people who socialise live longer and have happier more fulfilled lives.
• Embrace spirituality – whether you have a religious faith or not, embracing spirituality can be a really important step towards nurturing your soul. Often, we find ourselves searching for something and never quite finding it. Perhaps a spiritual exploration is what you’re looking for.
• Picking up a new hobby – Doing something you enjoy can help you feel more whole as a person. Just adding that little bit back can make a major change. What that hobby is, or that life outside work is depends on you are a person. Some hobbies can challenge and embrace your creativity, others may be more physical but still make you think. Sports can be great for how quickly you must think on your feet in the heat of the moment.
• Mindfulness – whilst this seems to be a bit of a trend lately, the practice of mindfulness and being aware of your body and the feelings within can be a powerful tool to allowing all areas of your body to recharge. It can also encourage healing and additionally restore your physical health.
• Go on an adventure! Don’t let growing old be the reason for not taking that trip, or not going on an adventure. Discovering new places and new things can be a great way to nourish your soul, keep your body healthy and active and exercise the mind.
• Explore nature – Getting back to nature, and getting your hands dirty can help you feel connected to nature.
• Volunteer work can help you feed your soul. Making you feel like you are making a difference in the world around you. Other people find things like travel help them re-connect to who they really are deep down
• Immersing yourself in other cultures and worlds can help find your mind and your soul. Learning a new language for the next place you visit helps get your brain muscle working and your soul happy.

Creating a Better You

Creating a better you doesn’t mean you have to turn your world upside down, it just means making those little changes to recognize all the parts of what makes you, you.

No matter how you do it, embracing all of you is key to happiness. Learning how to feed and nurture, not just your physical body, can change your life and your daily outlook. It can help you to find yourself and embrace you with all your fiery spirit.

This article was guest written by Louise Procter a writer for Christian Brethren Community Services. Living by the beach, on the sunny South Coast of NSW, Louise enjoys sipping a good strong coffee whilst creating articles that provide information and inspiration to readers to help them in their everyday lives.