While I was on a trip to Utah to visit my close friend, we did so many things that filled my soul and brought me so much joy. I decided to write a list down of all of those things that we did that made me feel really good so that I could continue to incorporate them into my life. Essentially, these were all things that made me feel like I was living life to the fullest, they were all things that made me feel satisfied and whole.
In this recent season of my life I have been experiencing a lot of change, I’ve been going through the ups and downs of emotions. I have been trying to balance taking care of myself, while still allowing myself to live. I felt like all of these activities or actions that we did while I was in Utah allowed me to achieve the balance and healing that I’ve been looking for.
So I broke down everything that made me feel good while I was there into generalized items to help apply these essential actions into my everyday life, no matter where I am.
- Moving A LOT, and in ways that I really enjoy
- This was such an eye opener for me, we were constantly moving. But it was all in ways that I really, really enjoyed, so it didn’t seem like exercise, it was just enjoyable. Through it I found that my body was totally capable of moving this much, and not only was it capable, it thrived. We hiked, did yoga, rock climbed, and walked, all of which I can incorporate into my everyday life, my work life, my traveling life, my holiday life, wherever, whenever.
- Eating high quality foods
- We ate good food and for so many people “good” looks very different. I think it is important to understand what food makes you feel good inside and eat that, and that is exactly what we did. Most of our food was balanced, it was “healthy” (I put this in loose terms because that’s a very subjective word), and it was nutrient dense, all of which made me feel great. This is something that can easily be attained most places that I am.
- Journaling
- I took the time to write down my thoughts, record what I was grateful for, and draw, all of which help me to stay out of my sometimes overwhelmed brain. This is such an easy task to continue, even for just 5 minutes a day.
- Reading
- While this wasn’t a huge activity in each of my days, it was a part of my traveling activities and it was a good way to decompress at the end of days. A simple activity that can be done virtually anywhere.
- Spending time with people I enjoy
- A reminder to surround myself with people who make me feel good, support me and build me up, and people I can give all of those things back to. It is amazing how changing the people you are around can change how you view and experience the world.
- Time outside
- We spent a lot of time outside, which I always want to do more of but is sometimes difficult because of working a 9 to 5, but I know is still totally attainable. I want to push myself to find ways to spend more time outside. It is so helpful for my mental and physical health. This can be active activities like walking or hiking, or even just choosing to eat a meal outside.
- Trying new things
- The entire trip I was constantly trying new things, saying yes to things that made me slightly uncomfortable and honestly, it came with high rewards. I would like to push myself out of my comfort zone more frequently and say yes to more things that I feel like I might enjoy.
- Traveling
- And then traveling in general, I forgot how much joy it brought me. Part of this is due to the pandemic and the lack of accessibility I had to travel, but I also have been so afraid to just do it, and now that I feel this sense of adventure and freedom again in my life, I want to do it more, and I know I will.
Basically, I want to find ways to continue to incorporate these items into my life to continue to feel fulfilled and balanced. I think it took me going and doing these things, filling my day with them, and simplifying and categorizing what it actually was to understand what I needed each day. Because before, when people asked me what my perfect day would include, I wouldn’t know how to identify what it was that would make my day “perfect”. Now, I feel like I have an understanding of a starting point.
The other thing I want to keep in mind, is that these things that make me feel fulfilled and good now, may not be the same things that did a few years ago, or may not be the same as in a couple years or even a couple months from now. It is okay for these things to change. Maybe with time my priorities will change, my interests will change, or maybe these core items will not change, but how I achieve these items will look different. And that is okay, it is okay to change and evolve and listen to your own specific needs day by day and adjust accordingly.
I challenge you to find what you are looking for more of, what you want to live with more of. But also take time to appreciate what you are already doing enough of for yourself.
