Episode #7: What Does Wellness Look Like?

Today Ellisa, Maggie and Kristin sit down to talk about their journey towards wellness, current wellness strategies and share high-impact tips and tricks. Wellness is a journey and looks different in different seasons of life. Today, we talk about what wellness looks like for us in the hopes it will spark an interest in listeners to think about their own wellness journey and find encouragement in the process.

Show Notes

Episode #3: What is Wellness?

Wellness Tree Analogy:

  • trunk = “holistic”

  • branches = “wellness”

  • leaves = “well-being”

  • nutrients (rain & sunshine) = “self-care”

“Wellness” is an active pursuit and is always growing when served the right nutrients.

Maggie’s Wellness Strategies:

  • Yoga

  • mindfulness practices such as meditation

  • eating healthy (with the occasional treat)

  • surrounding yourself with healthy and positive people

  • going for a walk

  • doing a puzzle (an actual physical puzzle) - while listening to music or just in quiet

  • taking a bath

  • sensory breaks of quiet

  • cleaning tasks around the house add energy and productivity and sometimes can be exactly what you need.

  • playing music (but also knowing when you need quiet and a break from sensory)

  • ask for help!

    • go to therapy, read books, watch youtube videos, etc.

    • seek your community and what they are doing…they might have some helpful tips for you!

  • Riding horses and working at an equestrian center

  • Therapy/Counseling

    • has used BetterHelp in the past, but also recommends in-person.

  • Maintaining a schedule on the wall in the house for tasks and to-dos!

Ellisa’s Wellness Strategies:

  • choosing a word of focus for your year

  • giving yourself grace

  • creating ‘spaces’ in your home for wellness (especially during the current pandemic)

  • tending to your physical body everyday (working out, stretching, resting)

    • Should shaped heating pad to ease muscle tension

  • exercise creativity at least once a week such as

    • playing music

    • exploring a new music technique

    • songwriting

    • writing poetry

    • working on music production techniques

  • essential oils

  • ASMR

  • listening to nature sounds when sleeping

  • Get Sleepy Podcast - sleep stories

  • pamper yourself once a week with an at-home spa night

  • Candles! This counts as self-care!

  • set up routines

    • morning routine with quiet time and prayer

    • evening routine of winding down, heating pad, sleep stories, ASMR, peppermint or Sleepy Time tea, etc.

  • schedule a consistent bedtime including quieting technology and unplugging before bed

  • drinking more water and sometimes using Liquid IV - for extra nourishment

  • Full Spectrum UV light to bring sunshine inside during winter months

  • standing and stretching while at work (in between clients/tasks)

  • schedule regular massages

  • probiotic and supplement regimen to fuel your body

  • write down tasks and keep a to-do list

  • enjoying time to decompress with a snack and an episode of a favorite TV show after work

  • keeping a calendar for all aspects of your professional and personal life.

Kristin’s Strategies:

  • move your body in some way every day!

    • running, walking, yoga, strength training, stretching, etc.

  • set boundaries around your personal and professional life

  • schedule in ‘white’ space in your schedule where you don’t have anything scheduled.

  • schedule in personal care nights

  • calendar or a command center in your home

  • explore different self-care strategies such as reading books, taking a bath, listening to a podcast, journaling, cooking, baking, crafting, watching a TV show, explore meditation and mindfulness strategies, essential oils, listen to music, make music, hot cup of tea, spend time/chat with a friend (schedule it in and keep it sacred)!

Guilty Pleasure TV Shows I’m Watching: The Bachelor (ABC), The British Baking Show, The Pioneer Woman, Nadiya’s Time to Eat,

Books I’m Reading: 

Sacred Rest

Profit First

When Less Becomes More

Start With Why

Cultivate 

For the Love 

Podcasts I’m listening to: 

Enneagram 2.0

Live Awake

Creative Therapy Umbrella

Business with Purpose

I Choose My Best Life

Practice You with Elena Brower

Unlocking Us with Brene Brown

Being Boss

Cultivate Your Life with Laura Casey

Music Therapy Chronicles

My Productivity Tools: 

Cultivate Powersheets

Our Family Plan Calendar

Day Designer (Daily & Monthly)

Asana - GAME CHANGER for me!

Craft journaling supplies: 

Adult Coloring such as this one from Barnes and Noble

Hot Tea (I love all teas, but I’ve been really enjoying this box set from YOGI this season)

Essential Oils (I use doTERRA, but I know others who also like Young Living):

Some of my favorites for aromatherapy are: 

Strategies to help us maintain wellness:

  1. Set a bedtime routine! - Get enough sleep!

  2. Schedule self-care into your calendar!

  3. Write it down and keep it where you can see it!

High-Impact Strategies:

  1. Don’t be afraid to ask for help! Seek outside therapy/counseling and support.

  2. Identify things that you need. What feel restorative for you? What are you missing?

  3. Have items or reminders where you can see them! Have them available quickly so you can take advantage of even those small bits of time during the day to do something that feeds your wellness journey.

Thank you for listening!

Tune in next week where Ellisa digs deeper into Authenticity in Music.

Email us at musictherapyandbeyond@gmail.com and follow us on Facebook and Instagram @musictherapyandbeyond.

Please rate and review wherever you listen! Thank you in advance for your feedback!

Have a wonderful week!

WellnessKristin Vetetowellness, journey, well-being, holistic, health, therapy, counseling, self-care, strategiesComment