The Therapy Edit - On quick, easy ways to boost your wellbeing

Episode Date: August 15, 2022

In this episode Anna shares a lightbulb moment about how she can easily boost her wellbeing and offers you advice and tips as to how you can easily go about boosting your own too,

Hello and welcome to the Therapy Edit podcast with me, psychotherapist Anna Martha. I'll be bringing you weekly 10 minute episodes to encourage and support your emotional well-being. Hello, I hope you're okay. So today I have a light bulb moment to share with you. You know I love a light bulb moment. Those little moments of realization that you know are going to make an impact. You know that once you've had that realization, or kind of receive that knowledge or gain that awareness that you can't go backwards. You know that somehow that is going to impact or reframe or reshape how you move forward. So I had one of these the other day. And I did something that I knew was going to actually change my life.

So bear with me, it's essentially a tip on how to boost your wellbeing with little effort. And I've got my phone here because I'm actually going to share some of the ideas that you have had because I mentioned this on my social media and you added lots of your thoughts too. So I'm going to add to what I say with your words. So, right, let me say that I absolutely love reading. I fall asleep to novels on my Kindles. I'm always reading.

I read maybe a book a week. However, non-fiction books, which I think require a little bit more focus than energy, whereas novels for me feel like I'm just kind of consuming and enjoying quite passive in the process. So I love nonfiction books. I write nonfiction books. They feed my mind. They feed my soul. They shape my work. You know, it's just this, it's learning, isn't it? I have a whole bookshelf right beside me, absolutely full of books that I have bought that I want to read, that I've borrowed off people with the intention of consuming. And I've tried so hard. I've spoken on here about how I even trying to form a habit of reading like a chapter a day. And that habit completely fell by the way. wayside. So now whenever I look at my bookshelf, I just feel this kind of like tinge of guilt. Now, as I always say, guilt is there to prompt you, not to shen you. And I had this light bulb

moment on a walk yesterday. So walking is something I do regularly. I go for a walk because I know how good it is for me. And often I talk to a friend or I listen to a podcast. But I had this, had this realization yesterday that I could listen to books. Bear with me. Bear with me. I could listen to books. So I downloaded Audible. I downloaded there and then, stood by a hedge, Domination by Anna Lebke. I'm not so sure if I've said her surname right, but I downloaded this book. And I was practically dancing through, through the part, down the past, because I was so happy. Now, you might think this is ridiculous, Anna. I mean, number one, I have recorded three audiobooks, so I do well know that they exist. And number two, this is what people do,

right? People listen to audio books. But the thing is, in my head, I have this rule that I read nonfiction books in their paper form. I read the physical books that I can write in them and I can fold down the pages. But the thing is, because that feels like it's almost too much for me at the moment, I've been doing nothing. I've been avoiding the bookshelf altogether. So I kind of had to like climb out of my own box and break my own funny rule that I didn't even realize was there. And surely it's better to listen to a book than not engaging it at all. So download Adorable, felt like it's going to change my life. I truly think it is. And I started to think, so often we have needs, right? We have needs that go overlooked. The things that I have done

in the past, I've got like this genetic, thanks dad, this dental like gum thing, which means my gum recede, gums recede more than they should. Therefore, I have been told for years that I should floss. So I've had to make flossing part of my daily routine because my last assessment, it's called a checkup, was a little bit alarming. So it was that urgency there. And and I managed to create a rule for myself. The good rule is that I floss is not an option. It's something that I have to do. Now, there are other little things that I've done,

little tweaks that I'm going to share with you and I'm going to share some of yours with you as well. Little tweaks that are ways of meeting needs without really doing a whole lot different. I mean, isn't that great? They're kind of like little hacks. Now, we can't kind of hack our way to rest. We can't life hack our way to meeting many of our needs,

but there are ways and little tweaks and things that I've been doing that I was thinking yesterday as I was writing about it that have made such a difference to me over time. And I love that analogy that if you correct the flight path of an aeroplane, a degree or two, it can end up on an entirely different continent. Isn't that incredible? Sometimes these things that we do, the choosing to listen to the book instead of the read to read the book the choosing to make dental flossing a thing that you do a non-negotiable instead of something that is optional because suddenly you recognise the urgency of it some more of mine that that i leave vitamins next to my toothbrush sounds silly but i had vitamins i need certain supplements um and i would just i would say patchy in taking them and i just move them next to my toothbrush and there we go now i take

every single day and I'm in a routine. Another thing that I do is I know I need to check in with friends, both to check in on them to maintain that relationship, but also as a way of being accountable, emotionally talking. So on the way back from a drop-off, nursery drop-off, I will call my mum and there's a couple of friends that I call. So it's how can I fit something into what is already happening that meets a need. Another one is that if I wake up early, so often my husband is up and out really early. So I might wake up before six. I know that I have a choice.

What can I do in this time before my kids get up, which hopefully will be, you know, a good few minutes, what can I do? Do I need to walk, work out, can I have a bath or do something reflective? You know, just maybe I just need to just do some stretching or something. What can I do in this time that isn't taking from anything else? it's just time that I have, what can I do? I have that choice. Another thing I do is batch

cook. I love a batch cook because it buys me some time the next evening when I've already got a meal that we've coached. You know, this little thing is when I'm doing something already, how can I make it something extra to meet that other need? So tonight, I don't have to cook dinner. It's a wonderful feeling because I cooked it last night. So that is just brilliant. And another one I've been doing recently, and I can't believe I'm saying this, and it sounds so silly. Some of these things sound so silly, don't they? Because to you, they might mean nothing. To you, someone else, it might make you eye-rolled.

To someone else, it might be like, well, obviously you're going to do that. But to me, it's these little things that are making a difference that I'm tweaking in my life. You know, another one of mine, and this is why it makes me laugh because I've never been an ironer. I've been like a staunch. I don't iron anything. But I looked at my wardrobe when I was doing a bit of a clearout, and I thought there were so many things in here that I really love. But because they're so crinkly and they're not meant to me and they don't look nice, I never wear them. So I decided I was going to do like an hour

of ironing and I iron some things up my wardrobe and I've just been enjoying them so much more. I did it in front of the TV. Barely even realized I was doing it. It was actually quite therapeutic. I can kind of see why some people enjoy ironing. So some of yours, you know, taking a little walk with a coffee and just making it your own moment, seeking the micro moments, hand bombed by the kitchen sink. This is from Susie Redding. Photographs to gaze at while I cook. How lovely.

You know, people saying that actually audio books have been so helpful. I'm going to get back into the routine. Mine is the Muslim coach. Mine is having a morning skincare routine. First thing in the morning before the rush starts. Someone else here keeps iron spray in their handbag to remind them to remind them to use it because that's a need of theirs. Lots about skincare routines.

Squats whilst brushing my teeth. Feels like I boss a day before it has even begun. Always take the scenic route. So if you're going somewhere, why not just go slightly different routes so you can enjoy it? Someone else here says, I think of lunch as a rule, not an option. A hungry mom at school pickup is no fun at all. I love these. Another one squatting whilst brushing your teeth.

Brilliant. Listen to podcasts whilst walking the dog. Sometimes I like just to enjoy nature, doing a few stretches after my shower. A motto of cook once, eat twice. I love these, you know, just so many little helpful things that creative ways of finding to meet needs that you have in moments that are already there. So feel free to hop onto my Instagram and share some of yours, but get creative. Think about how you can meet those needs.

in those moments that are already there. How can you layer them up, just add a little something else in or just move something around to remind you to do it? Hopefully there are some ideas. Maybe you'll be downloading audiobooks too, but I am just delighted that I had that light bulb moment. Thank you for listening to today's episode of The Therapy Edit. If you enjoyed it, please do share, subscribe or review

because it makes a massive difference to how many people it can reach. You can find more from me. me on Instagram at Anna Martha. You might like to check out my three books, Mind Over Mother, Know Your Worth and my new book, The Little Book of Calm for New Mums, grounding words for the highs, the lows and the moments in between. It's a little book you don't need to read it from front to back. You just pick whatever emotion resonates to find a mantra, a tip and some supportive words to bring comfort and clarity. You can also find all my resources, guides and videos all with the sole focus of supporting your emotional and mental well-being as a month.

They are all 12 pounds and you can find them on anamatha.com. I look forward to speaking with you soon.