Finding wellness within

It is easy to get lost in our day-to-day life. Before you know it, days turn into weeks and weeks turn into months. By the time you have reflected, you realize a full year has passed by. If this resonates with you, it is a clear indication that it is time to change something. One of the most impactful changes to make is to start the process of looking inward. Seeking inner balance and well-being leads to improved performance in our professional lives. This concept pushes us to develop a more internal, self-directed approach to wellness. It encourages harnessing inner resources like mindfulness, emotional intelligence, and resilience to manage stress and replenish energy effectively. Let's consider a busy community pharmacist working long hours, balancing dispensing and professional service responsibilities without the support of good technical help - stress levels are at an all-time high. What is needed is a hard reset to regain balance. A way to disconnect from the external stimuli that is bombarding and draining you. But how do you do this when you are already overwhelmed and struggling to keep up with life’s demands? Taking weeks off to go to an Ashram in India or a yoga retreat in Bali are not realistic options. That being said, mini-retreats can provide a break from external stimuli and provide some space to start the process of internal reflection. Why are they effective? Help you meet like-minded people who are going through similar experiencesProvide you with the opportunity to disconnect for a short periodAllow the bond between your mind, body, and soul to start to reconnectProvide you with goals or a template to move forward withCreate a safe space where vulnerable feelings can be shared without judgmentAllow you to take a broad view of your life so you can question the things that you are doing daily that are not adding value to your lifeRetreats create space for you to re-prioritize what matters most in life. We often reschedule our health, wellness, and self-care only when life and time permit. It is important to shift our focus so these appointments are kept as priorities. They should appear in our calendar like a meeting with a VP or lead investor, where only emergencies cause you to cancel. One Size fits fewOnce you create this space, it is important to start the process of evaluating your self-care routine and how you are taking care of yourself. How often have you come across self-care advice that doesn't seem to fit? Like that new smoothie recipe that tastes more like freshly cut grass than a refreshing beverage. Self-care is a lot like shopping for clothes. What looks great on a mannequin or a model might not suit your body type or your style. A perfect shirt for one person might be too tight or too loose for another. Similarly, self-care isn't a one-size-fits-all solution. When looking at options, you need to choose something that resonates with you. If your idea of relaxation is hiking up a mountain and feeling the wind in your hair, forcing yourself to meditate in silence might feel more like a punishment than a form of self-care. Finding out what is right for youAs you proceed through this journey, the process of internal reflection begins. One key component is to quiet your mind so you can listen to your internal voice - your intuition. Your intuition is not something you need to develop. It has always been present and is constantly commuting to you. The issue is you cannot hear this voice because your monkey mind is too busy chattering away. The key steps to listening to your intuition include:Preparing to listen—creating space that is without disturbance, quiet, and comfortableSitting in silence— as uncomfortable as it may seem at first, sitting in silence allows us to pay attention to how active our mind is by witnessing what thoughts ariseFeeling and focussing on listening to what comes up —hearing what our intuition is telling us.Reflecting on what we heard— journaling what is coming up.This process can be curated and supported by a coach or can be started by oneself. One of the keys is integrating our learnings received into our day-to-day routine. If you are interested in attending a curated retreat for pharmacists managing burnout, check out the next Rx for Renewal Retreat being held on February 25, 2025, in King City, Ontario here. Another site with retreats from all over Ontario can be found here. If you appreciate this content, consider subscribing to my weekly newsletter here

Finding wellness within

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Manjit Hansra

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