Breathing slowly in and out ‘for a mindful minute’, was an exercise at the start of each of the four Wellbeing bulletins that Management in Practice ran during February.
This was a great chance to take a brief timeout at the start of a busy week.
Of course, it’s hard to imagine that anyone working in general practice feels that they even have one minute to spare at the moment, with the Covid vaccination programme in full swing and managing an NHS backlog. It truly is worth finding it though, and here’s why.
In the Wellbeing challenge, over four weeks, coach Sheela Hobden shared the ‘MOT4U’ initiative, designed to help keep you running at peak performance, and based on the concept of a well-running car.
In week one of the challenge, we first took the analogy of a steering wheel. ‘When we feel in control, we feel much better about things that are happening around us,’ Sheela says. We were asked to consider: When you feel ‘out of control’, what one thing makes you feel better?
The next week, we looked at the car’s windscreen and windows, and the benefits of looking at things from different perspectives. People who are able to take more things ‘in their stride’ are those who are able to see things from different perspectives and are open to new ways of doing things, suggests Sheela.
In week three, the focus was our sense of direction. Having a plan, and being clear on our sense of purpose, impacts positively on our resilience and impacts positively on our wellbeing. We learnt that even having a plan for the next five minutes is enough to give us a boost!
And finally, in the last Wellbeing challenge article, with the white lines marked on roads in mind, we looked at the boundaries in our lives – such as that between our work life and home life, and workload, for example. People who are clear on what is ‘OK’, what is ‘not OK’, and who maintain strong boundaries between home and work life have a stronger sense of wellbeing, it is suggested.
Whether you were able to take part in the challenge during February, or plan to return to it at a time that suits you, we suggest it as a valuable resource to support your ongoing wellbeing. While some felt they didn’t have time, those that did commit to it found the results hugely beneficial to their personal and professional lives.
If you did struggle to find the time, maybe a conversation with Sheela might help you figure out how exactly you do make space for yourself? Sheela is really keen to hear your experiences, so do get in touch with her at Bluegreen Coaching.
The team at Management in Practice would also like to hear your thoughts on the topic or requests for future articles about wellbeing.
