Museworthy - a collaborative wellness resource

 

Muse - to be absorbed in thought, to say thoughtfully to oneself, a source of inspiration

Worthy - meriting recognition or importance, a person or thing of value

WHY ANOTHER VOICE?

I don't know who can relate to this, but I love thinking. Mostly in the form of imagination or introspection (I'm no nerd) and especially in the vein of personal growth. This brings me to my favorite time of year. Christmas? No. New Years! Why? Because I love to think. I love to plan the future and reflect on the past. I love nostalgia and aspiration both. I'm getting a little off track, here. What I'm intending to say with this "little" (if it doesn't run away with me) introduction is that I want to have a place to drop wellness resources that I come across as I think about personal growth, goal setting, and motivation / ambition. I also want this to be a collaborative space where ideas I here of can get a (ahem small) spotlight. 

I've been reflecting on this idea recently - just because I don't have a famous platform doesn't mean I shouldn't purposefully put creative and meaningful resources and content into the world. Sure, my impact may be small, but that's better than silent. I honestly don't care to be famous, that's way too large a platform on which to crumble under pressure... but I do wish to be significant. I wish to make a difference. I wish to be a person of creativity and integrity. 

So, here's a small way of me doing that - taking up this blog when I can, and putting together a fun (and ideally helpful!) resource of some of my favorite wellness resources! I tend to use the pillars from Myers Wellness Wheel, slightly adjusted to fit my personal needs and preferences. Feel free to use your own pillars, but here are mine. They conveniently spell SPHERE (I've previously used the acronym SPERM to remember them, but I've decided maybe it's time to try on a new acronym, haha)

THE PILLARS OF WELLNESS

For those interested in reading some on the Myers Wellness Wheel and theory, you can start by exploring this article on the Indivisible Self by Jane Myers herself. For those ready to forge ahead, let's quickly list out the pillars of wellness we'll be focusing on. 

Spiritual Growth

Professional Development

Health and Fitness

Emotions

Relationships

Educational Learning

As you scroll through these pillars, I imagine you'll slow or full stop on one or two of them that particularly resonate with you. We all have at least one area we'd like to develop and grow in, or one area we feel weakest or strongest in. That's ok! Growing doesn't mean you have to shame or berate yourself for being "behind" or "damaged" or in any way "not good enough." Rather, growing means holding with equal tension the reality that you are doing your best, and you can do better, at the same time. I'm just gonna say that again - you are doing your best, and you can do better, at the same time. I'll be honest here and say the ones of interest to me most right now are "emotions" (particularly equanimity) and "health / fitness." What about you?

*again, feel free to modify these and use this guide as a point to jump off of rather than an all-inclusive "this is the only way to do it" framework.

WHAT TO EXPECT?

My vision for this guide is to revisit it once a semester and include new links, articles, books, ideas, or homework assignments for each pillar. I'd also hope to include things that people give me feedback on or that they tell me help them (i.e., if you have a book or podcast or activity that helps you in one of the above wellness categories, please mention it to me so I can include in future installments!) That's it! It's a simple vision. Ready? 

SPIRITUAL GROWTH

Gentle and Lowly by Dane Ortlund 

“In this timely work, Dane Ortlund directs our attention back to the person of Jesus. Centered on the Scriptures and drawing upon the best of the Puritan tradition, Ortlund helps us see the heart of God as it is revealed to us in Christ. He reminds us not only of Jesus’s promises of rest and comfort, but of the Bible’s vision of Jesus: a kind and gracious King.”

―Russell Moore, President, The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention

“The title of this book immediately evoked within me a sense of longing, hope, and gratitude. The message it contains is a balm for every heart that feels pierced by sin or sorrow―whether from within or without. It is an invitation to experience the sweet consolations of a Savior who moves toward us with tenderness and grace, when we know we deserve just the opposite from him.”

―Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth, author; Founder, Revive Our Hearts and True Woman

*Pick up a copy of the book via Amazon HERE 

*Or download the free Podcast Devotional based on the book from Crossway's website.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Ever feel stuck at work? I'm imagining every hand raised and perhaps a few exahusted grunts at how dumb this question is. It's so painfully universal, isn't it, burnout? While I can't solve your vocational outcries instantly, I do highly recommend clarifying your values to understand what's fulfilling you (ahem and not fulfilling you) at work. Our jobs, like our life, aren't perfect, and can never fulfill us on their own. To expect them to is to invite that nasty neighbor of disappointment into your house and home as a full time resident. Clarifying your values helps set your expectations right about what kinds of jobs best suit you, and what you need to do with your time outside of work to ensure you're living a life consistent with your values (aka the most reliable way to maintain a sustainable sense of purpose and contentment). 

One way I know to clarify your values is to take the free Life Values Inventory test. 

According to their website, taking this assessment can help accomplish the following:

• Linking Values to Behavior & Life Roles
• Career & Life Role Development
• Managing Life Adjustments & Transitions
• Retirement & Leisure Planning
• Team Building & Development
• Leadership Training & Development
• Clarifying Relationship Values
• Enhance Performance & Life 

Perhaps some larger than life claims there? But still, worth a shot if you're in the professional burnout pit. And keep your head up, we've all been there. And many of us still are, 2020 anyone?

HEALTH AND FITNESS

Let me take a moment and remind you not to get swept up in the "new year new you" slogan of death. Health and fitness are pillars of wellness only when used appropriately, and by that I mean holistically. Notice I have not said anything about body shape or your relationship with gravity (aka weight) in this category. And I mean it. This isn't a place for you to berate yourself about your "flaws." This is a section to encourage you to move your body in joyful and meaningful ways that aid in your overall wellbeing (emotional, mental, relational, etc). OK? ok. 

And, where does a foundation of health and fitness begin? Arguably, in a lot of places, but one of the most important ones in my humble opinion is SLEEP! Did you know that your body actually goes into REM withdrawal mode if you don't get enough REM sleep? You can start hallucinating if you go too long without sleep. And, furthermore, your hormones and circadian rhythm can get all out of whack if you aren't sleeping well (this is both a quantity sleep issue and a quality sleep issue). 

The first place to start is learning sleep hygiene. If you're having CRAZY dreams that are causing you anxiety upon waking up, perhaps you'd be interested in exploring the CBT theory of dreaming in the book - Working with Dreams in Psychotherapy by Clara E. Hill.

For general sleep hygiene for adults, HERE's a helpful video on how sleep is tied to physical and mental health, and 5 tips for improving your sleep hygiene. 

BONUS - Seattle Children's Hospital put together a list of things you can do to instill positive sleep habits in your kids. 

EMOTIONS

General Life Stress Test. Yeah, I'm just gonna leave that there. You're welcome. 

I know, I know, you just scored WAY higher than you thought on that general stress test, and you're asking me what to do next. CALM THE HECK DOWN first of all. You've been successfully handling that stress before you took the test, so you'll be able to after, too! But, here's an extra resource if you're really wanting to quickly lower your stress using a 10 minute mindfulness practice by Tara Brach for handling "overwhelming emotions."

RELATIONSHIPS

I'd say you really need to work on the pillar of emotions to even have a chance at solid relationships, but there are some who say communication can cover a multitude of emotional blunders. Since I also believe communication is key, and some of you word wizards might be reading this, I wanted to show you my favorite communication tool for ANY relationship and difficult conversation you might encounter. Literally, it works for anything. Work, home, friends, dating... you name it! Plus, from the looks of Twitter, we all could use a little "healthy communication skills 101" seminar. Here is is again in a simple 1 page version. Yes, this is taken from a therapy model. Yes, it still applies to you. Trust me. PS. pretty much all of the DBT Interpersonal Effectiveness skills are amazing. So poke around and happy communicating! 

EDUCATIONAL LEARNING

"Once you stop learning, you start dying." - Albert Einstein 

I'm considering taking more free online classes. You can find these through general Googling, or from your local museums, libraries, or universities. Of course, you don't get academic credit for taking free classes, but you do get intellectual credit! I mean, learning is learning, am I right? 

The NY Times has an article that lists a bunch of places you can find free classes. I've personally taken one from Yale on the Science of Wellbeing via Coursera (not my favorite, but feel free to try it anyway if it floats your boat).

I also really like taking the free classes that Dallas Theological Seminary offers on a variety of topics from general Bible study and exegesis, to specific books of the Bible or topics, to theologians of history. 

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I hope you found this humble guide useful. Let me know what you think! If you've had a resource, class, activity, podcast, or item that has helped you achieve better personal wellness, please pass it along so I can share it on a future Museworthy post!

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Please note, these resources and suggestions are simply an informal collection of things I like. Please use your best judgment and seek professional advice where needed.