Welcome to the first blog post of CounselMe! Here, I will share my weekly thoughts and discuss areas of mental health and self-care. Keep an eye on my social media to be updated when a new blog is posted!
Soul food
I listened to a podcast recently by a mentor of mine, Paul Scanlon. He was talking about the importance of self-care for your soul. It is such an interesting, intangible concept – your soul. Bodies we can squeeze and feel and medicate and exercise, but a soul?
The description of a soul was by three concepts – our mind, our emotions and our will. So, if our soul is made up of our mind (thoughts), our emotions (feelings) and our will (determination), then how do we provide it with rest and how do we recharge it?
A weary soul often leads to being flat or hostile or argumentative or weary and burdened. This is where we need to look at ourselves and explore and question what makes us. What does our soul love and how can we give it more?
Can you think of 5 things your soul loves to do or experience?
I sat and noted a few of my soul addictions:
1. Sitting in my favourite chair with the view of the water and drinking a cup of tea
2. Going to the movies by myself and watching a movie to think about
3. Being in a warm climate and drinking an ice-cold iced tea
4. Listening to baroque classics with the volume up and no one else around
5. Reading a novel that has a happy ending
These things help me to breathe. I don’t have to do them all daily, or even weekly, but I have come to recognise when my soul is feeling weary and needs to be encouraged. The gap between a full and empty soul is often unhappiness, and as a human we can’t do this for too long.
What feeds your soul? Write a list and try to do at least two of them by the end of the week when you’re feeling weary.
