Seasonal joy: a recipe for year-round wellbeing

Colorful explosion during a walk in my neighborhood this afternoon.

As in anything else in life, there is no one-size-fits-all, no universal formula for joy or wellbeing. But there are a few useful principles that certainly foster healthy and fulfilling living. The House of Enchantments has so many hidden gifts and surprising gems that allowed me to expand on lifestyle hygiene that I wanted to share them with you. My home has been the witness to various shifts in my approach to the study and nurturance of the self and I have decided it might be a good idea to list the practical tools developed from significant insights.

Again, I am sharing what I found to be working for me and what has also been helpful for many people I had the chance to assist in my professional and personal life. I also use my clinical experience as a doctor who tries to be holistic, minimizing polypharmacy (or excessive use of high number of medications), and focusing on resilience and strengths inherent to each person, inviting them to expand on what is already effective.

1. Get sufficient and decent quality sleep: this means the bedroom should be cozy, devoid of too much clutter (note the use of ''too much'' here... I have a chair that is the landing spot or purgatory for the clothes not impeccable enough to go back to the closet nor dirty enough to be dumped in the hamper... And I have some ''to read'' piles on various locations). All electronics (TV, phone, digital watch) are outside of that sacred nighttime space. If you have insomnia, try natural remedies before rushing to the doctor and begging for a narcotic. Cherries or cherry juice contain melatonin. Lavendar products (capsules, sachets, mists, oil etc) facilitate relaxation. Herbal tea can also be part of a bedtime routine that helps you winding down.

2. Maximize sun exposure: especially during the winter, when more than 2 consecutive rainy days start to affect my mood negatively, I know the value of sun rays and vitamin D. I find tasks to do outdoors every day, whether it is sweeping leaves, gathering twigs for the fireplace, hanging laundry, or meditative activities like eating, sipping tea, reading, journaling, doing a video call, or simply listening to bird songs.

3. Move your body: try to do 8 thousands steps per day, even 10 000 if you can. To my daily walks or biweekly jogs, I add either a 10-min yoga routine or a 3-min functional muscular training.

4. The senses meet the four elements: yesterday, I did a cold plunge and swam 11 lapses in a pool that was about 14 C (It boosts the immune system, energy level, and mood !). Water, air, earth, fire... Find your own recipe that stimulate all your senses. Connection with nature is a portal to spirituality. Notice the air lifting the leaves in a soothing sound, or being traversed by sounds from birds you have never heard before. Eat food that come from the earth and water elements. Single-ingredient or plant-based diets are ideal. Stay away from ultra-processed foods, animal fat, coloring, additives (including extra salt or sugar). 

5. Ask yourself what your house, your environment, your neighborhood and general milieu have to offer to you, and make the best out of it. I have prolific rosemary bushes that I am grateful for. I have a lemon tree. I used these offerings from nature in my kitchen.

6. Cultivate a consistency of coquetterie that makes you feel like an alive version of you: I have a friend and an aunt who insist on putting on make-up everyday, whether they will see people or not. For me, staying young or caring about myself in a way that prevents premature aging includes applying sunscreen on my face and other sun-exposed areas like my hands, wearing quirky sunglasses, selecting dangly earrings, or wearing patterned tights during the cold months.

7. Creative outlet: where do you express your creativity ? Through cooking, music, poetry, dancing, sewing or other forms of visual art ? When I have a creativity drought, I go to a local thrift store and with the affordable vintage ''must-haves'', I make my house the recipient of interior design or feng-shui creativity.

Ceramic from the local thrift store, to add some texture to my décor.

8. Meditation: through the enjoyment of stillness or focus on the breath, practice grounding or being in the moment as it helps to regulate our stress response systems and mitigate negative thinking such as helplessness, despair or shame. Cultivate silence to gain self-awareness and also develop a sense of interconnectedness with all beings. Mindfulness also applies to how we consume and it means we should be aware of the ways what we consume is produced, where does it come from and how can we remain grateful through the practice of enoughness in order to care for the planet, use its resources judiciously and reverse the agonizing destruction of its ecosystems. Mindfulness is another way to access our spiritual dimension.

9. Socialization: develop meaningful connections with people who see you and affirm you. Apparently, we are the average of the 5 people we interact the most with. Choose your circle wisely. Hang out with people who inspire you and bring out the best in you ! I am so fortunate to have such luminous souls in my life. And it is ok to let goof relationships that are no longer aligned with your values. You shouldn't have to justify yourself for wanting to expand rather than stagnate.

10. Sense of purpose: what makes you want to get out of bed every day ? A sense of purpose isn't a to-do list. For instance, traveling the world isn't a sense of purpose per se, but often a means to it (like doing humanitarian work). A purpose is not a goal but a mission that will connect the moments and their activities or bridge the days and form the common thread of the reason for your existence on this planet. It is more like an intention that is the convergence of core values rather than a measurable goal. It most likely leads to the expression of your unique gifts. And all of the steps above constitute self-care that will establish the necessary foundation for your mission to unfold.

Two-sided folk art, another gem found at a nearby store.

For more tips to access your resilience, wellbeing and lead a balanced, sustainable and harmonious life, discover or subscribe to my YouTube channel, ''Dr G's Dandelion Monologues'', and our podcast co-hosted with Christopher Arthursson, ''The Dandelion Reflections''.