Wellbeing Wednesday: Cultivate Your Cozy
How Coffee, Flowers, and ‘Hiraeth’ Heal Your Soul
Welcome to my first Wellbeing Wednesday blog post. If you’ve been following my social media, you may have seen some weekly Wellbeing Wednesday Waffles (The www at it’s best ;))
This week I wanted to start a blog, where the waffle can be a little more controlled, and I wanted to highlight the profound impact of our environment on our wellbeing; both the tangible things around us and the landscapes of our mind.
Wellbeing isn’t just about grand gestures or massive life changes. It is often within the small, positive anchors we set in our daily lives, and in the way we perceive the memories of our past.
The Power of Positive Anchors
Look around you right now. What do you see?
Our physical surroundings have an undeniable influence on our energy and mood. Surrounding yourself with positive things isn’t a luxury; it’s a vital act of self-care. These positive anchors serve as small, regular mood boosts. This morning, I treated myself to a hot coffee with a gift card I forgot that I had and I purchased a beautiful yellow rose for my office.
- The Comfort of Connection: This warm cup of coffee bought for me by a friend is a simple gesture but it instantly fostered feelings of gratitude and belonging, connection over the miles.
- Life and Energy: My beautiful new Rose, a simple single potted flower brings positive energy and life and are non-verbal reminders of growth, beauty, and vitality.
- Sensory Delight: I also have my favourite candle lit, filling the space with one of my favourite scents.
Something to try out: Give yourself five minutes today to identify one “positive anchor” you could add to your immediate workspace or living area. A small adjustment could create a significant shift in your daily experience.
Embracing ‘Hiraeth’: A Healing Nostalgia
It also feels prevalent at the moment to explore a deeper, more emotional aspect of well-being; the concept of Hiraeth.
Hiraeth is a beautiful, complex Welsh word that has no single direct translation in English. It’s often described as a deep, poignant longing for a home that may never have existed; a powerful nostalgia, a grief for the lost places of the past, or an intense yearning to return to a person, an era, or a place.
It’s more than just missing something; it’s a soul-deep ache that carries a sense of loss and familiarity all at once.
Finding Healing in the Longing
While Hiraeth sounds melancholic, allowing yourself to acknowledge it can be incredibly healing. This longing is not a weakness; it’s a sign of a rich inner life. This weekend I visited some dear friends in London and was very much reminded of a time when I was working in the performing arts industry, on professional stages, and I felt the nostalgia for those times. It isn’t a yearning to return to those times, but a positive reminder of all of the parts that make up me and my story.
Some possible ways to engage with your own Hiraeth:
- Acknowledge Who You Were: Your Hiraeth often points you back to a past version of yourself, the person who lived in that time or place. By gently honoring that former self, you accept that they were part of your journey.
- Celebrate Who You Are Now: The beautiful paradox of Hiraeth is that the longing to return highlights the journey you’ve taken and the person you have become. You are carrying the lessons and resilience from the past into your present self, for me, this all enriches my life as a parent, performer and therapist.
- Integrate the Lessons: Use the feeling of Hiraeth not as a reason to be stuck, but as a compass. What feeling is the memory evoking? Is it safety? Freedom? Creativity? How can you cultivate that feeling right here, right now?
Embracing Hiraeth means seeing your life as a continuous, beautiful story. The past and present aren’t two separate islands: they are connected by the sturdy bridge of your own personal growth.
This Wellbeing Wednesday, I am aiming to commit to being intentional about both the things I surround yourself with and the memories I hold close. Both are essential ingredients for a truly nurtured self.
How are you cultivating your sanctuary this week? Share your positive anchors in the comments below