A simple Occupational Therapy inspired monthly prescription of activities intended to support wellbeing that you are invited to spend as little, or as often as you like on.

October is here, September may have seen you bring back some to your days, or like myself you may have struggled to fall into routines. Autumn is creeping upon us here in Europe and this month we are going to explore preparing ourselves for the winter months. Moving into soothing and simple exercises. My nervous system took quite a battering last month and this is what I’m craving, do join me on this adventure by trying out the following activities.

Here are the details of this months activity based prescription to help us along the way to improved wellbeing.

1. Cultivate Gratitude

Gratitude is a powerful tool in rewiring how our brain functions, practicing gratitude serves as fundamental inroad into feeling more satisfied with life, having greater trust in our abilities and the ability to deepen our relationships with those around us. Acknowledging the good things in life builds our emotional resilience in a multitude of way, there’s a plethora of neuroscience that supports this simple wellbeing tool have a look HERE.

Writing or saying out loud 3 to 10 items daily is a quick and easy tool to incorporate into our days that support wellbeing, two weeks of engaging in this new habit is enough to begin to lay the foundations of those all important new neural pathways. You could write them in a notebook, take a photograph and share it on a social media with a simple list of what you’re grateful for, share them at dinner with your family, as you like.

Daily for 14 days is the invitation.

(If you are struggling to come up with ideas or fancy going a little deeper you’re welcome to try out this 8 minute gratitude meditation)

2. Put away your summer things

Carve out a time when you’re in the mood or force yourself one day (as I did), you’ll feel better when it’s done I promise. Having some organised spaces in our homes creates not only physical space but mental space as well. If you live with others maintaining a tidy space can feel impossible so the simple task of sorting some of your own things and placing them away neatly to be discovered again next year will possibly bring a sense of calm and order in the disorder of daily life.

Read about how clutter causes stress, soothing surroundings are nurturing and being organised saves time, money and other resources in this article from Very Well Mind.

3. Autumnal Mindfulness Meditation Practice

Autumnal Mindfulness Meditation - an 8 minute practice on The Wellbeing Atelier Soundcloud album.

The changing seasons are the focus of this short guided practice, create some time once a week to pause, recenter and connect to yourself. By learning to listen to the stories our body tells us rather than our analysing, judging mind can activate our parasympathetic nervous system, sooth us and essentially support our wellbeing.

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