Self development
Three ways self development will support your holistic wellbeing.
Before I start I have to be honest and admit ten years ago I thought self development was personal/ professional development and what we did within our day jobs. It never occurred to me back then that investing time in myself and learning would help my overall holistic wellbeing (and I don’t think I’d heard of holistic or wellbeing either!)
I might add further back to fifteen years ago I’d experienced counselling, hypnotherapy and NLP and still I thought these were about something else, like just fixing a problem or a phobia. Long term self development wasn’t on my radar.
OK so skip to now, and over the last eight years I’ve not only invested thousands of pounds in retraining and continuous learning, I invest in my mental and physical health and create time for myself to do these things. Am I happier? Yes.
It’s more than being happy. Those of you who have followed belifehappy since the first online launch in 2009 will know the very grounding core of belifehappy is happiness for a lifetime, today, tomorrow and every day.
Over the last couple of weeks I’ve been reviewing my CPD to date this year and what else I have planned. I’m also researching and reviewing my business. I want to personally and professionally grow, because as I learn and grow I can share this with you.
Learning is one of the four principles of belifehappy: give, play, love, learn. Each principle is equally as important and together they all contribute to your holistic wellbeing.
What I want to share with you next are three ways self development will help support your holistic wellbeing.
1) Investing in yourself can be thought of as a selfish act. Instead I ask you to consider this perspective of self development; when you give to yourself, your self value increases. This means you have even more love, talents, skills, and learnings to share with the people in your world. Keeping a check on the balance is well worth the time.
2) You get creative in mind and body when you are out of your comfort zone and when your whole being is challenged through learning. Just take a look at how nature adapts to unusual weather challenges; a dry summer or a super cold winter. Nature faces the challenge and then with repair and reflection forms regrowth.
3) Self development connects mind, body and emotional state. Mentally when you are learning you have focus. When you have focus you are less anxious as you concentrate on what you are learning. Learning encourages growth and allows the mind and body to work together. When a printer is in alignment you get a much better finish? Well when your min and body are working well you will notice from your quality of sleep to how you feel on the inside and look on the outside. Add to this at an emotional your self belief oozes confidence and shows your value of yourself. This energy transfers from within you to across your life. (That’s why people behave differently around you when you invest in yourself!)
There are a lot more than the above three ways self development contributes to your holistic wellbeing, it’s just I’m seriously over on the word count! (Please check back and read some of my other blogs.)
Reflection of your self development
Now here is a quick challenge and I would like you to check in over this year so far and:
Ask yourself where you have invested in yourself?
How does that feel, seeing what you have invested in?
Is there anything you would change, like to do more or do less of?
What else do you have planned for the rest of the year?
Is there anything stopping you from investing in yourself?
Take some time to notice what your answers are and when you ask a second time are they still they same?
For those of you who receive the belifehappy enews look out for updates of a new online resource I’m working on to help you invest in your self development and empower your life and business. Not signed up? Do it here.
Remember self development is your way of giving to yourself and others, playing and igniting your creativity, believing in yourself and expanding your perspectives, skills and knowledge.
Give, play, love, learn.
With Love Emma x
Emma Lannigan is the founder and author of belifehappy: give, play, love, learn. The book is available on all major online book stores including Amazon and Waterstones.