What Wellness Means to Me

Reading Time: 6 minutes

My husband (Teacher, HOD) is currently having his ‘busy term’. We’ve been together for 12 years now, and I know the drill almost as well as he does. At this time of year especially, he is consumed by endless nights and weekends of marking, planning and reports.

He is currently reading a couple of books about Mindfulness and Wellness and he reads out the bits that he finds interesting.

Wellness to me, as a self-employed-work-from-home-er is both the same and a completely different creature to everyone else’s idea. As I thought about it more, the list of things that keep me feeling healthy and good about myself grew and I’ve ended up with this:

Lists. Brilliant!

My husband mentioned in his wedding speech about my Love Of Lists. It’s true. I do love a good list. I have a list on my phone and another list in my notebook. When I start feeling overwhelmed by my a) kids, b) work, c) family, d) endless chores, e) all of the above, the best thing for my state of mind is writing a list of what I actually have to do. Not only do I get immense satisfaction from ticking off the things I’ve done, but it also helps me to put things into perspective.

Exercise. Photo from This Girl Can campaign.

One of the things I decided to regularly add to my To Do List is Exercise. Gosh, it really helps me to clear my head, to plan holidays and think about my To Do List – as well as appreciate the stunning area we live in.

I’ve taken up running again after 10 years or so of Hating Running. I don’t really think it matters what the exercise is, as long as you get your heart rate up (although I’m no doctor!), and it’s almost like meditation once you get your stride going and stop thinking about how much everything hurts and wondering if everyone is looking at your jiggly bottom. They aren’t. Or maybe they are, but WHO CARES?! Exercise is good.

Lovely gardening!

I have an allotment that takes up loads/none of my time, depending on the season. I know people rave about getting their kids involved in gardening, but actually I MUCH prefer to be on my own. The old guy over the road always asks why my husband isn’t doing the digging. Politely I tell him I enjoy doing it (I do!) and refrain from replying “because it’s my bloody allotment and why on earth would I need a man to do it?!”.

Apart from sunshine & exercise, my allotment is fab because there are always leftover vegetables to give away or to make into relish/jam and give away (*see Saying Thank You).

Accepting help is something I’m still coming to terms with. My (wonderful) husband arrives home at the Witching Hour and our kids typically go bananas. I hate sounding like a shrieking old shrew as he walks in, especially when we’ve had a lovely calm afternoon, and I know he’s had a busy day, but he can recognise when I’ve Had Enough and just takes over with teeth/jammies etc. I used to feel a bit ‘insulted’ or like I wasn’t doing a Good Job, but I know now that it’s part of shared parenting – and after all, they’re his kids too.

Saying Thank You.

We are trying to instil good manners in our two daughters. That means saying Thank You regularly, and we both try to set a good example by saying Thank You (for breakfast/lunch/dinner, hoovering, doing the grocery shopping, changing the bed…). It is so important to feel appreciated, and being thanked is the best way to feel it. It’s a two-way street, so I make sure I say thank you too – and not just to my husband – to my children, friends and family as well.

My favourite subject: Holidays!

Before I met my husband and we had our family, I used to have a well-paid job. Nearly all of my disposable income went on holidays and one year, I went on a holiday every single month! Holidays are a brilliant way to clear the head, slow down and smell the roses, appreciate the world and what you have etc. etc.

These days, we have one main income and more (small) people to bring on holiday. Times have changed, but my need to always have a holiday in the pipeline hasn’t. It took us 7 years to get back to visit my native New Zealand, but it was always something to look forward to (next, it’s a road trip in the USA in 2 or 3 years’ time). I need to have our next summer holiday idea in place, almost as soon as summer is over. I don’t mean booked and paid for, but the rough idea – camping or cottage, Scotland or Wales, rural or seaside – that sort of thing.

Two years ago, I decided to start my own business. I saw the need for a Home Exchange website for Teachers and School Support staff – mainly because of the approx. 12 weeks of shared holiday time! I did lots of research into the Actual Cost of Holiday Accommodation (read more here) and discovered that accommodation costs skyrocket by an average of 60%!! And Teachers and School Support Staff will always be limited to these times to go on holiday.

What is Home Exchange?

Holidays don’t need to be expensive or extravagant – instead of paying for a hotel, B&B or cottage, you simply exchange homes with someone else, leaving your money free to pay for all the fun stuff you want to do! With accommodation in a cottage costing in the region of £600 for a week during the summer school holidays, who wouldn’t want to try Home Exchange? Other Home Exchange websites charge anything up to £240/year but Teacher Home Exchange Membership is just £24/year!

Apart from cost saving, why is Home Exchange a good idea?

the space and convenience of staying in a real home
the security of having your own home occupied
if agreed, your plants and pets cared for by your exchange partner
potentially save on car rental costs by exchanging cars (totally optional!)

Have a think about it – it might suit you – it might not, but if you’re interested, you can read more about Saving Money on Holiday here or about Home Exchange here or you might like to browse our FAQs here. You can also Register by going to our website: www.teacherhomeexchange.co.uk

I love a good box set!

Actually, I can’t finish this without mentioning the amazing effects of Box Set watching. The Sopranos, The Wire, Modern Family, The Killing (Danish version, obviously), Breaking Bad, Outlander, Parks & Recreation, Orange is the New Black, The Walking Dead – the list is endless. I know that watching too much telly isn’t that good for my body, but it is definitely good for my soul!

Happy Holidays! ~Sharon

(F: TeacherHomeExchange T: @yayforholidays I: yayforholidays)

If you’ve got a question or story to tell about Home Exchange and your experience, I’d love to hear from you.