by Kim Gatewood

We recently asked the community on social media, “How do you maintain your well-being?” This will be different for everyone. First, I want to share the meaning of well-being. Well-being is your overall feeling of comfort, health, and happiness. I thought it might help if I shared my answer with you. I think you have to give yourself grace and the gift of time so that you can be well.

My name is Kimberly  Gatewood. I work for the Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities Arkansas. I am a black woman with intellectual and physical disabilities. How do I take time out for myself? I purposely set aside time every day. Six or seven months ago, I chose to fit quiet time into my daily routine. It did not come without trying; to make this time fit into everything else I need to do in a day, I had to plan. I wake up at 4:30 each morning to make it happen. You can make your own plan that fits into your schedule. It may not be in the morning, your best time may be in the evening. Only you will know when it’s best for you. You may hear people talk about self-care or post about self-care online; this is a kind of self-care. Self-care is taking actions that help you get, keep, or grow your health and happiness.

What do I do during this time? I write in my journal and I read a book. I color in my coloring books. These are things that I enjoy and make me feel better. I also use my early morning time to have quiet time with God.

This choice will be different for each person. You should ask yourself, “What makes me feel better?”, then write down or record the answers. If you need some support, you can ask someone in your personal support network to discuss this with you. Sometimes it helps to talk-through these kinds of decisions with another person.

I wanted to write about this as we come to the end of National Wellness Month. National Wellness Month is celebrated each August in the United States. It is about encouraging people to consider and prioritize their overall health and well-being. It reminds us to take steps towards a good life by setting healthy routines, practicing self-care, managing stress, engaging in enjoyable activities, and making nutritious food choices. 

Wellness, well-being, being healthy will be different for each of us. You can find tools for wellness from the National Institute on Health here “Your Healthiest Self”. Clicking on this link will take you to another website where the tools are available.