Warm Yellow: People & Purpose
Social connection is proven to improve psychological and physical wellbeing.
It strengthens the immune system, helps us to recover from disease faster and may even lengthen life.
People
Connection with another human being can lift a person out of the swamp of depression. In inflamed times, honest communication with another human being might be the thing that initiates your return to safety. To know that you are lovable and loved, when all you can see in the mirror and hear in your head is negative and ugly can be life saving.
Mental imbalance can lead to withdrawal, which can result in total isolation: whole days and even weeks spent without seeing or speaking to another person. This isn’t healthy, because although initially a bit of peace and quiet can be calming and positive, a person prone to mental illness can soon spiral into depression, anxiety, a combination of both or another place of imbalance.
Having simple rules for yourself can help, especially if you live alone. It might be a good idea to enlist the support of friends. Something as simple as a text might lift you enough to get you moving and engaging with the world. It doesn’t always do that, but it might just let you know that someone is thinking of you, and that’s always a welcome feeling. It’s very easy to push people away when you are mentally unwell, but it’s actually the time when you need others the most.
- If you feel too unwell to speak to someone, writing a letter or card can help, and make you feel close to the people you love.
- Laughter is incredible medicine, even if you are laughing through tears. Make a list of the people, films and other things that make you laugh, and keep them close.
- Reaching out and offering help to another person might help you to see yourself differently, and be really healing for you both.
- Reading the words of someone who has struggled and survived may help, and watching an uplifting film or listening to music can be great company. It’s always good to feel that someone understands what you are going through.
- Pets can be wonderful companions too, and can give a great sense of purpose. The benefits to mental wellbeing of spending time with and taking care of an animal have been proven.
Purpose
Psychologists have found that a strong sense of purpose benefits mental health, overall wellbeing and even cognitive functioning. A reason to get up and get going every day is so important to a healthy, balanced mind. It helps us to focus on something outside of ourselves, interact with others, get out into the world and gain new perspectives.
You don’t have to have a full time job to feel a sense of purpose. Part time work, volunteering and study can all help to tick this box. I recommend making sure that, even if you aren’t working right now, you find something regular to do, with other people, that you find rewarding and stress free and ideally that you will look forward to.
Yellow Checklist:
Feels like:
Useful, connected, motivated, friendly, fun, part of something bigger than you, liked, loved, balanced.
Fed by:
Seeing, speaking to and connecting with people who make you feel good about yourself, using your gifts in the world through useful work whether paid or voluntary, helping other people, learning new skills.
Other Balancing Colours
Nourishing Green
Diet & Exercise
Peaceful White
Rest & Reflection
Joyful Pink
Creativity & Self Expression