Women’s Wellbeing Buckets

How full are your wellbeing buckets? Taking a moment to review the different areas of your life that promote wellbeing can help you reflect on where you can make improvements and where you may find benefits in dedicating more time to. Consider these different pillars of wellbeing: your nutrition, hydration, movement, mental health and balance.

How full are your 5 wellbeing buckets? Use the prompts below to colour them in, and to also consider your unique health needs as a woman! Once you have done so, use the tips below to help you come up with a plan on how you may be able to implement steps to fill each of them up and support your overall wellbeing.

Nutrition: Reflect on what you ate this week. Are you prioritising your nutrition? Are you dedicating time to making well-balanced home cooked meals or do you often rely on takeout? Do you often incorporate a variety of plant foods into your diet which helps to support your gut health?

For women, a key nutrient includes iron, which plays a role in energy and menstruation can increase iron losses. Sources include lean meat, poultry, fish, and legumes. Calcium and vitamin D are also particularly important during middle adulthood as bone mineral density begins to decline, and sources including dairy, fish with bones, salmon, nuts and calcium-set tofu. Reflect on whether you’re including these key nutrients in your diet! 

Making a meal plan each week and incorporating meal prep, whether it’s bulk-cooking or ingredient prepping, can help you choose more nutritious meals throughout the week and reaching your 30 plants a week.

Hydration: Are you well hydrated? Is your urine pale in colour indicating you are well hydrated? How much alcohol do you drink in a given week? It's important to drink enough water as fluid promotes regular bowel movements and helps with food digestion! 

Carrying a water bottle with you, using a hydration app for reminders, or flavouring your water with fresh fruit can help you increase your intake.

For women looking to manage their weight, alcohol can contribute to empty calories and can contribute to weight gain. Try setting a limit to the amount of drinks you have, having no more than 10 drinks in a given week and no more than 4 in one occasion.

Mental health: How would you rate your mental health? Are you able to manage stress well? When was the last time you carved out time for yourself to do something that helps you de-stress? Some women may experience mood changes during the high hormone phase of their cycle as well as during peri-menopause, and having strategies in place to manage stress can help to promote overall wellbeing.

Consider what strategies you can put in place to support your mental health. This may be incorporating meditation, yoga, journaling, or scheduling regular walks with loved ones into your routine.

Movement: Are you engaging in regular movement, and has it become part of your routine? Are you sitting for long periods of time?

You may find that the type of movement you engage in varies depending on where you are in your cycle. During the low hormone phase of your cycle (days 1-14), you may find it easier to engage in high intensity workouts, as women have greater muscle strength and power during this time. During the high hormone phase of your cycle (days 15-28), the body has a tendency to use more fat as the fuel source for exercise to preserve its glycogen store, and including more carbohydrates before your intense workouts can help support you, or you may choose to engage in low impact workouts during this time. During menopause, women can begin to lose muscle mass. Incorporating weight bearing exercises like lifting weights can help preserve muscle mass and support your metabolism.

How can you aim for 30-60 minutes of movement each day? What type of movement do you enjoy? What time of day is the most realistic for you? The best type of movement is finding what you enjoy and can stick to.

Balance How do you view your ability to make time for family, friends, community and your hobbies? Do you struggle to balance various commitments and perhaps neglect the things in life that truly make you happy? We get it - it’s difficult to juggle all of life’s demands. However, you may find yourself unknowingly putting more time towards one commitment and neglecting these other aspects of your life.

Consider if there’s certain areas you could spend more time nourishing, whether it’s your friendships, engaging in the hobbies that make you happy, or catching up with family. Some ideas include scheduling in a morning walk with a friend, signing up for a creative class that’s been on your mind, or cooking a favourite dish with a family member.

A Final Word

As we look back on this women’s health month, we hope that reflecting on your wellbeing buckets helps you consider what areas of your life could use more of your time and attention, to help you promote your overall health and wellbeing!