Nourish: 4 Ways to Create a Life of Thriving

When it comes to nourishment, think of yourself as a flower in a field. How healthy is the soil, the light, the plants around you?

The environments you inhabit influence every aspect of your life. They shape physical health, emotional wellbeing, intellectual evolution and spiritual growth.

We are living, breathing organisms, constantly in flux, and our environment is a huge determinative factor for our sense of fulfilment and growth. Over the years, I’ve some fairly major shifts in order to align my environment with my authentic needs through several key phases of my life.

One thing that’s become clear to me — and the research backs this — is that your environment is key to the level of contentment and nourishment you experience in life.

And this goes beyond considerations such as air pollution or population density to four different aspects of the notion of ‘environment’.

How to live a life of thriving

Whether it’s having the right amount and type of social connections, or experiencing the right level of calm or buzz in your day-to-day — environment is key. And to the extent we can, aligning our environment with our individual needs during a particular phase of life can be transformative.

“Your environment is key to the level of contentment and nourishment you experience in life.”

You don’t necessarily have to move house, cities, states or country to experience significant environmental change — there are simple changes available so you can ensure your environment is more optimally nourishing you. On four levels.

1. Your Physical Environment

Your physical environment significantly affects your health and quality of life. If you’re someone who thrives on big city energy, a rural setting will drain you fast. If you need nature to survive, the bustle of a large metropolis will zap your energy.

And it’s not just where, but how. The layout, feng shui and design of your immediate living spaces also play a critical role — environments that are aligned with your personal needs and tastes can enhance your energy and mood.

REFLECTION: To what extent does my physical environment feel like the right one for me right now? How could it more adequately reflect my core values, and the priorities I have in my current phase of life?

2. Your Social Environment

The social aspect of your environment is about the relationships you build and nourish and the communities you belong to. If the cultural norms and value systems of your community reflect your own you tend to feel more seen and supported.

If you feel like an outcast at all times, this can eventually deplete your energy and even lead you to feel like your sense of self is eroding (this has happened to me a couple of times).

A supportive, loving social network provides emotional sustenance and resilience during challenging times. In contrast, toxic, energy-zapping relationships can lead to distress and loneliness.

REFLECTION: To what extent do I feel safe to be myself in my community? How often do I experience joy and laughter with others? Who are the people in my life that support me most? Who gives me energy? Who zaps it?

3. Your Intellectual Environment

The right intellectual environment meets your unique needs for learning and growth. This might mean you can access educational resources, as well as museums, concerts, plays and other cultural happenings. You also have your desired level of stimulating conversations to spark creativity and stretch your thinking (this is a big one for me).

For many of us, during certain phases of life, an environment that brings us challenging ideas and diverse perspectives — that feeds curiosity and expands your worldview — can be essential.

REFLECTION: Do I experience enough intellectual rigor in my current environment? What can I do to make sure my curiosity is being sufficiently fueled?

4. Your Spiritual Environment

Seeking the right spiritual environment — one that nurtures the intangible aspects of your wellbeing, offering peace, purpose, and connection — can be an ongoing and evolving process.

This environment might involve being part of spiritual communities, engaging in practices like meditation or yoga, or having your own a quiet space for reflection and opportunity for spiritual growth.

During COVID, I found one of the strongest spiritual communities of my lifetime in an online meditation group lead by Tara Brach, despite never meeting another member in person.

A strong spiritual environment means you can access practices that align with your inner values and beliefs, providing comfort and a sense of connection to something greater. This kind of environment supports emotional wellbeing and grounds you in a sense of trust and ease, and perhaps at times even an awareness of your inherent unity with the universe (or maybe that’s just me).

REFLECTION: Does my environment support my spiritual growth and fulfill my spiritual needs? What would help me to experience a stronger spiritual environment right now?

Being mindful of the 4 aspects of your environment helps you create a life that’s aligned with your authentic self, nurtures your wellbeing, and enables you to shine your light in the world more brightly.

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Could you use some support in making shifts and choices related to your environment? Curious about my Wellbeing for Performance workshops? Reach out today.