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Other ways that we are fed...
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I have been thinking lately about how much we are “fed” by other means… things other than food.
And about how when I feel hungry sometimes its really not for food. Its for comfort or connection.
One thing that I consistently notice with patients is that if they dislike their job, if it is unfulfilling, they often seek out “nourishment” to make up for this void via food.
I came across this short post from the school of Integrative Nutrition. I love the questions that they pose at the end. Give this exercise a try… it will take 3 minutes.
Find Work you Love
Think about it. You spend 8-10 hours a day, 5 days a week at work. That adds up! You probably spend more with your coworkers than with anyone else in your life. Are you passionate about your job and do you love the people you work with? If not, chances are that takes a toll on your health.
While we are choosy about what we eat or who we relate to intimately, we spend years doing work we can’t stand that may be completely opposed to our personal values. Work is a huge part of our daily routine, but how many of us really enjoy it? Many of us complain constantly about work, but feel powerless to change it. These feelings of helplessness do not nourish us.
Although the modern work world is challenging, it is also a world of opportunity. Finding work you love is essential to living a healthy, balanced life.
Try this Exercise:
If Money Didn’t Matter
If you decided right now that you had enough money, and that you would always have enough, what would you do with your life? Write at least 5 imaginary lives.
Think about the following:
What kind of work do you love?
Who would be part of your life?
Where would you live?
2 Responses
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This topic of being fed in different ways keeps trailing through my mind. I’ve noticed that when I casually think about the broader category of nourishment the first thoughts that come up are “what is it that I want?” And I associate being nourished as being happy and peaceful, where everything in my life is going along just the way I want it to. But I realize that this form of nourishment isn’t necessarily nourishing at all, at least not to the greater aspects of myself. It can actually be quite soul depleting, by which I mean when we get everything that we desire it’s easy to forget that we’re actually a part of something much larger and greater going on, and when we turn our back on this, it’s like turning our back on life. It’s interesting though because as you’re pointing out Tif, we do need to dig deep and examine our own interiors and really take the time to discern what it is that we really want to give and create in this life. When we do this we see beyond the superficial surface of our feelings and we can align ourselves with a much more personally meaningful purpose. I think by taking the time to deliberate, flush out and discover our own mission in life we can develop a soul binding conviction that enables us to really Give, really create, and really be a deeply nourished being; a being that is not only nourished themselves, but is nourishing to those around them.
Amber
Tif, thanks so much for posting this! As a Health Counselor and graduate of the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, I’m glad to see people like you discussing these important topics. It’s the philosophy that’s helped me become nourished in a truly holistic way—being fed by things other than physical food—and it’s the same approach I use to help my clients develop a healthy relationship to their food and bodies, and to engage in the world in a meaningful way. Way to go for posting these exercises!
Warmly,
Megan www.wholefoodstherapy.com