When thinking about exercise we may visualize movement, exerting energy, and possibly sweating. But have you ever considered breathing exercises and its positive affects? In this current environment feelings of uncertainty, stress, and anxiety are overwhelming. Read More→
In a world where most of us are in the same spot, feeling the same, wondering when this will all end, questioning how it will affect each one of us, we have a choice. Many of us are at home. Some of us were not given a choice. Others chose to remain at home. Whatever the circumstance, we do not need to sit at home feeling down and gloomy. Today we have the choice to get up, move, smile, eat, be thankful, or wave from a safe distance to the neighbor alone in their home. We can still wake up and make the most of each day.
No matter what is going on around, we can choose to exercise. And if we choose, we must be intentional. I recommend that tonight, before bed, you lay out your clothes and set the alarm so that your workout can be one of the first things you do the next day. You don’t need a gym to move. You can still go outdoors, find a space in your home, or use the patio or the balcony. You can choose to keep moving.
How is your mental wellbeing? Are you stuck to the computer reading every news update, story, statistic, etcetera? If you are feeling down then limit your screen time. Find ways to fill your head with happiness instead. Call a family member or friend, read a book, listen to classical music, or do yoga.
Sleep is another important part of your life and another choice you control, so how much sleep are you getting? If you are an adult, 7 to 8 hours is recommended. Ensure that you are getting adequate hours of rest. Your sleep will energize you for the next day. It will help you wake up feeling rejuvenated, which can then encourage you to choose joy. Did you know that if you move each day and fill your head with positive information and thoughts you will probably have a better night’s sleep?
Most of us want to feel happy, but that is a choice each of us must make. I hope that today, surrounded by uncertainty, you will wake up with joy in your heart, that you will choose to smile, to find laughter, to move daily, and to make the most out of every moment and heartbeat you have been given.
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by MaryAnna Robbins
Changing your outlook on life can sometimes work just as well as any medicine. Having a hobby can help you pursue things that enrich, de-stress and otherwise keep you active in your free time. This is important for anyone wanting to improve their well-being, no matter how busy or how bored they are. For a lot of people, the problem is finding a hobby that works for them, so with that said, here are five hobbies that can improve your health and well-being.
Image Source: Unsplash
The idea of art therapy has become a very popular phenomenon. Nothing is more beneficial in your free time than creating art. Not only does art provide creative stimulation, it can also be therapeutic for stress and anxiety. In addition, there are no barriers to pursuing art because there are so many varieties of it, whether it’s coloring, pottery, knitting, or digital, whatever strikes your fancy. Investing your time into art not only makes you productive, but it also provides distractions from the pressures of modern living.
While the prospect could be daunting to some people, dancing does wonders for both your physical and mental well-being. Taking classes in any dance form from ballet to Zumba can help you burn calories and it makes you good. Most forms of dance involve exercising your cardiovascular and muscular systems to boost health. The social contact gained from dancing can also be important as it can lead to finding a new community, building new friendships and sometimes even more.
Gardening can be thought of as hard work, and for some people hard work can be its own form of relief. Gardening can be scaled to the size you want. Small indoor gardens with potted plants and succulents are just as viable as veggie plots or flower beds. You may have a small area that requires working vertically or a large section that you plan to corner off with a shed or refurbished outhouse. Creativity in how you might plan your garden contributes to the restorative benefits of gardening. Making a project out of gardening can make you feel productive and active, and this is good for your mental well-being.
Image Source: Unsplash
As a passive activity, writing can provide excellent stimulation for the mind. It doesn’t matter what sort of writing you’re interested in; it can be beneficial just to practice it. Journals, poetry and creative writing are popular forms of the hobby, but there are plenty of health benefits in other forms of writing as well. Writing letters, blogs, essays and articles can help the writer express pent up energy or anxiety. Practicing writing as a hobby comes with the benefit of improving your writing skills, which may help you with future opportunities.
In Japan there is a term known as ‘forest bathing.’ It’s based around the idea that simply being present in nature can provide meditative and therapeutic effects. While not a magical remedy of any sort, taking walks through nature does have calming effects on the mind along with physical benefits. If you’re feeling cooped up or under the weather, find a local walking track and spend an hour or so just enjoying the outdoors. It doesn’t cost anything besides your time.
It’s important to balance work with play, so you never feel burnt out. If you’re feeling like your health and well-being aren’t as they should be, consider engaging in some of the hobbies in this article and see how they could improve your life. Hobbies are essential to your well-being because they keep your mind engaged, relaxed and in control.
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Author bio:
Harper Reid is a creative writer based in Auckland, New Zealand. She loves baking, reading novels, and learning fun things – like DIY projects or a new language! Find out more by visiting her blog right here.
Go for a run, take a bike ride, create a backyard circuit, climb the stairs, or do some yoga. Stuck indoors? Then live stream an exercise class. If you do not have weights, use your body weight to continue building strength. Read More→
The Life Changing Workout is a program that is guaranteed to improve body composition, alleviate mood, boost energy, promote better sleep, improve sex, and combat health conditions and diseases. Would you like to know what this workout is? The Life Changing Workout is any physical activity that you can do consistently, not only for a week or for the month, but regularly over the long term. Read More→
Sleep gives the body time to recover after training, allowing time for the muscles to repair themselves. During sleep, the body also produces more growth hormone than during the day, a hormone that diminishes with age. According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine 2016; 12(6)L:785-786), an adult needs at least seven hours of sleep every night.
To encourage quality sleep, limit your exposure to technology prior to retiring to bed. The screens of cell phones, tablets, computers, and televisions emit blue light that hampers melatonin, the hormone responsible for controlling your sleep cycle. Without enough melatonin, you experience insomnia during the evening and tiredness during the day. In addition, the blue light emitted from screens mimics daylight, and plays havoc with your Circadian rhythm, the internal body clock that tunes your body to healthy sleep patterns. The solution, try to avoid electronic screens at least one hour prior to bedtime.
Cell phones and tablets pose an additional problem at bedtime by stimulating the brain. Scrolling through Facebook or Instagram, or answering text and emails engages the brain, the last thing you need before falling asleep. Even after logging off, your mind continues to be logged on, mulling through the myriad of posts and messages you have perused. Again, move the cellphone and the tablet away from the bed.
Seeing something that may trigger a strong emotional response can postpone falling asleep and delay REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. Even if you cannot avoid blue light emitting screens, avoid social media before bedtime. Create a relaxed and pleasant environment prior to retiring.
1. Establish a bedtime routine that encourages relaxation. Avoid activities that encourage anxiety
or extreme emotions.
2. Put your cell phone and your tablet in another room. Use an alarm clock or a clock radio to
wake up in the morning. Even a smart home device like Google Assistant or Alexa can be used
to replace the bedside cell phone; set the smart home device outside the bedroom, but within
earshot.
While technology may keep us connected and more efficient during the day, avoiding it during the evening hours is essential in establishing good sleep patterns. Use technology wisely.
by Hugh Mitchell
In order to stay healthy during the festive season it is important to maintain a realistic viewpoint on your capabilities. Extra stimulants, additional socializing, an abundance of tempting treats, late nights, and a long list of ‘things to do’ can all add stress to your life. While both the nervous and immune systems are especially vulnerable at this time of year there are some steps you can take to stay on a healthy path.
Here are a few tips and nutrient dense foods that can support your health over the Holiday Season
Have a happy, healthy holiday season ☺
Cheers
Nancy
RHN, CPT
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SADs) makes up about 10% of depression cases and woman seem to be more affected than men1 . Eating a whole foods diet, while avoiding refined foods and sugar can help to alleviate symptoms.
Common symptoms of SADs are: Read More→
Lack of good nutrition can be detrimental to brain health and mental well-being. There is a strong link between a high sugar, processed foods diet and impaired memory function and depression.
Scientists are now calling Alzheimer’s Type 3 diabetes! Read more here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2769828/
Prevention is the key to any illness so support your brain health by consuming the above foods on a daily basis.
While we cannot always avoid stressors in our daily life, we can manage our response to triggers.
By adopting some simple and effective coping mechanisms, our lives can be more harmonious. Practicing yoga is not only effective at managing stress, but is also a way to ease symptoms of anxiety and mental fatigue. By transferring focus and attention to the body and breath, we can access a calmer mind, improved sleep, and many more health benefits.
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