Health

Life is full of things that stress you out. Work, bills, social life, kids, spouses – it can all be so demanding. It comes at you like a train going full speed ahead. A good mental health day is almost always the answer.

This is especially true if you have kids and even worse if you have more than one kid. You love them, and they love you. This doesn’t mean that you should be embarrassed to want a break from them.

Unfortunately, for a lot of parents, that break never comes. Many parents don’t make it a priority to take a mental health day to relieve themselves of all the stressors they deal with. They use their kids as an excuse as to why they can’t take time out for themselves.

If this is you, it’s good that you’re reading this article. You need to know why it’s imperative that you give yourself the occasional mental break. Here’s what counselors have to say about it.

Why You Should Take a Mental Health Day

As a parent, you’ll often put your kids first. Your needs get put on the back burner until you get some free time (which doesn’t come very often). You may find that your list of requirements keeps getting longer and longer.

Although you may be the best at managing stressful situations, that doesn’t mean you should continuously do it. The effects of stress can creep up on you and even impact your relationship with your children. You may not realize how stressed you are until you’re on the verge of having a breakdown.

Jeffrey Borenstein, M.D., president & CEO of the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation, says it’s common for people not to realize how stressed they are. “Often people minimize the stress they are under, the effect it has, and don’t take action,” he says. This pressure is hazardous to your health.

The problem with ongoing stress is that your body never has a chance to settle down. According to Dr. Borenstein, the human body is designed to deal with short-term stress, not long-term stress. No matter how well you handle stress, it’s still stress.

Taking a mental health day ensures that you get a break from stress. This way, even if you don’t realize you’re stressed, you’re still getting a break. It doesn’t make you a bad parent to put yourself first. In fact, doing so helps to teach your children good stress management.

When You Should Take a Mental Health Day

The time to take a break may not be evident because, as stated before, you may not realize how stressed you are. Because of this, you should schedule these days regularly. However, there are a few signs that can let you know if you’re stressed out. Some of them include:

• Jaw or tooth pain
• Expanding waistline
• Having a hard time focusing/concentrating
• You keep having headaches
• Trouble sleeping

If you notice that any of this is happening to you, it’s time to take a day to yourself. These few symptoms are manageable, but not taking care of them can cause worse symptoms that will impact your health as well as your relationship with your family.

Once you realize how important it is to take a day to yourself, you’ll probably wonder when the best time is for your day. Scheduling your day can be just as stressful as anything else in your life.

Just keep in mind that scheduling is the key. If you make a plan and plan far enough ahead of time, you can make sure that things will be handled while you’re having your day. The last thing you need to be worried about is who’s taking care of your kids and your household while you’re doing you.

A failure to plan will lead to you feeling guilty about putting yourself first. Guilty feelings lead to stress, and this can cause you to cancel your day. It’s imperative that you make a plan so you can have a peaceful mental health day.

One great way to start your plan is by picking a day that your spouse is off from work. This will ensure that you have someone to watch your kids when you’re not around. If you’re a single parent, try picking a day when a friend or family member is fully available for the entire day.

If you don’t have either of those options, you may have to hire a babysitter. You could save money by picking a day when your kids go to school—that way, the babysitter only needs to be there in the evening.

How You Should Take a Mental Health Day

While you’re planning the date, you should also plan your activities. However, don’t plan a strict schedule. A strict schedule could make you stressed if you can’t stick with it.

You should expect your day to be relaxing above all else. To do that, you need to figure out what you need most of all to rest.

Do you need complete solitude? Perhaps you need more time with your loved ones? A massage is a classic choice.

Whatever it is that you need, put that at the top of your activities list. Try focusing anything else you do that day around your priority. Think of some activities that will relax you and help you have a peaceful day.

Even if you decide to do that one activity, that’s okay. The goal is to renew yourself. But to do that, you’ll need complete peace of mind. Just make sure that you take the whole day to yourself, even if it’s to do that one thing.

Here Are Three Positive Activities to Help You Enjoy a Relaxing Day

You can take your mental health day alone, with friends, or with your partner. Modify these activities to suit your lifestyle.

1 – Treat Yourself to a Day at the Spa

Enjoy a pampering retreat, either alone or with your partner.   Enjoy a manicure-pedicure service, massage, and facial masks. While these services might feel decadent, remember that you deserve it! This self-care is essential to well-being.

2 – Connect with Mother Nature

Do you live near a beach, National Park, or mountains? Grab some of your friends, pack a picnic, and hit the bicycling or hiking trails they offer to visitors. Getting your heart rate pumping as you engage in these activities will invigorate you. And, the grand vistas you see along the way are food for the soul.

3 – Explore Cultural Activities

If you are not the “outdoorsy” type, consider a day trip to a nearby city. Open your mind to learning by exploring their cultural offerings. Do they have an art museum, historic district to explore or live theater? Are any festivals happening that you would enjoy? Expand your mind. That focus on learning new things will entertain you as well as engaging your mind.

What You Shouldn’t Do on Your Mental Health Day

The objective is to have a peaceful day that renews you and gets you ready to face your stressors with a clear head. So far, you’ve been told what you should do during your day. However, there are some things that you shouldn’t do either.

1 – Illegal Drugs

You should never do illegal substances. For starters, it’s illegal. Doing anything against the law is a bad idea. Plus, getting arrested is going to stress you out more than anything your kids could do. Doing drugs while you’re already under pressure can lead to a higher risk of debilitating addiction. Then the drugs will cause even more stress on your mental and physical health. It’s a vicious cycle that can have devastating effects on your life.

2 – Infidelity

Infidelity never ends well. Sure, you may feel good on that day or that night, but eventually, the truth will come out. When it does, it will cause more stress than you could ever imagine.

The stress will come from guilty feelings, but more of it will come from the effects that the infidelity will have on your spouse. Talal Alsaleem, an expert infidelity counselor, says that infidelity causes “…triggers, flashbacks, hypervigilance, avoidance behavior, and manifestations related to the knowledge about the affair and everything related to the affair.” Dealing with this type of fall out in an already stressed marriage could be enough to push you over the edge.

If you’re tempted to cheat on your spouse, perhaps what you need to schedule is marriage counseling instead of a mental health day (you may need both). Communication can significantly reduce stress between you and your spouse.

3 – Overspending the Family Funds

Going shopping is a great way to relieve stress unless one of your regular stressors is finances. The last thing you want to do is aggravate your stress when you’re supposed to be relaxing. If money is a problem in your life, try to plan your day with activities that are free or low-cost.

Even if money isn’t a common issue for you, overspending can stress you out once you’ve realized how much money you wasted. Joel L. Young M.D., medical director of the Rochester Center for Behavioral Medicine, compares overspending to using drugs. He says that even if people have unlimited funds to spend money, overspending can lead to feelings of guilt or shame, hoarding, and undermining relationships.

Enjoy your day, but don’t bring more stress on yourself by spending unnecessary money. There are plenty of ways to do you without breaking your wallet.

Final Thoughts on Why Parents Should Take an Occasional Mental Health Day

You’ll always be Super Mom or Super Dad to your kids. However, remember that you’re human. You get stressed out, and that’s okay.

What’s not okay is ignoring the fact that you need a break. Even if you handle stressful situations well, you need to renew your mental health every once in a while. Not doing so will begin to affect you and your family in ways you may not even notice.

Focusing on your mental health is setting an excellent example for your kids. After all, you wouldn’t want your kids to subject themselves to constant stress, right? Taking the occasional mental health day will keep you in the right frame of mind to continue being the best parent you can be.

As a woman, there are certain things that you don’t want to discuss with anyone, not even your doctor. If you have an embarrassing health problem, you will suffer in silence. When you’ve had children, it can do strange things to the pelvic floor and cause urinary incontinence. However, you don’t need to give birth to have issues with bladder control.

Alarming Statistics of An Embarrassing Health Problem

Did you know that there are more than 25 million people in this country that suffer from a form of urinary incontinence, and of those people, 75 percent are females? It’s an extremely uncomfortable subject to talk about, let alone buy products to prevent a humiliating accident.

It takes about 6.5 years for a woman to seek help for this embarrassing health problem. Yet, the trouble is so common that it affects millions of people worldwide. Over 20 percent of women between the ages of 18-44 will struggle with the loss of control from UI, which is about one in four. However, after 60 years of age, the number dips to 23 percent.

Did you know that women are twice as likely to have problems with UI than men? The chief cause of these issues is childbirth, but it’s not the only reason. You must arm yourself with knowledge about the subject so that you can do something about it.

Common Causes of UI

Many things can cause the bladder area to misfunction. Some of the most common are as follows:

•Persistent Coughing
•Constipation
•Being Overweight or Obese
•Frequent Urinary Tract Infections
•Obstructions of the bladder
•Weak Muscles Loss of Sphincter Strength
•Nerve damage
•Neurological Disorders
•Cancer

Understanding the Different Types of Urinary Incontinence (an embarrassing health problem for many)

Yes, some people are cured of their incontinence, while others find methods to manage their difficulties. The first thing you should understand is the four different types that plague a woman.

Once you know the kind of incontinence you’re dealing with, you can take proactive steps to handle it. Here are the different varieties.

• Stress Incontinence

You may experience stress incontinence when you laugh, sneeze, or cough. A small amount of urine leaks out of the urethra and spills out of your body. Of all the varieties of incontinence, SI is the most common. Doctors typically see this problem in older women, though it can happen to you at any age.

The muscles in the pelvic floor have become weakened, or the sphincter muscle in the bladder is not functioning as it should. The risk for those with SI is obesity, smoking cigarettes, and those who chronically cough. Though this is an embarrassing problem, the amount of urine that leaks is usually not significant.

Most women can control SI by wearing a pad or disposable brief throughout the day. Thankfully, you can correct this by doing Kegel exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor as well as trying bladder training. In bladder training, you learn to hold your bladder longer by not giving in to those frequent urges to urinate. If these methods fail, then there are surgical remedies to consider.

• Urge Incontinence

Urge incontinence, unlike SI, is an indication that there is a problem within the bladder system. Women who experience this variety feel a sudden urge to urinate and may lose control of their bladder before getting to the bathroom. You may hear your doctor refer to this condition as an overactive bladder.

UI occurs when the bladder contracts abnormally. In a healthy bladder, the sphincter muscles effectively control the flow of urine. However, when these muscles become damaged, they contract more often than they should, which causes the bladder to be overactive. The force from the contraction is enough to override the muscles found in the urethra, so the urine inside your bladder leaks outside the body.

Why does the bladder experience these premature contractions in UI? The most common causes are from:

•Stroke
•Parkinson’s Disease
•Diabetes
•Multiple Sclerosis
•Spinal Cord Damage
•An Irritated Bladder

Your bladder can become irritated by many things, including drinking too much soda and avoiding water. They can use many different treatment forms for UI, depending on the cause. If there is damage caused by a significant illness, electrical stimulation to the bladder may help.

They can also use behavioral treatments to try to minimize the damage and bring relief. Unlike stress incontinence, this one is a bit trickier to treat.

• Mixed Incontinence

Roughly 14 percent of women who have incontinence will face a mixed variety. The condition is diagnosed when you face two or more types of bladder control issues, like stress and urinary incontinence. Experts surmise that when the muscles become weak in the bladder area that it sets off a chain reaction in the region that causes two varieties.

When you have mixed incontinence, you can leak when you laugh, cough, or exercise at the gym. Additionally, you may also have urgency problems and feel like you can’t get to the bathroom quickly enough.

• Temporary Incontinence

Yet another type of incontinence is the temporary variety. Sometimes, things can irritate the bladder or cause temporary damage, but the body can soon heal and overcome them. For instance, a urinary tract infection irritates the bladder area, and the disease makes things out of whack.

With temporary incontinence, the symptoms go away as soon as the situation is resolved. So, when you treat the underlying condition, like the UTI, then the bladder leakage will go away.

• Overflow Incontinence

Overflow incontinence is leakage that comes about from a loss of strength from the bladder muscles. It can also be the cause of an obstruction in the bladder where the urine empties. The most common problem with this UI is that women cannot empty their bladder completely, so they retain urine.

You may find yourself having the urge to go to the bathroom frequently, but you may not be able to fully empty all the urine that’s in there, causing further issues.

• Functional Incontinence

Functional incontinence is an embarrassing health problem that is observed in people with psychological issues. It affects children and adults on the autism spectrum and those who suffer from social anxiety disorders and other mental disturbances.

A woman who is afraid to go into the public restroom may hold her bladder all day until the bladder leaks under pressure. She may only feel comfortable using the facilities at home. Another angle with FI is that a person cannot get to the bathroom in time.

For those with arthritis and reduced vision, it may make those trips to the bathroom difficult or nearly impossible. Having a portable potty-chair might be helpful when a person cannot get to the restroom in time.

• Complete Incontinence

No one likes to feel a loss of control from their bladder, especially when they’re not close to a bathroom. Sadly, when you have a CI, you cannot control your bladder functions at all. These are often people who have went years with an undiagnosed problem that never got treatment.

Additionally, CI is often seen in older people who have weak muscles, which affects the muscles in the bladder area. Some surgical maneuvers may be helpful, but it’s usually not something that can be treated. Many people live with this embarrassing health problem and never talk to anyone about it.

Final Thoughts on Treating This Embarrassing Health Problem

Treating incontinence is not always straightforward, especially if you have a couple of varieties. The first step is to identify which type you have so that a treatment plan can be formulated. Even though this is an embarrassing health problem, you must reach out to your doctor for help.

When you have bladder leakage, you don’t know if it’s caused by childbirth or cancer until you are checked. One of the first things that a doctor will do is a cystoscopy. A cystoscopy is a non-invasive test that looks at the walls of the bladder.

During this test, your doctor will be able to see if you have a muscle problem or damage to the pelvic floor. Your medical history will also play a significant part in your diagnosis as conditions like Parkinson’s, and MS can affect your nerves in this area.

Once the problem has been identified, then the goal is to treat the issue. Sometimes, a simple fix is strengthening those muscles with Kegels, while other times, the bladder might need to be tucked. Additionally, any extra weight that you carry around can put pressure on your mid-section and affect the bladder. Losing weight may be the simplest way to end this embarrassing health problem.

The key is not to wait until the damage is severe. Don’t be like statistics, and let years pass with no answers. Call and make an appointment today so that you can live your life without fear of embarrassment. There are treatment options that can reduce or eliminate the difficulties you’re having.

You may know of the importance of caring for yourself physically. You are likely aware of the need to eat well, exercise often, and live a healthy lifestyle. But did you know that these habits are not the only way you should care for yourself?

A commonly overlooked aspect of looking after yourself is about your mental health. Sure, you might be careful about things that can trigger depression, but how compassionate are you to yourself? Did you know that acts of kindness directed internally can be even more beneficial for your overall health? Here’s how experts reveal nine powerful health benefits of being kind to yourself.

1.    Stronger Immune System

When you’re under stress, the body experiences the fight vs. flight instinct, causing the body to focus all its efforts on survival instead of ensuring individual organ and function strength and power. Everything gets slowed down, and you can suffer as a result.

According to research spanning three decades, immunity is considerably impacted by stress, meaning a lack of positive thinking can lead to a higher risk of contracting all sorts of diseases.

According to the University of Texas professor and author Kristin Neff, Ph.D., this means that self-compassion can successfully increase or improve the function of your immune system. There’s a chance you’ll experience:

• Fewer colds and illnesses
• Fewer symptoms of illnesses
• Lower stress reactivity
• A better balance of hormones and microorganisms
• Healthier appearance and body

In fact, self-compassion “meditation” is a real way to help promote healing. Simple meditation allows for mindfulness practices that can teach you to be kind to yourself and exert more control over your thoughts and emotions.

2.    Stress Reduction

When you’re too hard on yourself, you’re constantly criticizing yourself and, potentially, everything around you. This kind of criticism leads to stress and – as you’ve probably guessed – a fight or flight response, says Stanford University Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education science director and author Emma Seppala, Ph.D.

When you critique yourself, you cause your body to release the stress hormone, cortisol. Cortisol is fine in small amounts and when needed, but when released chronically, it can lead to health issues such as:

• Acne
• Easy bruising
• Weight gain
• Thinned skin
• Reduced rate of healing
• Irritability
• Concentration loss
• Headaches
• Weak muscles
• High blood pressure
• Fatigue

According to studies, it’s possible to use positive techniques of self-compassion to break the cycle of negativity, stress, and cortisol production. This is because thinking good thoughts can lead to surges of the feel-good hormone dopamine, says Adelphi University psychology professor and award-winning author Deborah Serani, PsyD.

3.    Changing How You Think

When you’re kind to yourself, you begin a new cycle and process of thinking. With long-term practice, you can completely change the way your brain usually functions, allowing for a more efficient structure and a more positive overall thought pattern, says Neff.

This is because being kind to yourself can thicken the cortical, which is the brain portion responsible for communication across the brain. Actions such as meditation can further rewire the brain to be more beneficial to you and your everyday life.

On top of that, self-compassion is crucial to social connection. Essentially, Seppala states that being kind to yourself is a great way to connect with others, and her research shows us that this can help you find common humanity. Instead of losing itself in wrongs and flaws, the brain learns to observe, relate, and empathize.

4.    Healthier Heart

You’re probably already very familiar with how stress affects fight vs. flight responses, given the fact that we’ve talked about this multiple times! Naturally, that extends to more than just the cortisol production that we’ve mentioned again and again. After all, that kind of stress response isn’t limited to only one function.

When your body is in this fight or flight mode, you:

• Experience spikes in blood pressure
• Have an accelerated heart rate and pulse
• Cardiovascular strain

Just like with cortisol, this isn’t a bad thing when it only happens when your heart needs the boost – like in a real emergency situation where the rush to your heart helps you survive. On a chronic basis, though, it indicates that your body is attempting to solve its problems by attacking itself, says Neff.

Learn to relax and be kind to yourself instead of allowing stress to take over your body. Your heart will, in the long run, thank you.

5.    Exercise Motivation

People often falsely believe that they need to exercise to feel good about their bodies, their appearance, and their overall selves. Ironically, for most people, it works the opposite way. The act of pushing yourself to work out and succeeding in completing that task can give you a massive boost to your self-esteem.

So instead of hating your body and demanding exercise to ease those negative feelings, love your body instead. Sure, it is easier said than done. However you can take baby steps by being kind to yourself. When you care about your body and your mind, you’ll be much more motivated to do things that are good for them, says Neff. Here are some tips to make this happen:

·         Do Mirror Exercises

Every day, look in the mirror and repeat positive affirmations to yourself. Positive self-talk has been proven to work wonders for you and your self-perception. Instead of pointing out your worst features, tell your reflection, “I love you.” Appreciate the parts of you that you do love!

·         Understand What A Real Body Is

Social media is full of people using angles, editing apps, and careful photo selection only ever to show their best side. The media is full of celebrities with expensive personal trainers and professional chefs at their disposal. Your body is real, and it’s realistic. It is beautiful and doesn’t need to measure up to these unreal, unachievable standards. Remember that!

·         Be Grateful

Thank your body for the wonders it does. Appreciate it for keeping you healthy. Acknowledge it for your talents. Thank it for its strength. Thank it for being beautiful, Expressing gratitude towards your body is a huge step forward in being kinder to yourself and reaping the exercise benefits that follow.

6.    Reduced Vice Dependency

A lot of times, a lack of self-love can cause someone to depend on external factors to help them feel happy or better. This type of co-dependency is quite unhealthy and can be very toxic, especially if you find yourself relying on other human beings to feel satisfied. Vices can include:

• Smoking or vaping
• Taking drugs
• Drinking alcohol
• Eating in excess
• Self-harming tendencies
• Obsession and hyper fixation with fantasy
• Co-dependency with loved ones

When you’re kind to yourself, you learn to be self-dependent. You learn that you’re a great person to rely on. As such, you’re less likely to turn to unhealthy vices. Studies indicate that even severe addictions can be helped through kindness.

7.    Mental Resilience

One of the very, very best benefits of self-compassion is that you become mentally stronger. It’s much harder for the world to bring you down when you are your support system.

Does this mean you’d never seek out help from external parties? Of course not! Everyone needs help sometimes. But, according to Seppala, when you practice self-compassion, you:

• Don’t burden yourself with excessive criticism.
• Can keep a more definite peace of mind
• Manage to retain emotional energy
• Are more mindful of how you speak to or think of yourself

These factors combined contribute to your mental fortitude when you’re more self-compassionate, so it’s a fundamental trait to try to maintain!

8.    Pain Management

Chronic pain and other similar conditions and issues can be debilitating. Worse still, they’re known for having less than stellar effects on positive thinking. In fact, considerable, untreated, or difficult-to-manage pain levels can contribute to and be affected in turn by symptoms of anxiety and depression.

According to Serani, acts such as meditation and mindfulness, which work to improve your self-compassion, prove to help relax the body enough to reduce chronic pain of all kinds. In fact, because self-compassion is so deeply interwoven with chronic pain – as found by plenty of studies – it’s not an exaggeration to say that they do go hand-in-hand.

When your self-compassion is low, your pain is worse, and when your pain is worse, your self-compassion gets even smaller. You need to break the cycle! Aside from focusing on being kind to yourself, you can also manage chronic pain and your kindness by:

·         Therapy

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavior Therapy are both typical go-tos for those dealing with chronic pain, according to Ted Jones, Ph.D., CPE. This kind of thinking shifts your thoughts from self-loathing or self-pitying to considering future options, which puts the power back in your hands.

·         Pacing Yourself

When you’re not kind to yourself, feelings of guilt may cause you to push yourself extra hard. You may work yourself down to the bone, even when your body needs a break. Jones encourages the act of learning your body and pain’s limits and respecting them with the knowledge that you deserve to rest, too.

·         Chill Out

Holding tension in your body due to stress is often a clear sign that you’re not kind to yourself. Worse still, holding that tension causes stiffness that can further worsen chronic pain.

9.    Diabetes Management

Diabetes is a severe condition, and it’s not something any proper mindset can cure, of course. This fact is not to say, though, that positive thinking can’t aid in overall management. In fact, according to Neff, a lot of the additional problems of diabetes can come from stress and distress. Learning to manage those emotions can lead to more stable glucose levels.

Considering the concept of cortisol and how cortisol presence boosts blood sugar, this isn’t a surprise at all. As such, though it sounds a little outlandish to say, being kind to yourself can indirectly help with the management of diabetes!

Final Thoughts On Some Powerful Health Benefits Of Being Kind To Yourself

Self-compassion is a crucial skill, not just for your mental state, but for your physical one as well. The overall effects of kindness on your whole being go to show just how crucial it is to care about yourself on a deeper level. Never be ashamed of loving the person you are!

Your health is of paramount importance. However, there’s no way to deny that caring for your health every day can feel overwhelming sometimes, especially when you have a hectic schedule ahead of you. But sometimes, all you need is one minute to do something that seems simple but will have lots of positive effects and improve your health!

Most people’s touted health-related solutions indeed eat up a significant amount of time, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t ways for those with only a few minutes to spare to up their health game.

Here are seventeen easy ways to improve your health in less than 60 seconds.

1.    Drink A Glass Of Water In The Morning

It’s easy to reach for a cup of coffee right after waking up, but water might be a better drink to wake yourself up with. Water, as it turns out, has a massive positive effect on our bodies – especially when it’s often the first thing we consume in the morning. When you drink a large glass of water, you:

• Rehydrate yourself after a long night of rest.
• Replenish your bodily fluids, especially after using the toilet at night
• Activates your kidneys, brain, and guts faster
• Wakes you up and sharpens your senses more quickly

2.    Do A Mindfulness Exercise

With how much we need to rush around in the morning, it can seem counterproductive to set aside a moment to do “nothing”. Contrary to that belief, however, taking the time to engage in some mindfulness and positive thinking helps you to:

• Exercise your attentiveness
• Observe your mental, emotional, and physical state
• Center and ground yourself
• Clear your thoughts and mind
• Prepares you psychologically for the day

3.    Brush Teeth (it will improve your health)

Obviously, brushing your teeth is essential – after all, dental hygiene often relates to better health in general. As such, keeping a regular brushing schedule no matter what is necessary. But just how else can brushing your teeth help with issues?

• It can help alleviate any after-dinner cravings you may have
• It discourages post-meal snacking, due to the way the toothpaste aftertaste interacts with the taste of food.
• Finally, toothbrushing can also discourage lazy folks from further idle munching since you would have to brush your teeth again afterward.

4.    Run

Exercise is undeniably essential, but some things are easier to do than others – and running is one of them. If you find that you struggle to get out for your morning run, here are a few reasons why you should endeavor to keep it up, even if it’s only for a minute a day:

• Studies have shown it counteracts bone loss
• High-intensity running helps build bone density
• It creates a 4% increase in bone health
• Running is a cardio workout, and has been proven to help with weight loss

5.    Breathe Deeply

We all breathe, yes. But have you ever paid rapt attention to the way you breathe? Studies have shown that slow, careful breathing has a significant positive effect on psychological and physiological health. All you must do to take full advantage of this simple act and its positive effects are:

• Focus on taking in two to three deep, slow breaths
• Engage in positive thinking and visualization while doing so
• Write down those visualizations or positive future events

6.    Stand Up

Sitting down is pretty convenient, but studies have shown that being idle is not suitable for your health. It does not help that we spend most of our time staying seated, too, so it all adds up! As a result, folks who sit a lot:

• Are more likely to develop cardiovascular diseases
• Have more signs of psychological distress
• Suffer an increased death rate compared to those who sat less
• Have an increased risk of obesity
• Develop poor posture
• Do not exercise their leg and glute muscles, increasing injury risks as the muscle atrophies

7.    Prepare Produce In Advance

Preparing fresh fruits and vegetables can be hard work, and the last thing any of us wants when we get back home is more work – we all just want to crash! Just a minute of prepping fresh produce the previous night or in the morning, however, helps us to:

• Have an increase of fiber intake, as we have something fibrous to much on
• Uplift our mood and improve our motivation, thanks to the addition of fresh fruits and veggies
• Stabilize our blood sugar
• Encourage healthy skin
• Improve our digestion
• Increases bodily health and resilience
• Increase the number of minerals, vitamins, and anti-inflammatory phytochemicals in our diet

8.    Eat Some Flaxseed

It’s easy to end up stress-eating or munching on snacks that are unhealthy – especially if you still need some time to get a meal prepared. In such cases, try eating a tablespoon of flaxseed with a glass of water! This is because studies have shown that flaxseed:

• Is high in fiber
• Helps suppress appetites
• Curbs hunger and snacking tendencies

9.    Make Some Tea

It only takes a minute to brew some green tea – and it needs no further preparation to be drinkable. In exchange, you get a drink that is full of all sorts of health benefits. Here are some of the facts that are backed by science:

• Drinking green tea a minimum of thrice a week lowers the risk of cardiovascular diseases and stroke
• Tea is full of bioactive compounds–these are beneficial to one’s health
• Tea contains all sorts of antioxidants that may lower cancer risks

10. Laugh (the most fun way to improve your health)

Laughter is the best medicine, so the saying goes – and there’s a fair amount of scientific evidence for it. But just what can this basic act of human nature do?

As it turns out, simply laughing nets you the following physiological benefits:

• Acts as a natural stress reliever for your body
• Works as a natural memory booster
• Burns a few calories via brief aerobic activity

11. Wash Your Hands

Proper handwashing techniques may only take 20 seconds from beginning to end, but science has shown that it is more than enough to kill off all sorts of bacteria and viruses. All you need to do is make sure you take the time to wash with soap and water!

In exchange for just a couple of seconds of your time, you’ll end up protecting yourself from an incredible amount of diseases and illnesses like:

• Influenza
• Common colds
• Salmonella
• Viral infections

12. Dry Your Hands

So you’ve washed your hands. Now what? As it turns out, your job here isn’t quite done yet. Studies show you need to take another 20 seconds to dry your hands thoroughly. Here are a few reasons why:

• Wet skin is a more conducive environment for bacterial growth
• Increased risk of germs and bacteria transferral with wet hands
• Damp hands increase the risk of accidental recontamination

13. Opt For A Natural Look

For those who pay attention to the ingredients list on their bottles and containers, you may have noticed that phthalates often show up in some form of another across products like hairspray and nail polish. Even things like shampoo and fragrances are unaffected.

What’s so scary about that chemical and its ilk? As it turns out, a study has found that it:

• Can affect the metabolism of fat
• Can increase insulin resistance
• Might be a potential cause of an increased risk of diabetes
• May contribute to obesity risks

14. Eat Some Chocolate

There’s a lot of discussion and research on the negative effects junk food has on our physicality, and for a good reason – its effects cannot be denied. What should be discussed more often, however, is how studies have shown that junk food can also affect our emotional wellbeing.

Emotional eating cycles are often fuelled by eating more junk food, as you may become more depressed the more you eat. So how does swapping over to chocolate help?

• Chocolate contains phenylethylamine–that is a substance that stimulates the brain
• Eating chocolate satisfies sweet cravings and mimics dopamine in the brain, making you feel good
• Chocolate additionally contains high levels of antioxidants, which may be beneficial to your health

15. Hug Someone

We may have come closer together as a global society with the help of the internet, but in exchange, we seem to have all gotten more touch-starved. As you can imagine, the lack of human contact is an issue. In fact, all you have to do is turn to the nearest social media platform, and you’ll quickly see people bemoaning their need for some sort of human contact.

So just what can a warm hug do for you?

• It can lower both blood pressure and heart rate
• A hug acts as a natural form of stress-relief
• It helps us feel more relaxed and happy

16. Look Away From The Screen

With how things are increasingly online or digitalized, it is inevitable that we’ll be spending most of our time in front of a screen – whether for fun or profit. As you can imagine, this isn’t too great for your eyes. Studies have shown that continuous lengths of screen time can harm your eyes.

Here are a few things you can do to combat this strain and improve your health.

• Follow the 20-20-20 rule: After 20 minutes of screentime, spend 20 seconds focusing on something that is at least 20 feet away
• Take regular breaks that take you outdoors
• Avoid using computers or smartphones in bed
• Keep electronics outside the bedroom

17. Send A Nice Text

When was the last time you randomly texted someone to tell them you love them? Even if you see your loved one on the regular, sending them a quick compliment or a sincere, heartfelt message not only brightens their day, it can also:

• Improves your mood
• Teaches you how to appreciate even the little things about your loved ones
• Encourages your loved ones
• Increases your satisfaction in life

Final Thoughts On Some Ways To Improve Your Health In Less Than 60 Seconds

You don’t need to spend ages obsessing over your health to do small things that benefit your body and life. Even just setting aside 60 seconds allows you to make wise decisions that your body will thank you for later.

Looking for more convenient ways to improve your health in short periods? Talk to your doctor about things that you can do within the limited free moments that will give you fantastic benefits. Remember, behaviors don’t have to be complicated to be right for you!

5 Natural Nutrients to Boost Your Health With Micronutrients Diets

When people embark on a personal journey to achieve a healthy lifestyle, they typically start doing a few different things.

They regulate the number of calories that they intake.

They exercise more.

They start practicing better sleep habits.

But what’s something that few people do? Track their micronutrient intake.

However, the truth of the matter is that micronutrients play a massive role in how your body performs. If you want your body to reach peak performance, then you need to start considering the benefit of micronutrients diets.

Knowing which micronutrients you need and how to get them, however, is hardly the most straightforward thing to learn. Fortunately for you, we’re here to help. In this article, we’ll list five essential micronutrients that you need to be consuming and how you can make that happen.

1. Vitamin B1

The first micronutrient that we’ll discuss is perhaps one of the most core ones to your body’s functionality. Vitamin B1’s role is to assist in the breakdown of other nutrients into usable energy.

It doesn’t matter if you’re taking supplements for all the other nutrients on this list, if you aren’t getting enough vitamin B1, your body won’t know what to do with them! To get more vitamin B1 in your diet, start eating dried milk, oranges, and pork.

2. Omega3 Fatty Acids

A healthy mind is part of a healthy body. Omega3 fatty acids will help you get your mind on track with your physically fit body.

These fatty acids help the brain to perform at peak output for longer periods of time. That translates into you getting more work done. They occur naturally in fish oil, so start including more seafood into your diet if you aren’t already.

3. Calcium

When you were a kid, your parents probably told you that you had to drink your milk so that your bones could grow strong. Well, the nutrient that makes this happen is calcium!

Calcium intake is particularly important for the elderly. Bones naturally deteriorate with age. One of the ways to combat that is with ample calcium intake, which can be accomplished with more dairy consumption.

4. Vitamin C

Vitamin C does several things for your body. One of its principal functions is developing collagen, one of the elements that contribute to healthy skin. If you’ve been fighting skin problems for years, then try adding more citrus to your diet: oranges, lemons, and limes will all work.

5. Fulvic Acid

Fulvic acid is a soil-based organism that works to boost your immunity. In an age of worldwide pandemics, your immunity needs all the help it can get. To boost fulvic acid intake, eat more vegetables and add a fulvic acid supplement to your daily regimen.

Incorporate Micronutrients Diets for a Healthier You

There you have it. Now you know more about micronutrients diets and how they can help you live a healthier, more all-rounded lifestyle.

For more health articles, be sure to take some time to check out the rest of the website!

Do you dream of starting a business? Many people have entrepreneurial aspirations, but they never get beyond the dreaming phase because they are crippled by fear. The concerns you have of failure and going bankrupt may cause you to stay in a job that is draining you physically and emotionally.

However, did you know that some mental health professionals believe that starting a business can bring your personal fulfillment and improve your health? It sounds strange, but when you toss the stress of working for someone else and the stringent schedule that comes with it, then you can change your entire life for the better.

It’s all about personal fulfillment. When you are fulfilling your needs in your career, it bubbles over into your personal and spiritual life. If you’re on the fence about starting such a venture, then there are some things to consider. There are many ways that starting a business could improve your health.

7 Ways Starting a Business Can Improve Your Health

Yes, starting a business can mean taking an enormous leap fo fair.  But many who choose self-employment reap some surprising health benefits.

1. You Can Make Time for Exercise

Being the boss brings fulfillment because you get to call the shots. While you prioritize daily and weekly tasks, why not exercise on your schedule? Getting your body to move is especially important if your business keeps you sedentary.

You don’t need a fully equipped gym and a personal trainer to incorporate light exercise at work. Did you know that walking is one of the best activities you can do? There’s nothing like a brisk stroll around the block during lunch or another break.

Do you need to be at a desk for most of the day? Give your muscles a break and stand periodically to stretch, touch your toes, or jog in place. Get creative, and you can add more ways to exercise on your schedule and stay healthy.

Working from home allows you the freedom and the time to focus on your health like never before. Exercise is just as important as paying your mortgage payment. You need it to thrive.

2. You Will Meet New and Exciting People

Forget the mundane; one of the benefits of starting a business is that you will get to meet all sorts of people. Since you must position yourself as the face of the company, your interactions with others will increase. Do you like to mingle with the rich and famous, or are you drawn to those who march to the beat of their own drum?

Life is full of wonderfully diverse people, and they are waiting to find someone like you. Think of how much richer your life will be when you meet people from other countries, business owners like yourself, and those who made their way by climbing the corporate ladder. You’re in for a real adventure, and it’s going to be the ride of your life.

3. You Can Finally Make Family A Priority

The ability to have more family time may be one of the reasons you want to start a business. When you work for others, you must go through the process of requesting time off for special occasions or vacations. Many employers consider indispensability and seniority when granting requests, and your application may be denied.

When you own the business, you create the schedule. While you still must be aware of your customers’ needs, you can shift things around without asking permission from anyone. You know the demands of your business. Soon you will learn your peak times and can plan your schedule accordingly.

When most people reach the twilight of their lives, no one wishes they had been in the office more. One of the greatest regrets of folks is not having more family time. Money and prestige are of no comfort to those who are passing, personal fulfillment is important, but family is everything.

Of course, you work hard to ensure that your loved ones have what they need, especially when you are gone. Starting a business allows you to plan for retirement while making quality family time a priority.

4. You Can Improve Your Self Worth

For any business to succeed, owners and managers must empower their employees to prosper. As a business owner, how would your employees feel if you treated them the way you treat yourself? Would they be content, or would they resign?

That Golden Rule only works if the converse is true, that you treat yourself the same way you should treat other people. You can’t be at the helm of your ship if you don’t take care of yourself. Self-employment is a holistic approach that compasses the mind, body, and spirit.

In addition to observing a healthy diet and fitness regimen at work and spending quality time with your family, you need time for yourself. When you are exhausted, overstressed, and emotionally spent, you can’t be the business owner you need to be.

Now is your chance to change things in your life and take care of you. Just because you own the business doesn’t mean that you must shoulder all the responsibilities. If you need help, ask, or delegate jobs to an employee.

The beauty of working or yourself is that if you feel tired and stressed, you can set aside a few minutes to rest your eyes and meditate. Sometimes, taking a break away from your desk and taking a little walk will revitalize your body and senses. Know your limitations and prioritize your schedule to minimize undue stress.

5. You Become a Planning and Organizational Expert

If you’ve never been an organized person, you will quickly learn the importance of having everything in place. When starting a business, you’ll depend on being able to find documents at a moment’s notice. You will learn the importance of planning and scheduling your days.

You won’t have a scheduling clerk to grumble to anymore as you will oversee preparations for the next week in advance. With your new skills in planning and organization, you are sure to succeed. Plus, when you become so organized in your business life, it should rub off into your personal life too.

6. You Can Make Time to Change Your Eating Habits

Remember the days of gathering for coffee during break or lunch at work? Instead of eating sensible snacks and a light lunch, people were drawn to the abundant box of stale donuts and junk food dangling in the vending machines. No wonder you had a sugar rush that ended in an energy slump every workday.

The temptation can be even more significant to overeat or sustain on junk food when you own a business, but you can have a healthy lunch. Poor eating habits are especially prevalent for entrepreneurs who travel for their job. Such diets can be detrimental to your health and can potentially shorten your lifespan.

Since you’re starting a business, it’s a good time to change to a healthy eating plan. While you are exercising, nothing could be better than incorporating a healthy lunch along with it. Keep nutritious, low-calorie snacks portioned in small bags to grab when you get the munchies. Instead of sugar-laden sodas, stock your work fridge with bottled water and add some lemon or other fruits.

Plus, you can brew your coffee and tea instead of spending a fortune at the local coffee shop in the mornings too.

7. Your Mental Health Will Improve

Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life. ~Mark Twain

Novelist Mark Twain stated that choosing a job was important because when you’re doing something, you love it doesn’t feel like work. His wise observation doesn’t mean that you won’t struggle and work hard when starting a business. However, this journey is about finding what you love and doing it well.

What do you need for personal fulfillment? While you do want enough cash and resources to live, achievement transcends materialism. Many studies reveal that when people love what they do, they are often more content and happier than those who make much more money and hate their job.

When you are happy and content, your anxiety and stress will reduce. You may find that you have a bounce in your step and a song in your heart. Loving what you do can change your entire outlook on life, and it can make you a better person.

Final Thoughts on Starting a Business–A Fresh Start in Life

One of the most powerful sayings speaks to someone who is afraid to jump and take a chance. It challenges you to consider the following:

What if I fall? But Darling, what if you fly? ~Erin Hanson

Ask yourself that very question today.

Sure, taking on a new adventure is scary, and there are so many unknowns. You may fail, but you may be as successful as Apple, Google, or Mattel. You determine your destiny. It all starts with a dream and then taking that dream and daring to make it a reality.

Remember, you are one decision away from an entirely different life. Are you up for the challenge? Starting a business may be the ticket to the fulfillment you have always dreamed of.

There are few things worse than being under quarantine. You want to provide safety for you and your family, which means utilizing shelter-in-place protocols. However, while you may shield yourself from outside exposures to various viruses and toxins, you must stay positive. By keeping a positive mindset, you will protect your mental health too.

10 Tips for Stay Positive and Protect Your Mental Health

If you ask any mental health professional, they will tell you that if you want to avoid depression, then you need to get out from behind four walls. When you’re under quarantine, you can’t do that as easily. Thankfully, here are ten tips to help you ride out the storm and keep your sanity.

1. Get Plenty of Time Outside to Help Stay Positive

Nothing can give you a better boost in your mood than sunshine. The sun provides ample doses of Vitamin D, which is something your body desperately needs. There’s no reason to stay inside when the weather is beautiful outside.

The key to being outside is to maintain your distance between other folks, while still allowing everyone to enjoy parks and other public spaces. During social distancing, you always want to observe the rules of the quarantine. However, you can play ball, walk hiking trails, and enjoy all that Mother Nature has to offer.

2. Tackle Household Projects

Do you have tons of little projects around your house that you’ve never got around to doing? Well, being off during the quarantine offers you plenty of downtimes. Why not paint the stairwell or the master bedroom, or can you build that deck you’ve wanted for years?

When the world opens back up and is going at an accelerated speed, you will appreciate all the time you had to work on these projects. Most hardware stores are open for your home repair needs. Head over to the paint department and see what new hue you can splash on your walls.

3. Dive into Spring Cleaning

The adage states that a clean home is a happy home. You’ll be able to stay positive after the restrictions lift by having a better-organized household. Since you want to ensure your family’s health anyway, why not tear out all those closets and wash the curtains? Spring cleaning can be something you get the whole family involved in doing.

Remember to pull out the stove and refrigerator and clean behind those significant appliances. It might be a great time also to have the carpets shampooed and give your abode a deep clean.

4. Engage in an Excellent Novel

When it comes to mental health, there are few things as beneficial as a good book. You can transport yourself to another time and place by simply reading a captivating story. If you want to be anywhere but stuck at home, why not join an adventurous story that will engage your mind.

If you have children at home, then you should encourage them to read. Why not have a family book night where you all read a novel a few chapters at a time? You can have some really engaging conversation when you’re all excited and hearing a story come to life.

5. Catch up with Friends and Family

While you may not be able to see your friends and family during quarantine, you can still communicate. Thanks to the power of technology, you can use apps that allow you to have video phone calls.

Since you can’t be there in person, then a video call is the next best thing. Catch up with siblings and relatives both near and far. Technology can bridge the gaps between you and your loved ones, and you can find out all the happenings in their life.

6. Join an Online Support Group to Feel Less Isolated During Quarantine

Some people handle being in lockdown better than others. If you feel that you are on edge and about to have a break, then it’s best to reach out to others for support. The internet is full of people that are experiencing the same emotions as you, and they can be a great source of comfort.

You must remember that your feelings are not abnormal and that many people are having a hard time with sheltering-in-place. Online support groups using apps like Zoom can make you feel as if you are attending a meeting. Seeing all the other faces and hearing their stories can make you think that you’re not alone, and you have someone’s shoulder to cry on.

7. Use Humor as Much as Possible

Much research has gone into the effects of humor on the body’s health. It’s hard to stay blue if you’re laughing. Many people are using Tik Tok to create funny videos.

Could you be the next great chef, or would you like to create a hilarious video using your children and their abilities? You can create anything you want and share it with the world. When you’re laughing and smiling, it helps to pass the time.

Also, your videos can help someone else who may be going through a difficult time right now. Sign up for a daily joke and watch some of the hilarious videos that have gone viral because of their great content.

8. Turn Off the News and Put Down the Phone

In times of uncertainty, it’s important that we only get the right amount of news. You don’t want to burden yourself with all the negativity. Rather, you need to focus on the things that are important for you and your family.

It’s also of supreme importance that you limit your children’s interaction with social media. While video games and watching YouTube are all great things, there should be limits placed on them for mental wellness.

You and your children need to be spending time together playing board games, running in the wind, and cooking dinner together. Putting so much negativity into your spirit can really start to cause issues for your psyche. It’s okay to leave the TV off for a day and have everyone put their cell phones in a box.

9. Stay Positive by Establishing a Comfortable Routine

Daily habits are there because they are important. During quarantine periods, things get all mixed up, and your schedule gets off. However, if your timetable is really off, then it can really mess with your mental wellness.

No matter how hard it is to get out of bed, you must get up at a decent hour. Sleeping in should be no later than 9 am. Also, you and your children should get dressed, brush your teeth and hair, and be presentable for each day. Not only will you look better, but you will feel better when you are up and have completed your daily routine.

When it comes to your children, you must have some patience and understanding when dealing with them. They don’t comprehend what’s going on and why they are at home so much. They will have behavioral issues, and they will not be perfect angels.

Be sure that you react with kindness and understanding. While everyone needs to follow the rules, you can extend some leniency due to the circumstances. Just keep reminding yourself and your family that this will all soon be over.

10. Stay Positive by Finding a Safe Retreat

All this togetherness is sometimes overwhelming. You can and should spend as much time with your children as you can. Those little moments playing a board game or watching them learning to ride a bike will be precious to you one day. However, there are times when you need a little solace.

Do you have a sacred space where you can go and meditate for a while? Meditation should be one of your new daily habits during the shelter-in-place orders. Many studies show how beneficial meditation can be for your mind, body, and soul. Plus, during these sessions, you can learn to get rid of negative feelings and channel positive ones.

If you don’t have a designated space where you can go to escape the world, then you need to go outside and take a walk. Don’t ever underestimate the power of sunshine, fresh air, peace, and quiet. It’s healing beyond measure. Make sure you get at least a half-hour of uninterrupted me time each day.

Final Thoughts: Stay Positive and Make the Best of a Tough Situation

It’s important to remember that your children are looking to you during this time of uncertainty. If you are anxious and upset, then they will copy your emotions. However, if you use this time for something good, like spending lots of time together, then they will be happy and playful.

Being under quarantine is not easy for the strongest person. If you feel that you are getting to a point where you need help, then reach out to your doctor or a therapist. There are extra resources in place to help people who struggle with depression and anxiety, as well as other mental illnesses.

The only way to get through a difficult time is by doing things that you love most. So make that gourmet meal, go for a ride on your bike, and by all means, take a nap to rejuvenate yourself. Whatever it is that makes you happy–just stay positive.

Health and Headsets: The Future of Augmented Reality in Healthcare

It’s official. The future of augmented reality will have a major impact on the healthcare industry.

In fact, some of this technology has already transcended from science fiction to science fact. More and more, both healthcare professionals and patients are seeing the indispensable value of AR in the medical field.

For one thing, AR outperforms previous medical visual aids in terms of cost and effectiveness. And, for the most part, AR technology is cheap, accurate, interactive, and available to the general public. The applications are limitless!

To learn more about AR in healthcare, read this guide.

Healthcare Education

AR can be used as an excellent, interactive visual aid for education. For example, it can work as a simulated x-ray, showing patients specific parts of their internal anatomy. The AR lets them see how these parts work and how certain health problems, medications, or medical procedures affect their body.

This same type of tool is also beneficial for those training for a career in healthcare. Using AR, surgeons in training can practice on a dummy that looks like a living, breathing human.

AR in Practice

This same visual aid described above can help actual surgeons prep for real surgery. It gives them a virtual, three-dimensional look into the patient’s body before the incisions begin.

Thus, they can view the many layers of body tissue (veins, muscle, bones, organs) with great accuracy. This, in turn, improves the accuracy of surgical preparations, such as the size and location of necessary incisions.

Lower-level healthcare workers can use this technology to locate veins for bloodwork. An example of this that’s in use today is AccuVein.

Dentists could use AR combined with patient x-rays and dental history to display relevant, customized information during dental procedures. The AR display would pinpoint/label details of the patient’s dental information, such as cavities and fillings, overlayed over their actual mouth. Learn more here.

AR Healthcare Apps For Patients

Patients can download AR apps to help them learn and perform physical therapy exercises correctly. For example, an AR app can tell patients if they are positioned properly when doing the exercise.

Plus, such apps can measure the patient’s progress, like how much their range of motion in a certain joint has increased. This is hugely beneficial for encouraging PT patients and helping them reach their goals. 

It also makes PT more convenient. Since patients can monitor their own performance and track their own progress, they’ll need far fewer appointments with their therapist.

Beyond PT, patients can use AR apps to scan their immediate surroundings to locate medical services. AED4EU is one such app.

It overlays information over the user’s smartphone camera, directing them to the nearest automated external defibrillator. Users can get access to these life-saving devices the very minute the emergency occurs instead of waiting half an hour for first responders to arrive. 

The Future of Augmented Reality in Healthcare

The future of augmented reality will change the healthcare industry forever. Next time you have an appointment, ask your doctor how AR technology can help you.

Now, find more breaking healthcare news on our health blog.

How to Start a Successful Health and Wellness Blog in 2019

Did you know that 43% of people tend to skim blog posts? This means it is crucial to grab attention early and prioritize the online user’s interests. 

If you’re ready to start your own health and wellness blog, be sure to follow these tips to success.

1. Select a Health and Wellness Blog Theme 

The first stop on the journey to creating your own health and wellness blog is to select a theme or niche. What are you most passionate about within the industry? This is a great starting point for your theme.

Examples of themes include:

• Nutrition
• Fitness
• A Specific Sport (i.e. running or swimming)
• A Specific Diet (i.e. keto or low fat)

Once you select your blog theme you can dive into your niche and expertise. If you select a topic that you are truly passionate about it will come through in your content. Blogging will be a source of fun and income instead of stress and anxiety.

2. Design a Beautiful Health Blog Website 

Before you launch your new blog it is important to understand blog design best practices. There are a few key design and layout elements to consider when you build out our website.

• Use blog cards in your page payout for easy user experience.
• Short and sweet descriptions are best for capturing your audience’s attention.
• Design your layouts with images at center stage.

A nutrition blog with stunning photography or a fitness post with clear instructions will keep your followers coming back for more. A beautiful web page design will take your blog to the next level.

3. Create a Blogging Template

Have you ever bitten off more than you could chew? Creating your own health and wellness blog might get overwhelming at times. Consider making a blogging template to make your content uploads easier and more efficient.

A blog template will predetermine the layout of your posts including text, images, and social widgets. It can be beneficial to create 2-3 blog templates to use in rotation for convenient uploading.

A template will ensure you have all of the necessary elements in your blog with every post.

4. Market and Advertise your Health and Wellness Blogs

There are many reasons someone may create a health and wellness blog. Some people create a blog to market their business like Ask Dr. Kan, others want to share their fitness content, and some want extra income. No matter your reason, it’s important to advertise your blog.

In order to earn income from your blog, you’ll need to grow your blog’s following to monetize ads in the future. A great way to start your following is with social media accounts. Instagram is a great place to start for a health and wellness blogger.

Ready to Launch Your New Health and Wellness Blog?

Starting a wellness blog is exciting! Now you’re ready to launch your very own blog. Follow these tips on your journey to blogging success. If you’re interested in learning more about blogging check out our website for more information.

5 Physical and Mental Health Benefits of Dancing as an Adult

There are few things in the world that are as distinct to humans as dancing. While some animals react to music in a variety of ways, dancing is a beautiful form of expression unique to our species.

The health and mental benefits of dance are numerous, and there are seemingly endless types to choose from.

If you can only think of ballroom dancing or salsa as an option, it’s time to reimagine the world of dance.

Once you explore and find the perfect dancing class or studio for your interests, you too can begin to experience the benefits of dance.

Read on to learn five of the top dance benefits, and how this fun activity can promote both mental and physical health as an adult.

Top Five Physical and Mental Dance Benefits

While nearly all forms of exercise are clearly beneficial for mood, health, and wellness, dancing is one that can motivate you to keep up with it because it’s so fun!

Moreover, there are specific benefits in jiving to your favorite song that extends beyond what other activities provide.

Find out more below on why dancing can change your entire life through its combination of positive outcomes.

1. Improve Coordination

The tasks of every day – walking, sitting, stairs, and even common workouts – tend to focus on the same muscle groups.

Dancing pushes your body to use different combinations of muscle and body parts that can both improve their strength and coordination.

If becoming a more physically balanced person sounds good to you, dancing is the perfect way to do it.

2. Boost Confidence

It isn’t unusual to feel insecure about your dancing skills. Everyone remembers what it was like at school dances as an adolescent.

Dancing as an adult can challenge you to overcome that insecurity you feel, and empower you to be confident in yourself and your body in a new and exciting way.

3. Promote Cardiovascular Health

As a form of cardio in one of it’s truest forms, dancing can greatly benefit your heart health.

According to the Department of Health and Human Services, adults should aim for a minimum of 2 hours and 30 minutes a week of moderate-intensity, or 1 hour and 15 minutes each week of high-intensity aerobic physical activity.

Dancing is the perfect way to fulfill your fitness goals for your cardiovascular and whole-body health.

4. Increase Mental Agility

There are several studies that not only suggest that learning to dance can promote mental health, but also mental agility. 

Cognitive performance has shown to improve in both adults and children who dance, possibly related brain stimulation through physical activity, according to a researcher at Harvard Medical School.

5. Manage Weight

Last but not least, dancing can be a great way to maintain a healthy weight. By promoting calorie use in a fun, and social way, it can help you not only like that number on the scale in the short-term, but the long-term as well.

Dance for the Health of It

Dance benefits far extend the list above, and they can include everything from the mental, physical, emotional, and social influences that the activity can have.

Many dancers, new and seasoned, report immediate improvement in their lives, one way or another.

Ready to get started? Find a studio that is ready to help you become your best self that will help you learn to dance, or pick the habit back up.