11 Tremendous Ways To Celebrate National Wellness Month This August
Did you know that August is National Wellness Month?. It's the perfect time for self-care, mental health awareness, healthy fitness routines, stress management programs, and to achieve fitness goals.
We live in a world full of stress. Stress is unavoidable, and everyone faces it. A person might be stressed out due to work deadlines, or they might be upset and angry because of a small fight with their friend.
History of National Wellness Month
Live Love Spa founded national Wellness Month in 2018 to focus on health and follow daily wellness routines and programs. It is to remind everyone that there is something new to learn and discover.
The registrar at the National Day Calendar revealed that August would be observed as National Wellness Month annually.
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“To keep the body in good health is a duty… otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear” - Buddha
We all know that poor nutrition, sleep cycle, and unhealthy lifestyle weakens our immune system.
It becomes essential to keep a health check to prevent your physical and mental health.
You can encourage your co-workers to implement health wellness programs at the workplace.
Chart out your healthy lifestyle routine. Create habits that make you feel good and better in the long run.
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According to research, practicing wellness helps in managing stress and overcoming depression. Try out something new every day to uplift your mood: Say, a new yoga pose or go for a short walk near your place. You can go for a spa treatment to relax your body and muscles.
If you teach self-care habits every day and indulge in wellness programs, it will impact your health in many ways and increase positive thinking.
Practicing self-care has a lot of advantages:
- Improvement of mental health issues.
- Reduction of anxiety.
- Recovery from a sports injury.
Read our blog on: 8 Ways To Create And Nurture A Culture Of Wellness In The Workplace
Let us talk about mental health-related problems and their impacts.
Everyone deals with stress differently. Our capacity to cope up with stress depends on our surroundings, genetics, and personality. However, too much stress causes adverse effects on the mind and body.
The most common signs are:
- Aches and pain
- Exhaustion and trouble sleeping
- High blood pressure
- Muscle tension
- Lack of focus
- Mood swings
When a person is stressed out, the levels of the hormone cortisol increase in the brain; this, in turn, weakens the immune system. And you may fall sick more often.
Related: 10 Awesome Lifestyle Choices For Employees To Elevate Their Work-Life
Moreover, stress can worsen your mental health . When a person is stressed, there is a continued activation of stress response that causes wear and tear on the body. There will be a change in the mental, physical and emotional well-being. Some of the changes that occur:
- Sleep pattern
- Appetite loss
- Dizziness
- Chronic depression arises
Developing a healthy approach to reduce stress can improve health-related issues. Once you have found the ways to tackle stress, you can experiment with your plan of action.
7 Ways You Can Celebrate National Wellness Month.
1. Find the triggers and accept them
It is essential to know the root cause of your stress. So ask yourself these questions. What is bothering me? What is triggering me? Once you find the answers, you will be able to take the necessary steps.
Also, the best way to care for your mental health is to visit a counselor. Consulting a counselor will give you the right direction to monitor your mental well-being.
2. Practice Mindfulness Meditation
Mindfulness Meditation and deep breathing are excellent ways to cope with stress. Make it a habit to meditate at least for 5- 10 minutes daily. Meditation and mindfulness will improve your concentration along with your spiritual wellbeing.
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3. Become active and move around
Whether you are headed towards a nearby place or your friend's house, try walking instead of taking your car or bike. You can schedule a time in the evening or early morning for walks, long runs, or HIIT training.
Exercise releases stress-relieving hormones in your body and promotes overall mental and physical well-being.
4. Engage yourself in hobbies
Craft out at least one or two hours for your hobbies. It will bring excitement to you and increase your satisfaction.
Some of the hobbies you can engage yourself in are: Playing an instrument, an outdoor sport, walking, and enjoying nature.
5. Get enough sleep
Good sleep is essential for your physical health. I would say it is as important as eating healthy and exercising.
According to the Centers For Disease Control And Prevention, adults should get a minimum of 7 – 8 hours of sleep a night.
Nowadays, people are sleeping less, and the quality of sleep has decreased. Lack of sleep can increase the chances of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and stroke.
Thus, a good sleeping pattern will reduce stress and boost your mood.
Read our blog on: 7 Engaging Weekly Fitness Challenge Ideas To Encourage Employee Wellness
6. Maintain a healthy diet
Good mental and physical wellness comes from maintaining a good diet. It would be best if you don't skip the important meals. Moreover, incorporating fruits and veggies, juices, grains, and protein intake will help in reducing stress levels.
Once a week, you can treat yourself to a brownie sundae or hot chocolate fudge for a change.
Related read: 7 Fruitful Ways To Celebrate Professional Wellness Month
7. Reach out to your loved ones and express your feelings
If you are a person who doesn't like disclosing your emotions to people, then talk it out with your family or someone who is close to you. Bottling things isn't healthy at all. It will eventually build up stress, anxiety and may dismantle your mental health.
Getting emotional support is essential. Having a strong family network and close friends helps in coping with stress.
During stressful times, you would want to take care of yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally. Don't know where to start? Don't worry; we got you covered.
Here Are Four Unique Habits To Include In Your Routine.
1. Homecare
There is a saying, home is where the heart lies. It is the perfect place for relaxation and retreat after a hectic working schedule.
You can come up with ideas and beautiful designs to give an aesthetic look to your personal space. Some of the examples are -
i. Decorating home walls with paintings and stylish decor
ii. Hanging flower vases
Iii. Macrame decors can give your home an appealing touch and a vintage look.
2. Hydration
Our body is composed of 60% water. Drinking water is essential for our health. It prevents dehydration and helps in maintaining a balance of body fluids. So it is advisable to drink at least 8-10 glasses of water every day.
How about trying the water drinking challenge?.
Drinking juices and other forms of liquids is also an excellent way to stay hydrated. Intake of fluids will help to transport the nutrients across your body.
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Have junk food once a week. It is important to maintain a balanced diet.
3. Digital Detox
With the advent of social media, it is easy to get hooked on trendy news. Most of the information on social media may harm your mind. Therefore, it is essential to disconnect from technology to upgrade yourself and boost your mental health.
When you are away from social media, you get ample free time. So pick up a hobby and work towards honing your skill. It will keep your brain engaged and increase productivity.
4. Appreciating little things in life
Being grateful and appreciating little things in life have a lot of health benefits.
According to a 2012 study, appreciating things leads to increased life satisfaction. We often complain when things don't go according to plan. Taking time to focus on little things can have a significant impact on mental health.
“A sound mind in a sound body, is a short, but full description of a happy state in this World: he that has these two, has little more to wish for; and he that wants either of them, will be little the better for anything else”- John Locke
Conclusion
This article discusses how to practice self-care and switch to a healthy lifestyle. There are many ways in which you can celebrate National Wellness Month. It is a perfect opportunity to re-focus on yourself and start a healthy fitness routine.
It could be waking up early in the morning and then going for a long run or doing yoga.
Now imagine yourself enjoying your time with a book and sipping hot coffee. Doesn't it sound great?
Well, take this month as an excellent opportunity to work on yourself. Add at least two or more habits daily that will lead to changes in the long haul.
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