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Post by woodyz on Jul 18, 2015 20:05:22 GMT -7
Intellectual Wellness The 123 Feel Better Company August 2011 www.123feelbetter.net/ Intellectual Wellness is one of the 7 Aspects of Wellness. Essentially, Intellectual Wellness is focused on learning. Any activity that helps you explore the world around you, learn more about yourself, or expands your mind in any way supports healthy Intellectual Wellness. This can be accomplished in a number of ways. Reading, learning new skills, taking part in hobbies, being creative, and appreciating art are all ways to support your Intellectual Wellness. In fact, whenever you’re learning something new about any of the other 7 Aspects of Wellness, you’re supporting your Intellectual Wellness as well. Many people might hear the term “Intellectual Wellness” and think that it would be dull or boring. Reading is a great way to learn new things, but if you’re not into reading, there are other things you can do to support your Intellectual Wellness. You can include positive media sources, like radio programs, news and TV that promotes an Aspect of Wellness. You can exercise your mind by creating your own art, picking up some new skills from a community college course or learning about a new hobby. You can learn more about your culture with a visit to a history museum. You can change the way you perceive the world with a trip to a play or an art museum. All of this leads to greater Intellectual Wellness. And, if you do decide to read, you don’t have to read boring literature. You can read romance novels, magazines, or newspapers. Intellectual Wellness helps you live a more fulfilling life as you feel stimulated and engaged with the world around you—if you’re learning something new, you’re focusing on your Intellectual Wellness!- See more at: www.123feelbetter.net/int/#sthash.Bl9EHYXz.dpufQuick Tips for Intellectual WellnessJessica Rhodes March 2012 123 Feel Better Intellectual Wellness is one of the 7 Aspects of Wellness, the major life areas we need to focus on for creating a complete lifestyle of overall wellness. This wellness aspect broadens our horizons and opens our eyes to all the dimensions of life. If we’re feeling a little bored, odds are we need to strengthen our Intellectual Wellness. When our minds are stimulated, we’re more likely to feel energized and satisfied with life. At its heart, Intellectual Wellness is about a lifetime commitment to learning and mental growth. Learning may sound boring to some, perhaps a little too much like school, but in reality, we are constantly learning through our experiences and insights. Harnessing the power of directed Intellectual Wellness allows us to take our learning to the next level. We can explore the world around us, discover new skills and cultivate talents—and tap into our creativity. Any kind of intellectual activity can strengthen our minds, and nothing says it can’t be fun! Learning doesn’t have to be academic, though that’s certainly a valid form of learning. The key is for each of us to find what interests us and seek out new experiences in those areas. It’s also important to explore new and unknown territory, perhaps by engaging in a new hobby. New perspectives are as much a part of Intellectual Wellness as strengthening existing knowledge. Explore this list of quick and easy things that can be done to sharpen Intellectual Wellness: -Read something every day. Reading doesn’t have to be a chore. When we read anything—a magazine article, a newspaper story, or even an indulgent romance novel—we’re exercising and strengthening communication among the synapses in our brains. Studies have shown that regular reading can decrease the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. It also gives us something to talk about the next time we’re stumped for conversation, say, when meeting a new person. What we read isn’t important; anything we’re interested in will work just fine. The important thing is to take part in the activity of reading itself. -Create something. When we engage in the creative process, we use parts of our brain that may rarely get exercised. Being creative can be fun, and it can help us to see any number of things from a different perspective. It doesn’t matter if we have “talent” or if we create what we consider “art,” because the learning (and therefore the real value) is in the process. The materials don’t matter either. Colored pencils, paint, even crayons will work. Simply letting it flow will show us a whole new side of ourselves, and self-revelation is a vital part of learning. -Visit a museum. There are museums devoted to all manner of topics, from natural history to science to art. Going to a museum is a fun and interactive way to expose ourselves to new ideas and information. We can go to a museum that caters to our personal interests or we can branch out, exploring something completely out of the ordinary for us. We can even do both. Museums are great places to have learning adventure, and we’re bound to have a new experience every time we go. -Take a different route. Our minds get used to patterns, so taking the same route to our usual destinations—work, friends’ houses, the grocery store, school—causes our minds to stop paying attention. When we try a different way, we zap ourselves back into the moment and we begin to notice everything that is going on around us because of all the fresh information coming in. This might not sound like an intellectual activity, but it is. It exercises our brains and causes us to expand our horizons.Mixing up routines is a guaranteed way to learn a little something new, and we’ll usually feel more inclined to explore even greater possibilities for learning in the future. -Listen to music. That’s right. Listening to music is a form of learning that many of us may never even consider a part of Intellectual Wellness. Studies have shown that both listening to and learning how to play music can increase competency in math. Why? These cognitive skills use similar parts of the brain. As our minds work to make sense of the music, our brains are working to assimilate all the patterns that are going on at once. Listening to music may not sound like a way to increase Intellectual Wellness, but it is—especially if we seek out types of music that we’ve never heard before! We don’t have to spend hours on our Intellectual Wellness each and every day to reap significant benefits. Just a few minutes a day, several days a week will get the job done. Intellectual Wellness is the wellness aspect that adds extra spark to our lives, and if we take on these projects with a sense of adventure, we’ll notice an amazing difference in no time! - See more at: www.123feelbetter.net/quick-tips-for-intellectual-wellness/#sthash.2SCeC15G.dpufCopyright Information:The 123 Feel Better Company ©2003-2011 . This content may be freely reproduced in full or in part in digital form with full attribution to the author and a link to www.123feelbetter.net.
- See more at: www.123feelbetter.net/quick-tips-for-social-wellness/#sthash.LoEWtCHK.dpuf
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Post by woodyz on Jul 18, 2015 20:06:31 GMT -7
Achieve Balance in Just 5 Minutes a Day Jessica Rhodes September 2012 123 Feel Better For those of us looking to be more in balance, we often struggle with where to start. More than being the huge statements of change, balance is found in the more subtle changes that take hold. How can I achieve balance in just five minutes, you ask? Keep reading for some small actions that can make a big difference. Emotional Wellness: Journaling is perhaps the single most important action in an Emotional Wellness plan. Even if you only have a few moments in a given day, taking a little time to check in with yourself and what you’re feeling will help you to gain self-awareness. Making time for journaling is also an act of self-care. When you practice regular self-care, you instantly feel better because you’ve let yourself know that you matter. Physical Wellness: Some days you just don’t have time to exercise. Unexpected events can take up time and make working out less of a priority, even if it’s only for that day. If you don’t have time for a full workout, allow yourself five or 10 minutes of stretching, crunches or even just a simple walk. When you really don’t have the time, though, you can still support your Physical Wellness. Focus on drinking enough water and eating healthfully at every meal. Occupational Wellness: Make a to-do list when you get to work. Organizing your tasks in this simple way will give you clarity and help you get done what needs to get done. It will also prevent the anxiety that can come with feeling disorganized and lost as to what to do next. Environmental Wellness: Every time you use a dish at home, wash it and put it away, or rinse it and put it in the dishwasher. You may not be able to clean your whole house every day, but if you rinse every dish immediately after using it, you’ll avoid dirty dish build-up. This will make cleaning easier when you do have time for it, and you can feel good about not creating more mess to deal with later. Spiritual Wellness: Read a daily meditation every morning. Whatever your spiritual philosophy, there’s a daily meditation book to suit your style. Find one that fits your spiritual beliefs, and set aside a few minutes to read a short entry before launching into your day. This will center you and give you perspective. This small investment of time can help you maintain Spiritual Wellness in practically no time at all, making spirituality an integral part of daily living. Intellectual Wellness: If you work at a computer, take a few minutes to scan the news online each day when you sit down to your desk. If that’s not an option, pick up a newspaper, and read the headlines. This will keep you abreast of what’s going on in the world, and regular reading helps strengthen your cognitive skills. Social Wellness: Spend a few minutes every day catching up with a loved one. Talk to your kids or spouse about what happened that day, call up a friend for a chat or meet a new acquaintance for coffee. Making quality time for your loved ones, even if it’s only five minutes, will strengthen your relationships and help facilitate better overall Social Wellness. Because there are so many small pieces, this may seem like a lot, but these actions create a stable foundation of balance in our lives. They only take a few minutes each per day, and many of them can slip right into with the routines we already have in place. You’ll find, as you make small efforts toward a more fulfilling life,,that other enriching opportunities will begin to appear, seemingly out of nowhere. Action opens you to more action, and more opportunities. All you really need is that initial choice in favor of wellness. This is how you create everyday wellness, by making wellness a lifelong, day-by-day choice.- See more at: www.123feelbetter.net/achieve-balance-in-just-5-minutes-a-day/#sthash.cCjPpJ2C.dpuf
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Post by woodyz on Jul 18, 2015 20:09:36 GMT -7
Quick Tips for Emotional WellnessJessica Rhodes September 2011 Emotional Wellness is one of the 7 Aspects of Wellness, which are the major life areas that need our attention for a feeling of whole and complete wellness. Our Emotional Wellness has a profound effect on how we feel as we go through our daily lives. Taking our emotional health to the next level is about more than combating anxiety and depression, though it’s vital that we work on these feelings if we want to become our best selves. True Emotional Wellness means being able to recognize, name and cope with emotions as they arise. Many of us lack the self-knowledge and emotional vocabulary needed to keep track of what we’re feeling, let alone to deal with our feelings in healthful ways. The good news is that we don’t have to become entirely self-aware overnight. Practicing Emotional Wellness is a lifelong process, and regularly checking in with ourselves will reveal the answers we need over time. Another key ingredient for Emotional Wellness is learning to change those behavior patterns which are emotionally destructive. As we seek to understand why we do the things we do, we learn more about how our emotions can cause us either to take healthful, self-supportive action, or to engage in behaviors that are unproductive and even harmful. Emotional Wellness means learning new coping behaviors and improving our self-esteem so that we’ll be more likely to engage in proactive self-care. If we’ve spent our entire lives unaware of our emotional underpinnings, it can be difficult to know where to begin. Look at this list of quick and easy ways to support Emotional Wellness: -Journaling is essential. Regularly sitting down and writing about what is going on in our lives allows us to get out emotions we might otherwise ignore. Often, the process of writing pulls from us feelings we didn’t even know were there, and putting the words on the page can help us shift our perspective. The most productive journaling happens when we don’t think too hard about what we’re going to write. Just let it flow! Journaling for at least 10 minutes every day will improve Emotional Wellness dramatically. -Practicing an attitude of gratitude works every time. One of the best ways to cope with negative emotions is to make a gratitude list. When we’re angry, sad or lonely, it can be hard to look at the bright side. Taking the time to write down everything we have to be grateful for—relationships, possessions, possibilities or pets—reminds us that things really aren’t that bad. In fact, they’re great! -Learn how to handle stress. It makes a major difference. Stress is often the number one contributing factor to any number of problems. Our stress levels seriously affect our emotional, physical and mental health, and tip-top Emotional Wellness hinges on finding ways to cope with the stress we experience on a daily basis. We can’t escape stress completely, nor would we want to. It’s an inevitable part of life. The key is to create balance in our lives so that stress doesn’t get the better of us. We need to draw boundary lines around the amount of time we spend at work, take time out to play, get enough sleep and engage in enjoyable activities that nourish our spirits and allow us to have fun. -Increased self-esteem increases our Emotional Wellness, every time. Engaging in regular self-care lets us know that we deserve to be treated well. Self-esteem is a huge issue for many of us, but simple steps can gradually our self-love and self-respect. Giving ourselves a little much-needed time alone, taking care of our appearance, doing something we really enjoy or reaching out to a friend for help can all increase our self-esteem. How? If we practice doing these things, it reminds us that we can take care of ourselves—and that we deserve to. When we repeatedly receive this message through action, we actually start to believe it! -Eating well supports Emotional Wellness. A well-balanced diet doesn’t just increase our Physical Wellness. It can have a significant effect on our Emotional Wellness, too. We’ve all heard quite a bit about chemical imbalances in the brain and their effects on our moods. Well, what we eat affects the brain’s ability to produce and regulate these mood-stabilizing chemicals. Eating a diet high in refined sugar can lead to chemical rushes and crashes that can create a pattern of mood swings. Eating a balanced diet that focuses on fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins instead gives us stable energy for a steady emotional balance. These are the basics of Emotional Wellness. When we begin practicing any or all of these lifestyle changes on a regular basis, we’re bound to begin feeling better. As we get in touch with our inner worlds, we’ll be able to handle anything life throws our way, and our outer worlds will seem much brighter as well. That’s the point of Emotional Wellness! - See more at: www.123feelbetter.net/quick-tips-for-emotional-wellness/#sthash.anEhPMVL.dpuf
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Post by woodyz on Jul 18, 2015 20:12:21 GMT -7
Quick Tips for Physical WellnessJessica Rhodes September 2011 Physical Wellness is one of the 7 Aspects of Wellness, the major life areas that need our attention for total wellness and a full, complete lifestyle. This wellness aspect is an essential factor in how we feel, and it is vital that we all engage in Physical Wellness activities if we want to feel good about ourselves and our lives. Everyone has different ideas and experiences when it comes to Physical Wellness. Some of us don’t think about it at all. Some of us set unrealistically high standards for ourselves and give up when we don’t meet those goals. Some of us make attempts to get more fit and feel healthier, but we find we don’t have the time or the patience for a regular routine. Others of us want to practice healthier habits but don’t know where to begin. Wherever you fall on the spectrum, there are some simple steps you can take every day to increase your Physical Wellness. If you’re just getting started, you can integrate these tips as your Physical Wellness evolves, and, if you’ve been taking steps toward better fitness for a while, you might find something new on the list that surprises you. Physical Wellness isn’t just about diet and exercise. It also involves rest and leisure, hygiene and self-care activities. Explore this list of quick and easy tips to enhance your Physical Wellness routine. -Drink plenty of water. This tip shows up everywhere, and with good reason. Most of us know we should drink water, but we don’t. We drink tea, coffee, juice, and of course, plenty of soda. None of these can match the health-enhancing power of water. Why drink more water? Water is essential for every bodily function, because we’re actually made of 70 percent water. Not drinking enough water can lead to various health problems including constipation, dry skin, weight gain, nose bleeds, headaches and sinus problems. Our cells need water to remove waste and assimilate nourishment. If we’re engaging in regular physical activity, water intake is of particular importance. The more we sweat, the more water we lose, and we’ve got to make up the difference. Drink a minimum of 8 glasses a day—more if you can swing it. And no, diet soda doesn’t count! -Get moving. We all know that regular physical activity is necessary for fitness. It’s also essential for our emotional health. Of course, there are those of us who love working out, but many of us prefer a nice long evening on the couch at the end of a hard day. Some of us would argue that we’d love to exercise regularly, but we simply don’t have the time. But physical activity comes in all forms. Recent research has shown that walking in 10-minute bursts throughout the day can have the same heart health benefits as 30 minutes of continuous walking at the same pace. So, take a short walk first thing in the morning, at lunchtime and after dinner. Exercise has a cumulative effect, but the key is consistency. For optimum Physical Wellness, it’s vital that we each fit in a minimum of 30 minutes a day, 4 days a week. We can all find the time. Want to do more? Go for it, but don’t overdo it! -Don’t forget a healthful diet! With the explosion of fad diets over the last few years and our general lack of knowledge about proper eating habits, a healthful diet isn’t what it used to be. But the guidelines are a lot simpler than many of us think. Three meals a day, a couple of light snacks and a focus on whole foods including proteins, fruits, vegetables and whole grains are the main ingredients for healthful eating. Keep refined sugar intake to a minimum. The quickest way to make a change? Add a salad of raw vegetables and fruits to your daily diet. -Go to bed! That’s right. Getting plenty of sleep is an often overlooked but vital part of any good Physical Wellness routine. We also need a little time to unwind before bed. Create a bedtime routine. For an hour before bedtime, we can do something relaxing to get us in the mood for sleep. Avoiding physical activity is key. Instead, we should focus on being still and quiet. Reading, taking a hot bath, listening to music or watching a little television are all good choices for winding down. Once this becomes routine, our bodies will know that these activities are a signal for sleep, and we’ll find it easier to drift off. -How about hygiene? Our hygiene habits have a significant effect on how we feel. Showering, moisturizing, brushing our teeth and flossing may seem like simple acts, but it’s amazing how often we neglect some of these essentials—especially moisturizing and flossing. Making it a point to perform all four of these simple hygiene acts every day is an act of self-love that can make us feel better emotionally as well as physically. These are the basics of Physical Wellness. Doing any or all of these things is a great way to start down the path toward a healthier body and a happier outlook. Not only do our bodies get in better shape, but our minds become sharper and our emotions steadier. Along with the other 7 Aspects of Wellness, Physical Wellness creates a solid foundation for a better life. - See more at: www.123feelbetter.net/quick-tips-for-physical-wellness/#sthash.pg3FO4EM.dpuf
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Post by woodyz on Jul 18, 2015 20:14:28 GMT -7
Quick Tips for Occupational WellnessJessica Rhodes September 2011 Occupational Wellness is one of the 7 Aspects of Wellness. These 7 major life areas work together to form a complete and satisfying life, and paying special attention to each aspect will, over time, help us build a balanced sense of overall wellness. Occupational Wellness can have a massive impact on how we feel both physically and emotionally, and it also contributes heavily to our sense of fulfillment. Occupational Wellness is concerned with how what we do for a living affects the way we feel. It encompasses a wide range of issues, from effective handling of work stress to finding the job of our dreams. When we explore our Occupational Wellness, we learn how to work through issues in the office, aim for that promotion or completely change careers. Because work is such a vital and time-consuming part of our lives, learning to find meaning and fulfillment at work can completely change how we feel as we go through our daily lives. Whether you’re thinking about changing careers, just starting down the path toward your calling or simply looking for a few tips for handling troublesome workplace conflict, Occupational Wellness is within reach. It’s probably a lot closer than you think. Here are a few quick ways to facilitate greater Occupational Wellness on a daily basis: -Take a break! For many of us, the idea of taking a break while working sounds impossible. We’ve got so much to do, and working overtime has become a way of life. But in reality, taking breaks actually improves job performance, and it also helps reduce overall work stress. Just a few five-minute breaks scattered throughout the day can help strengthen mental focus and clarity. Get up from your desk, stretch, chat with a coworker and walk around the office for a minute. Do a short meditation to clear your mind and refocus your energies. The more pressure you can release throughout the day with these mini-breaks, the better you’ll feel—and the better you’ll perform. -Make a list, and be realistic. Use simple time management techniques to reduce stress and improve your ability to get work done. One simple time management tool that will help you keep track of daily tasks is the to-do list. To maximize your to-do list’s effectiveness, make sure that you keep it relatively short. This will force you to prioritize your projects. Place items on the list in order of importance, and make sure to give yourself some breathing room. You don’t want the entire list to go out the window because one item took a little longer than expected. The best part? Crossing items off the list as you get them done! This will give you a little extra motivation when starting the next task at hand. -Organize your workspace. A clean, neat and organized workspace makes it much easier to keep track of everything that is going on,reducing feelings of anxiety. If you can’t find something you need or you’re sitting in a big pile of clutter, you’re much more likely to feel frustrated and overwhelmed. Instead, take the time to regularly clear your workspace for maximum usage and minimum annoyance. -Take a class. If you’re considering changing careers, or if you just want to sharpen your skills for your current job, signing up for a class is a great place to start. Learning more about what you’re doing will help you feel more comfortable and effective at work, and it may land you a promotion. If you want to change careers, taking a class will give you hope for a better future. It will get the ball rolling as you start down the path toward something satisfying and new. The more you explore your dreams in the classroom, the more freedom you’ll have to move in the direction of your dreams in real life! -Set mini-goals. Everyone has big dreams and aspirations, but setting mini-goals at work will help you get through your days. They can even turn work into play. How? When you set a mini-goal like, “I’m going to finish these reports by noon,” you turn work into a game. Sure, you’ll still need to focus on quality, but these benchmarks are just for fun and motivation. If you don’t finish the reports by noon, it’s no harm, no foul. If you make it, it’ll be like winning a race! Ultimately, true Occupational Wellness involves doing what you love, and loving what you do. Everyone is different, and we each have our own piece of the puzzle to contribute. As you search for your unique role in the working world, remember that it’s the people who do what they love that truly make the difference. - See more at: www.123feelbetter.net/quick-tips-for-occupational-wellness/#sthash.TRzwDAO1.dpuf
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Post by woodyz on Jul 18, 2015 20:16:57 GMT -7
Quick Tips for Environmental WellnessJessica Rhodes September 2011 Environmental Wellness is one of the 7 Aspects of Wellness, the 7 major life areas that work together to create a full and fulfilling life. This wellness aspect has a much greater effect on our overall well-being than we might initially realize. Most of us rarely stop to consider how we feel in our environments, and how those environments may be influencing our emotional, mental and physical health. Environmental Wellness does involve our connection to nature and our concern about the health of our planet, but there is much more to it than that. All the people, places and things around us make up our environment, and these things can have both direct and indirect effects on how we feel. Taking care of our home, car and work environments helps us to feel as though we are taking care of ourselves, creating spaces that we want to be in and in which we can thrive. Environmental Wellness involves surrounding ourselves with supportive atmospheres which will help us feel nurtured and accomplish our goals. Appreciating nature, spending time outdoors and taking steps to care for our natural environment are also behaviors that help to build feelings of love and nurturance, and are an integral part of our overall Environmental Wellness. The following small steps will add up to a big difference in your Environmental Wellness: -Set aside just five minutes a day for cleaning. In just five minutes a day, you can affect a simple but substantial change in your environment, and the way you feel about your surroundings. Wash the dishes. Do one load of laundry. Clean the toilet, but don’t worry about the rest of the bathroom. If you spend just five minutes each and every day de-cluttering or cleaning your home environment, you’ll see big changes with minimal effort, and you’ll enjoy your time at home so much more. -Fill your home with foliage. Placing a few potted plants in your home will create a feeling of freshness and life. Surrounding yourself with living things like plants and animals helps you feel more connected to the energy of life, and caring for plants and animals helps you feel loved and nurtured as well. If you don’t think you have a green thumb, there are plenty of plants out there that require very little care. -Clear the desk! Whenever you sit down at your desk to study for school or begin a work project, clear up the clutter. A few minutes spent de-cluttering and organizing your desk each time you sit down to work will help you focus on your work, find what you need and avoid frustration. This small investment of time and effort is well worth the reward of not having a big mess on your hands later. -Keep a few small plastic bags in your car. Each time you get out of your car at the end of the day, pick up any trash that has accumulated and throw it in the sack. Then simply take the sack in and throw it away. This is a really simple way to keep your car from getting cluttered, and it’s easy to make it part of your daily or weekly routine. -Eliminate useless bulk and clutter. If you haven’t used it, worn it or even touched it in a year, it’s time to get rid of it. Donate clothes, furniture and other durable goods to Goodwill or the Salvation Army, recycle anything else that you can and throw the rest away. If you’re not using it, it’s simply taking up space and cluttering your house. Supporting your Environmental Wellness can be a snap if you stay on top of simple everyday tasks. You don’t have to come up with fancy filing systems, and your floors don’t need to be clean enough to eat off of. Instead, focus on making your environment a space where you like to be, and Environmental Wellness will follow. - See more at: www.123feelbetter.net/quick-tips-for-environmental-wellness/#sthash.bLdLT3Kw.dpuf
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Post by woodyz on Jul 18, 2015 20:19:08 GMT -7
Quick Tips for Spiritual WellnessJessica Rhodes September 2011 Spiritual Wellness is one of the 7 Aspects of Wellness, the major life areas that need our attention as we grow toward a more balanced lifestyle. It is also one of the most broad wellness aspects, as each of us walks a highly personal path toward spiritual understanding. At its most basic, Spiritual Wellness is about finding meaning and purpose within one’s place in the universe, making a connection with whatever spiritual being or belief system we’re attracted to and living those beliefs in our daily lives. Spiritual Wellness may or may not involve participation in a religion. Again, everyone is different. Some of us may prefer to hone our spiritual connection in a community of faith with others who share our beliefs. Some of us may prefer a more solitary and eclectic approach. The goal is the same, whatever path we choose. We’re looking for a set of spiritual principles upon which to base our lives and give us a sense of meaning. Spiritual Wellness often involves finding a higher power. For many, belief in a higher power of some kind reminds us that we are not alone in this world—that there is something greater at work. Spiritual Wellness also involves feeling more connected to the world around us, as well as connecting to our inner spirits. Wherever we are on our path toward Spiritual Wellness, there are some simple things we can do to strengthen our connection, discover meaning and purpose and develop our own belief systems: -Meditate. Taking just 5 minutes a day to sit quietly and make contact with our deepest selves can have a profound effect on our outlook. Many people are intimidated by the idea of sitting quietly and concentrating on nothing, but it’s important not to take meditation so seriously. If we sit quietly in a restful position, take repeated deep and relaxing breaths, and simply focus on not thinking about any one thing in particular, we’ll be able to get beyond our daily worries to a place of peace and calm. Another method of meditation involves sitting quietly and watching our thoughts go by like clouds moving across a sky. We simply watch the thoughts without judgment or engagement. Starting our days this way can leaves us feeling refreshed and ready to go. -Read a spiritually uplifting thought for the day. Sometimes a short, simple, inspiring message can suddenly give us just the spiritual lift we need. Reading short meditations and affirmations can also help us to refocus on the positive, reaffirm our beliefs. They can even provide us with a bit of much-needed advice. It’s easy to find meditations that fit with any belief system and spiritual lifestyle. There are a multitude of books containing daily affirmations, and we can even find short meditations on the Internet. Some sites even offer a daily email affirmation. -Practice being in the moment. Memories of the past and worries over the future often distract us from our spiritual journey. They drown out the voice of the spirit, which is always with us in the present moment. So how can we get into the present moment when thoughts of the past and future are so persistent? A walking meditation will often do the trick. As we walk, we can focus on the trees, the way the concrete path looks, the sounds we hear as they happen and the color of the sky. We can focus on our breathing as we walk. Seeking out every detail, moment by moment, will keep our minds off of the past and the future so that we can live squarely in the present. -Explore different religious and spiritual traditions. Learning more about different walks of faith can open our eyes to our connectedness with every person on the planet. Most religious and spiritual traditions agree on the fundamental principles of love, compassion, kindness and responsibility. Looking at spiritual issues from an inclusive, curious perspective can even help us to deepen our own sense of meaning within our existing spiritual practices. -Pray. It has been said that prayer is the practice of speaking, and meditation is the practice of listening. Prayer is strongly associated with religious traditions, but we don’t have to be a member of a religious group or believe in a certain higher power to engage in prayer. The key to prayer is focusing on opening our hearts and sharing our souls with whatever universal spirit we understand. Whatever our spiritual background and direction, we can all participate in these activities for greater Spiritual Wellness. As our sense of connection, meaning and purpose grows, our hearts and spirits will open up, and our own innate wisdom will begin to guide us further. Practicing regular Spiritual Wellness can help create an unshakable foundation for a full and rich life. - See more at: www.123feelbetter.net/quick-tips-for-spiritual-wellness/#sthash.s8eZ7eb5.dpuf
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Post by woodyz on Jul 18, 2015 20:24:27 GMT -7
Quick Tips for Social WellnessJessica Rhodes September 2011 Social Wellness is one of the 7 Aspects of Wellness, primary life areas that work together to build a whole and complete lifestyle. When we hear the term “Social Wellness,” we might think of getting together with friends and having a good time. Of course, this is part of our Social Wellness, but it isn’t the whole picture. Comprehensive Social Wellness involves learning to communicate openly, directly and honestly, creating more intimacy in our relationships and understanding how to create and maintain healthy boundaries while still being involved in the lives of others. Everyone has different Social Wellness issues that they need to address. One person may suffer from social anxiety. Another person may have trouble setting boundaries and become too involved in the lives of their friends and loved ones. We might have difficulty expressing our emotions, even to our closest companions. We may have anger issues that create rifts in our relationships, even when we don’t want them to. All of these things are Social Wellness concerns, and learning to balance our relationships is the overall goal. We all need relationships. People are social animals, and it’s vital that we have systems of support, love and friendship to rely on. Building healthy, reliable and supportive social networks is essentially what Social Wellness is about. We can do small things each and every day to strengthen our relationships and get along better with others. Here are a few things anyone can do to get started building a healthier foundation of Social Wellness: -Pass out compliments. Giving each of the people we run into each day a genuine compliment can really brighten their day—and ours. The keyword here is genuine; people will know when you aren’t being truthful. This generates double the benefits. The people we compliment will feel much more open around us. They will feel noticed, special, and supported. A simple, “Thank you for being there for me today,” or, “Where did you get those shoes? I love them!” will work. Being sincere is important, but with just a little practice we can find something positive to acknowledge with just about anyone we meet. That’s the other benefit in looking for something to compliment. It helps us to continually focus on the positive, even when we’re not in the mood. -Get an email buddy. Many of us are stuck at our desks all day, but this doesn’t necessarily keep us from getting bored or lonely or stewing about our problems. If we have a close friend who sitting at a desk somewhere as well, we can send each other encouraging messages throughout the day. We can also ask for their advice and encouragement. These messages can range from a quick hello to, “Oh, I’m in such a funk over this thing that happened last night! Any advice?” Keeping in touch with someone throughout our busy days will help foster a sense of connection anytime, anywhere. Having an ally like this will often help us keep our focus on our work and off of our problems and stress. It’s also a great way to remind a close friend that we care, and to practice allowing others to care for us as well. -Get involved. Sometimes it may seem almost impossible to meet new people and expand our social network. The best way to meet new people? Sign up for a group activity. There are sports clubs, art gatherings, book clubs, crafting groups and various other social events centered on specific interests in virtually every town and city. The best part about meeting people this way is that we meet others with interests similar to our own, which makes forming a connection even easier and more fun. We’ve already got something in common to share about! -Look for similarities rather than differences. When we meet someone new, it can be easy to focus on all the ways that they’re different from us. We may even feel the urge to silently nitpick what we perceive as their “flaws.” If we look for the similarities instead, we’ll be amazed at how much more easily a connection forms. We can learn something new from each and every person that we meet, no matter how small the lesson may seem. If we focus on all the reasons we might not like other people, we miss out on the gifts. -Make regular dates. When we make the effort to schedule regular quality time with friends and loved ones, we let them know that we care about the relationship. Having standing dates with friends is a great way to ensure that we will see the people we love often and be able to keep up with their lives. Time together is one of the most important elements of successful, fulfilling relationships, so make a date and stick to the plan. These suggestions are some of the easiest ways to keep our Social Wellness in shape and create even healthier, more positive relationships. They may seem extremely simple, but taking just a few or even all of these steps will help our relationships grow to greater intimacy and remain strong through thick and thin. - See more at: www.123feelbetter.net/quick-tips-for-social-wellness/#sthash.LoEWtCHK.dpuf
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Post by woodyz on Jul 18, 2015 20:29:01 GMT -7
Missing Purpose? Volunteer & Get ClearJessica Rhodes May 2012 Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has. -Margaret Mead Volunteering is a great way to facilitate social wellness, make new friends, and learn about your community. Volunteer organizations provide us with the opportunity to work in a team with others, meet new people, and create the feeling of connectedness through acts of caring. There are many ways in which to volunteer – formally, through a non-profit organization/charity, or informally, like helping a sick neighbor, through clinical trials medical research, local fundraisers, at food banks/soup kitchens, hospitals, and so on. Many people wish they “had the time” to volunteer, or want to but just don’t know where to begin. Nearly all charities or non-profits need volunteers at some point, if not on a regular basis, for larger events or fundraising drives. Get out your local phone book and check for some organizations that may be able to utilize your services and time to benefit a good cause. There are many benefits to volunteering, beyond the obvious benefits to the organization/individual/charity you’re assisting. Here are just a few: • Meet new people. Volunteer work provides opportunities to meet new people you may not have otherwise ever met. There’s potential to make new friends, or if nothing else, find some interesting people. You never know when a new friend or acquaintance will be just around the corner. This will help your social wellness immensely. Working as a part of an organized team is a great way to get to know people you’ve never met before because you will definitely have something in common—the project you’re working on! The opening topic is already taken care of! Don’t be afraid to talk to others. After all, you’re all there for the same reason, and you’ll be working together. • Build self-esteem and self-confidence. You can feel good at the end of the day knowing you’re helping others. Volunteering also provides chances to build up self-esteem and confidence in yourself in knowing you are accomplishing something worthwhile, and that without your help and teamwork with the other volunteers it would not have been as easy. Wherever you find yourself volunteering, feel good about it and be enthusiastic. It’s your chance to give something back to society. Volunteering is essential to many charities and non-profit organizations. Many of these agencies operate on limited budgets and have great goals to achieve. Without volunteer help they might never get it all done! Feel good about the work you’re doing; that you’re donating your own time and energy to making something positive happen for someone else. This is a wonderful way to feel valued, and the agencies you’re assisting will be extremely grateful. • Learn or develop skills. You may find yourself volunteering in an area you’re unfamiliar with. This is a wonderful opportunity to learn new skills and expand your knowledge base. You may be able to incorporate these skills later in further volunteering, employment, or your everyday life. Be open to trying new and exciting things. You never learn until you do it the first time. • Gain work experience and make networking connections. You may be lucky to find yourself volunteering for an organization in a capacity you are already familiar with, but even if you aren’t, there are still opportunities to gain valuable work experience that you can utilize in your place of employment, such as a particular skill or area of knowledge, organizational procedures, team-building and perhaps even managerial skills if you find yourself in charge of a particular task or group. When assisting an organization, for example, be sure to introduce yourself to the program/event director, and get a business card or number from them, as well as other volunteers. If you enjoy your experience, contact them to help out again. This could prove to be a good networking connection for future endeavors. You never know when someone may be able to help you out with something as well. • Make a difference in someone’s life. Many people rely on charitable organizations for assistance. The numbers are often staggering, and these service agencies may find it difficult to help everyone in need. You have the chance by giving some of your energy and time to make a significant difference in someone’s life. This is one case in which a little really can go a long way. Volunteering also gives you the opportunity to express gratitude for help you might have received in the past. Perhaps you were one of the many people relying on assistance from a particular organization in your area and you’d like to give something back. Volunteering is a wonderful way to give thanks to them while helping other people who may be in the same situation you were. Even if you’ve never received assistance from an organized charity, you can view volunteering as a way to give back to the universe all the gifts you’ve received in your life. This is a win-win situation for all concerned, and the people working for the organization will feel grateful for the assistance as well as knowing that they had a positive impact on your life. • Improve health. Perhaps the volunteer assignment you find yourself in has you lifting boxes, moving items, canvassing the neighborhood on foot with fliers, hanging lights, curtains, promotional signs, or sorting goods. Volunteering provides great ways to improve health because whatever area you’re working in, you’ll find yourself being more active and energetic. Volunteering offers you the chance to help solve problems within the community, advance a worthy cause, be a friend to someone in need, and grow on an individual level. If you’re unsure of where to begin, just look in the phone directory or for organizations in your area. Even if they can’t use you at the moment, they may be able to refer to elsewhere. Action Items: Find the time. Before you can volunteer, you have to make the time in your schedule for all your volunteering activities. Right now, write down all of your regular activities. Work, school, children, and hobbies all go on the list if they apply to you. Anything that you do on a regular basis goes on the list. If you have to be home on Tuesday nights at 7 to watch your favorite television show, put that on the list as well. Then, draw out a daily grid with time slots. Plug in all of your regular activities for the week in the appropriate time slots. Do you already see some chunks of time in which you might fit volunteering? If not, look at the list again. Do you see anything on that list that you would give up in order to volunteer? Down time is important, but perhaps spending your down time watching television doesn’t make you feel as fulfilled as a night of volunteering might. You could always tape your favorite show and move it to a different time slot. If you think you don’t have the time to volunteer because you need to spend quality time with your family, consider volunteering opportunities that get the whole family involved. This will let you give time to both your family and a volunteer organization. However you decide to rearrange your schedule, use this moment to decide when you’re going to volunteer, and set it on your schedule. Find the place. Once you’ve figured out when you’re going to volunteer, you need to find out where. Before you whip out the phone book and start jotting down numbers, think about the kinds of volunteer organizations that interest you. Do you love animals? Children? The elderly? Do you like to talk, or are you more interested in working with your hands. Think about your interests and personality and come up with a list of the types of volunteer work that fit you. You can volunteer at retirement centers, organizations that build homes, food banks, homeless shelters, animal shelters, and organizations that provide mentors for underprivelidged children. Once you’ve taken a moment to think about the kind of work that you would like to do, get out the phone book or open up your internet browser and start looking for an organization that fits your schedule and interests. Call around and find out what exactly the organization does, how they do it, and when they do it. By the end of this exercise, all you have to do is sign up to spend your allotted time with the organization of your choice. Conclusion:In our modern society, it’s easy to feel disconnected from your community. Volunteering gives you a way to become connected once again to the world around you. It allows you to reach out to someone else and exchange care, compassion, and love. This is the heart of society. Our relationships are based on these principles, and volunteering provides an opportunity to practice. Anytime you practice loving, you bring more love into your life and show the world that you are ready to have the relationships you’ve always wanted. - See more at: www.123feelbetter.net/missing-purpose-volunteer-get-clear/#sthash.g1iTBi9k.dpuf
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Post by BORNTHATWAY on Jul 22, 2015 4:48:54 GMT -7
I agree with this whole heartedly. I have said I could be a professional student. I love learning new things as well as history as there is so much to be learned from the past as well unfortunately when it is cleaned to make it more palatable is why we have some of the issues today.
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